On 4 April 1964, UNFICYP was formed at Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus. The peace-keeping operation initially began with troops from Ireland, Finland, Denmark, and Canada. The Canadian and Finnish contingents were deployed to the United Nations Buffer Zone in Cyprus, which included Nicosia and the surrounding northeast and northwest areas. The Canadian operation’s goal was to oversee and maintain the neutrality of the Green Line, the demarcation zone between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities within the city. The Canadian peacekeeping operation was titled “Operation Snowgoose” in July 1974 when the Canadian involvement increased during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.
