What are the Key Facts of Cyprus?

Where is Cyprus?

Cyprus is an island nation located in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. It is situated south of Turkey, southeast of Greece, north of Egypt, northwest of Israel and Palestine, and west of Syria and Lebanon. Its strategic location in the Middle East made it lucrative for major powers to occupy it in the past.

What is the Geography of Cyprus?

Cyprus is spread across a total area of 9,251 sq. km (3,572 sq. mi), out of which 9,241 sq. km (3,568 sq. mi) is land area and the rest 10 sq. km (4 sq. mi) is water area. It has a 156 km (97 mi) long land boundary that is shared with border sovereign base areas such as Dhekelia (108 km or 67 mi) and Akrotiri (48 km or 30 mi). This Middle Eastern country has a total coastline of 648 km (403 mi).

The central part of the country has plain with mountains located to the north and south. The mountains form a very narrow band across the northern edge of the country. These low-lying mountains have a maximum elevation of 1,024 m (3,360 ft). The Troodos Mountains dominate the landscape in the southern and western parts of this island country. The highest elevation point of this island is Mount Olympus at 1,951 m (6,401 ft), which is located at the center of the Troodos Mountain range. Other major mountains of Cyprus are Makriá Kondárka, Kyparissovouno, Moutti tou Dia, Chinoas, etc.

Mesaoria, a somewhat fertile plain, is located to the north of Nicosia. It lies across the island from west to the east. There are many rivers on this island but all of them are seasonal. These rivers or streams are small and flow only when heavy rain takes place.

Some of the longest rivers/streams in Cyprus are Pedieos, Yialias, Serakhis, Dhiarizos, Xeropotamos, Ezousa, Kouris, and others. The largest river is the Pedieos River that is 98 km (61 mi) long. This Middle Eastern country has more than one hundred dams and reservoirs, acting as the main water source for domestic and agricultural usage.

A subtropical climate prevails in Cyprus. While the coastal area gets very mild winters, the summers are hot and warm. Snowfall takes place at higher altitudes (particularly on the Troodos Mountains) in the central parts of the country. Rainfall takes place mainly during the winter season and the summers usually remain dry.

The average annual temperature of Cyprus revolves around 24 °C (75 °F) during daytime and 14 °C (57 °F) during nighttime. The temperature remains warm for 8 months (from April to November). In April, the average daytime temperature remains within 21-23 °C (70-73 °F) and the nighttime temperature revolves within 11–13 °C (52–55 °F). In November, the average daytime temperature remains within 22–23 °C (72–73 °F) and the nighttime temperature revolves within 12–14 °C (54–57 °F).

The highest temperature is experienced in the coastal areas during the middle of summer, especially from July-to-August. During the remaining 4 months of the year (December-to-March), the temperature remains mild. During the daytime, sometimes it exceeds 20 °C (68 °F).

What is the Economy of Cyprus?

The economy of Cyprus has a market economy that is dominated by the services sector (mainly tourism, shipping, finance, and real estate), accounting for 4/5th of the total GDP of the economy. In 2018, the nominal GDP of the country grew at a rate of 3.876% to reach US$24.47 billion. It has been classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank. IMF also included it in its advanced economy list in 2001.

Several offshore businesses make Cyprus their base because of the low tax rates prevailing in the country. In the Aphrodite region, significant quantities of offshore natural gas have been discovered in recent years, thereby enhancing the country’s export potential. Reports suggest that over 100 trillion cubic feet (2.831 trillion cubic meters) of natural gas reserves are yet to be explored between Cyprus and Israel.

The unemployment rate is decreasing progressively over the years since 2015. It has come down from 16.09% in 2014 to 8.11% in 2018. The rate of poverty has decreased over the years with the growing economy. However, it is still around 27.7%. A press release of the Statistical Service of Cyprus has said that 205,900 persons or 23.9% of the population is still at the risk of poverty.

What is the Transportation System of Cyprus?

The major mode of transport in Cyprus is the roadway. There are 19,901 km (12,366 mi) of roadway present in the country, out of which 8,631 km (5,363 mi) is paved and 4,270 km (2,653 mi) is unpaved. The government controls 12,901 km (8,016 mi) of the total available roadway and the rest 7,000 km (4,350 mi) is under the control of the Turkish Cypriot.

The airways are moderately developed. There are 15 airports in the country, out of which 13 have paved runways and the rest 2 have unpaved runways. There are 9 heliports in Cyprus. There are 5 seaports in the country. While three (Vasilikos, Limassol, and Larnaca) are under the government control area, the rest two (Famagusta and Kyrenia) are located in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots. The country has 1,020 merchant marine ships. There is no railway facility in Cyprus.

What International Organizations is Cyprus part of?

WTO, IMF, UN, Interpol, ILO, UNESCO, NAM, Australia Group, C, CD, CE, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, IMSO, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NSG, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UNCTAD, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ICC (national committees), ITUC (NGOs), WFTU (NGOs), OAS (observer)

Related Links:

• Is Cyprus in Europe?

• Why Turkey invaded Cyprus?