Cyprus Overview
Situated in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean. It is located south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and Palestine, north of Egypt and southeast of Greece.
Cyprus is an extremely popular Mediterranean tourist destination for the British. The Island has fine weather with warm to hot sunny days which is guaranteed from early spring to late autumn.
In the past Britain has colonial & cultural links with the Island where there is a wide use and understanding of the English language and British culture.
The Troodos Mountains, in the central and western part of the island, rise to 1,951 metres at Mt Olympus. The area is infertile with igneous rock and characterised by steep slopes, narrow valleys and precipices. The Kyrenia Mountains along the north coast, rise to 1,024 metres and are mainly limestone. Passes and valleys allow access to the north coast.
The fertile Messaoria Plain lies between them. About half of its 450,000 acres is irrigated. Most water sources are in the south – all major rivers originate in the Troodos and flow east, south or west. Many rivers dry up in the summer. There are sandy beaches on the south of the island and some rugged rocky coastline in the north.
Cyprus Overview: Environment
The most significant environmental issues are limited water resources – due to lack of rain in the summer and pollution of the island’s largest aquifer by sea water; water pollution by sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; and loss of wildlife habitats due to urbanisation.
Cyprus Overview: Vegetation
Mediterranean scrub, succulents and pine woods, adapted to the dry summers, with 1,800 species and subspecies of flowering plants. Forest covers 19 per cent of the land area. The mountains are forested and less than 15 per cent of the land is arable and permanently cropped, about 20 per cent of which is irrigated. The occupied north is generally more thickly vegetated and fertile.
Cyprus Overview: Wildlife
The only large wild animal is the agrino, a species of wild sheep, which is now protected. Snakes, once so abundant as to give the island its old name Ophiussa (‘abode of snakes’), are now comparatively rare.
Further Information About Cyprus:
- Accommodation & Places to Stay
- Places of Interest
- How to Get There
- Weather & Climate
- Local Cuisine
- Things to Do in Cyprus
- A Brief History of Cyprus