Cyprus Geography Overview
Area
land
9,241 sq km
water
10 sq km
total
9,251 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus)
Climate
Mediterranean climate characterized by hot, dry summers and mild winters
Terrain
a central plateau bordered by mountain ranges to the north and south; notable but limited plains along the southern coastline
Land use
other
67.1% (2023 est.)
forest
18.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
14% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 10.6% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 3.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0.2% (2023 est.)
Location
located in the Middle East, this island is situated in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey; it is important to mention that Cyprus considers itself a part of Europe; geopolitically, it can be categorized as belonging to Europe, the Middle East, or both
Coastline
648 km
Elevation
lowest point
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point
Mount Olympus 1,951 m
mean elevation
91 m
Irrigated land
269 sq km (2020)
Map references
Middle East
Land boundaries
total
156 km
border sovereign base areas
Akrotiri 48 km; Dhekelia 108 km
Maritime claims
contiguous zone
24 nm
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Natural hazards
experiences moderate seismic activity; susceptible to drought conditions
Geography - note
ranked as the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, following Sicily and Sardinia
Natural resources
natural resources include copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, and clay earth pigments
Area - comparative
approximately 0.6 times the area of Connecticut
Geographic coordinates
35 00 N, 33 00 E
Population distribution
population is primarily found in central Nicosia and the major southern cities of Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca