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)
water: 10 sq km
land: 9,240 sq km |
| Area - comparative: | about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut |
| Land boundaries: | 0 km |
| 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, 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: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Geography - note: | the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)
Source: CIA World Factbook
|
