Short facts about the 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 the Turkish Cypriot area) land:  9,240 sq km water:  10 sq km

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, 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:  Olympus 1,951 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:

390 sq km (1993 est.)

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, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, 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

Source: World Factbook