| 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
|
| Maritime claims: |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea:
12 NM
|
| 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:
Olympus 1,951 m
|
| Natural resources: |
copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
|
| Land use: |
arable land:
12%
permanent crops:
5%
permanent pastures:
0%
forests and woodland:
13%
other:
70% (1993 est.)
|
| Irrigated land: |
390 sq km (1993 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, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
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