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Geography of Cyprus

Location:Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey
Geographic coordinates:35 00 N, 33 00 E
Map references:Middle East
Area:total: 9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
land: 9,240 sq km
water: 10 sq km
Area - comparative:about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:total: NA; note - boundary with Dhekelia is being resurveyed
border countries: Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia NA
Coastline:648 km
Maritime claims:territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
Terrain:central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast
Elevation extremes:lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m
Natural resources:copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
Land use:arable land: 10.81%
permanent crops: 4.32%
other: 84.87% (2005)
Irrigated land:400 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:moderate earthquake activity; droughts
Environment - current issues:water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization
Environment - international agreements:party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)

Cyprus Quickstats

  • Population: 788,457 (July 2007 est.)
  • Area: 9,250 sq km
  • Density: 90 /km² (105th)
  • GDP (total): $23.74 billion (113th)
  • GDP (per capita): $31,053 (25th)
  • Literacy: 97.6%

Languages of Cyprus

Useful to know

  • Currency: Cypriot pound (CYP)
  • Dial code: +357

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