Cyprus Geography
The wooded areas of Cyprus cool off in hot temperatures in summer. Cyprus is one of the islands in the Mediterranean that are most heavily forested.
Even in ancient times, people appreciated the fertile island. Even then, the good wine and the high-quality olive oil were among the export goods of Cyprus. The residents were able to cover the entire needs of the population by growing grain.
When the mining era began in Cyprus, large areas of forest were cleared. The wood was needed as fuel. The extracted silver and copper were also protected by building wooden huts to store the raw materials.
In addition, a lot of wood was felled for shipbuilding. What is interesting about the deforestation in Cyprus is that in the past you could clear forests here without a permit and use the exposed land as property.
Cyprus climate
That climate of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus is Mediterranean. This means that the summers are hot and dry, while the winters are mild and humid.
According to bridgat, two mountains rise up on Cyprus, the Trodos Mountains in the southwest and the Pentadaktylos Mountains in the north. Here you can also in wintersnow fall.
In the plane that these two mountain range separates, it gets very hot in summer.
The coastal areas of Cyprus have a somewhat more balanced climate, summer temperatures “only” reach about 35 ° C, in winter the temperatures hardly drop below zero.
Cyprus – key data
Area: 9,251 km², of which 3,355 km² (36%) belong to Northern Cyprus
Population: 1.1 million (July 2011 estimate, CIA). Composition:Greeks 77%, Turks 18%, others 5% (2001)
Population density: 121 people per km²
Population growth: 1.617% per year (2011, CIA)
Capital: Nicosia (100,000 residents, 2007)
Highest point: Mount Olympus, 1,951 m
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea, 0 m
Form of government: Cyprus has been a presidential republic since 1960 and is represented in the Commonwealth. The Cypriot constitution also dates from 1960. The parliament of Cyprus is the House of Representatives, it consists of a chamber with 80 seats, 24 of which are for Northern Cyprus, but these have not been occupied since 1974. Cyprus has been independent from Great Britain since August 16, 1960. In 1983 the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” declared itself independent, but this is only recognized by Turkey. Cyprus has been a member of the European Union since May 1st, 2004.
Administrative division: 6 districts: Famagusta, Kyrenia, Larnaca, Limassol, Nicosia as wellPaphos
Head of State and Government: Ppresident Nikos Chrysanthou Anastasiadis, since February 28, 2013
Language: the official languages in Cyprus are Greek and Turkish. Englich is used as a communication and educational language. In regions frequented by tourists, French or German are often understood.
Religion: Greek Orthodox 78%, Muslim 18%, others (including Maronites and Armenian Apostolic) 4%
Local time: CET + 1 h. Between the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October, Cyprus has summer time (CET + 2 hours).
The time difference to Central Europe is + 1 hour in both winter and summer.
International phone code: +357
Internet identifier:.cy
Mains voltage: 240 V, 50 Hz
Cyprus Geography
Cyprus is an island state in the eastern Mediterranean, which is geographically part of Asia, but politically and culturally part of Europe. To Sicily and Sardinia Cyprus is the third largest and at the same time easternmost island in the Mediterranean. With a total area of 9,251 square kilometers, Cyprus is only about half the size of the state of Hesse. Around 60% of the island belongs to the national territory of the Republic of Cyprus, while around 3,450 square kilometers are under the administration of Turkey as the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”.
The shape of Cyprus can be compared in the broadest sense with a gigantic pan, the handle of which forms the Karpasia Peninsula. Unlike the neighboring Greek islands, Cyprus has no coastline with bays, natural harbors and deep gullies. Rocky sections and long sand and pebble beaches, on the other hand, determine the appearance of the approximately 671 kilometers long coastline. The landscape of Cyprus can also be clearly broken down: In the Turkish-occupied north, the Pentadáktylos Mountains, which are more than 100 kilometers long but only a few kilometers wide and whose highest peak rises 1,042 meters, run. The mountain range lines the entire north coast like a natural and seemingly impenetrable barrier.
A fertile plain adjoins this mountain range to the south, stretching from the bay of Mórfou in the west to Famagusta in the east extends. This alluvial plain bears the Greek name “Mesaória”, which can be translated as “between the mountains”. In the south of the plain rises the mighty and over 1,900 meter high volcanic Tróodos mountains, which extend over large parts of the center of the island and western Cyprus. At 1,951 meters, the Olympos is the highest mountain on the island. These mountains run out towards the coasts in a landscape that is crossed by dry streams and predominantly dominated by hills, which is mainly used for viticulture. The country is made up of over 80 reservoirs irrigated, which catch and store the water during the rainy season, as there is hardly any rainfall in Cyprus in the summer months.
