Total area: 9,250 km2
land area: 9,240 km2

Comparative area: about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 648 km

Maritime claims:
@m5Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
@m5Territorial sea: 12 nm

Disputes: 1974 hostilities divided the island into two de facto autonomous
areas: the Greek area controlled by the Cypriot Government, consisting of 60% of the island, and the Turkish-Cypriot area, consisting of 35% of the island; a UN buffer zone separates the two areas; in addition, there are two UK sovereign base areas, consisting of about 5% of the island

Climate: temperate; hot, dry summers; cool, wet winters

Terrain: central plain with mountains to north and south

Natural resources: copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment

Land use: 40% arable land; 7% permanent crops; 10% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 25% other; includes 10% irrigated (most irrigated lands are in the Turkish-Cypriot area of the island)

Environment: moderate earthquake activity; water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, and most potable resources concentrated in the Turkish-Cypriot area)

NOTE: The information regarding Cyprus on this page is re-published from the 1989 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cyprus Geography 1989 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cyprus Geography 1989 should be addressed to the CIA.