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Geography of Cyprus

The Republic of Cyprus is an island country which is beautifully situated in the eastern basin of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey, north of Egypt, west of Levant and east of Greece. Cyprus occupies the third-largest island in the Mediterranean region, and has quite an interesting climate. Often considered part of the Middle East, as it's set between western Asia, Northern Africa and Europe, Cyprus is historically, culturally and politically more connected to Europe than the other two continents.

The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia, though there are five other major cities in Cyprus, namely Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos, Kyrenia and Famagusta. The Republic of Cyprus is 240 kilometres in latitude and 100 kilometres in longitude. A great part of the island is dominated by the Trodos Mountains and a central plain called Mesaoria.

Politically, the island of Cyprus is divided into four parts: the Republic of Cyprus, a recognized country that has been a member of the European Union since 2004; the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, occupying one-third of the island, situated to the north and only recognized by Turkey; the Green Line area, controlled by the United Nations; and Akrotiri and Dhekelia, two zones under British rule. The climate on the island of Cyprus is Mediterranean and temperate, characterized by rainy winters and dry summers. The temperatures during the summer tend to be warm to hot, being on average 27 - 36 degrees; while the temperatures during the winter are usually mild with rare snowfall, ranging between 3 - 10 degrees. The spring and autumn seasons are quite short. The mountain areas are generally cooler and get more rainfall than the rest of the island. Sunshine is abundant throughout the year, especially in the period between the months of April and September, when the sun shines for more than eleven hours each day. According to a survey of the population, four-fifths of the country is occupied by Greek Cypriots and one-fifth by Turkish Cypriots. Today, Cyprus has a significant number of guest workers from countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines, plus many people from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania. The number of British residents who have settled on the island is also quite large.

The temperatures during the summer tend to be warm to hot, being on average 27 - 36 degrees; while the temperatures during the winter are usually mild with rare snowfall, ranging between 3 - 10 degrees. The spring and autumn seasons are quite short. The mountain areas are generally cooler and get more rainfall than the rest of the island. Sunshine is abundant throughout the year, especially in the period between the months of April and September, when the sun shines for more than eleven hours each day.

According to a survey of the population, four-fifths of the country is occupied by Greek Cypriots and one-fifth by Turkish Cypriots. Today, Cyprus has a significant number of guest workers from countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand and the Philippines, plus many people from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania. The number of British residents who have settled on the island is also quite large.