Geography
Cyprus, republic, and third largest island in the Mediterranean
Sea, located west of Syria and south of Turkey. The island has a
maximum length of about 220 km (about 140 mi) from Cape Andreas
in the northeast to the western extremity of the island.
Its maximum width, from Cape Gαta in the south to Cape Kormakiti
in the north, is about 90 km (about 60 mi). The total area of the
country is 9,251 sq km (3,572 sq mi). Nicosia is the capital and
largest city.
Since 1974 the northern third of Cyprus has been occupied by Turkish
troops and has formed a separate-though officially unrecognized-state
called the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Climate
Cyprus has a typical Mediterranean climate, with hot and dry summers
and a cool, rainy season that extends from October to March. The
mean annual temperature is 21° C (69° F). The annual rainfall averages
less than 500 mm (less than 20 in).
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