Cyprus Geography 1997

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 (note - 3,355 sq km are in the Turkish 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, wet winters

Terrain central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significantplains along southern coast

Elevation extremes
lowest point : Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Olympus 1,952 m

Natural resources copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earthpigment

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

Environment - current issues water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparityin rainfall; sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifier); water pollutionfrom sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitatsfrom urbanization

Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, OzoneLayer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change

NOTE: The information regarding Cyprus on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cyprus Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cyprus Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.