Cyprus Geography - 2005

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
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: 7.79%
permanent crops: 4.44%
other: 87.77% (2001)

Irrigated land:
382 sq km (2001 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, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, 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
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements