| 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)
land: 9,240 sq km
water: 10 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut |
| 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). |
