Geography of Cyprus

The central plain (Mesaoria) with the Kyrenia/Girne and Pentadactylos/Besparmak mountains to the north and the Troodos mountain range to the south and west. There are also scattered but significant plains along the southern coast.

The climate is temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, variably rainy winters.

Location: Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey

Map of CyprusGeographic coordinates: 35° N 33° E

Map references: Middle East

Area: total: 9,250 km² (of which 3,355 km² are in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus) land: 9,240 km² water: 10 km²

Area - comparative: about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 648 km

Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: temperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, variably rainy winters; mean annual precipitation from 1971 to 2000 was 460 mm

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Olympus 1,953 m

Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment

Land use: arable land: 12% permanent crops: 5% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 13% other: 70% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 400 km² (1999 UN est.)

Natural hazards: moderate earthquake activity

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, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants