Cyprus Geography

Cyprus, at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, is situated in the north-eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, 75km south of Turkey, 90km west of Syria and 380km east of the Greek island of Rhodes.

Two mountain ranges, the Troodos Range and the Keryneia Range, run from east to west across the island separated by the central Messaoria plain. The densely forested Troodos Range in the south-west is a dome-shaped highland dominated by the islandΆs highest peak, Mount Olympus, at 1..

According to data from the Statistical Service of the Ministry of Finance, the total population of Cyprus was 802.500 at the end of 2002 of whom 80, 1% (642.600) is considered to be members of the Christian Greek Cypriot community and speak Greek.

The capital of Cyprus is Lefkosia (Nicosia) with a population of 208.900. It is situated roughly in the middle of the island and is the seat of the government as well as being the main business center.

Cyprus is the warmest island in the Mediterranean. The mean daily temperature in July and August ranges between 29°C on the central plain to 22°C on the Troodos mountains, while the average maximum temperature for these months ranges between 36°C and 27°C respectively. Wi.

The coast of Cyprus is indented and rocky in the north, with long sandy beaches and numerous coves in the south. The northern coastal plain is covered with olive and carob trees and backed by the steep limestone Pentadaktylos mountain range.