Page last updated on February 15,

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

Geographic coordinates:
35 00 N, 33 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 171
land: 9,241 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 10 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 150.4 km (approximately)
border sovereign base areas: Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia 103 km (approximately)
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
648 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:
temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters
More Climate Details

Terrain:
central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

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

Land use:
arable land: 10.81%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 4.32%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 84.87% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
460 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
0.4 cu km (2005)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.21 cu km/yr (27%/1%/71%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 250 cu m/yr (2000)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

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-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, 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, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)