Geography of Cyprus

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

Geographic coordinates:\n35 00 N, 33 00 E\n

Map references:\nMiddle East\n

Area:\n
total:\n9,250 km² (of which 3,355 km² are in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus)\n
land:\n9,240 km²\n
water:\n10 km²\n

Area - comparative:\nabout 0.6 times the size of Connecticut\n

Land boundaries:\n0 km\n

Coastline:\n648 km\n

Maritime claims:\n
continental shelf:\n200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation\n
territorial sea:\n12 nm\n

Climate:\ntemperate, Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool, variably rainy winters; mean annual precipitation from 1971 to 2000 was 460 mm [[image:cyprus.arp.750pix.jpg|300px|thumb|This image, acquired by NASA's Terra satellite on 30 January 2001, shows the three distinct geologic regions of the island. In the central and western part of the island is the Troödos Massif, a mountain range whose surface layer is mostly basaltic lava rock, and whose maximum elevation is 1953 m (6407 ft). Running in a thin arc along the northeast margin of the island is Cyprus's second mountain range, a limestone formation called the Kyrenia Range. The space between these ranges is home to the capital Nicosia, visible as a grayish-brown patch near the image's center.]]

Terrain:\ncentral plain (Mesaoria) with the Kyrenia and Pentadactylos mountains to the north and the Troodos mountain range to the south and west; scattered but significant plains along the southern coast\n

Elevation extremes:\n
lowest point:\nMediterranean Sea 0 m\n
highest point:\nOlympus 1,953 m\n

Natural resources:\ncopper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment\n

Land use:\n
arable land:\n12%\n
permanent crops:\n5%\n
permanent pastures:\n0%\n
forests and woodland:\n13%\n
other:\n70% (1993 est.)\n

Irrigated land:\n400 km² (1999 UN est.)\n

Natural hazards:\nmoderate earthquake activity\n

Environment - current issues:\nwater 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\n

Environment - international agreements:\n
party to:\nAir 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\n
signed, but not ratified:\nAir Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

See also : Cyprus

\n