The massive Troodos mountains cover much of the southern and western parts of the island. Less than 11 percent of the island is considered arable land, and the main crops are potatoes, citrus fruits, vegetables, cereals, vines, olives, melons, and flowers.
Cyprus is rich in natural resources such as minerals and metals, in fact, the name, Cyprus, is believed to be a derivative of the ancient Greek word for copper. This metal was mined extensively on the island in ancient times and copper and copper products are still mined and produced in Cyprus. Today there are some quarries extracting materials such as sand, gravel aggregates, limestone, gypsum, building stone and clay for the domestic market; and bentonite, marble, gypsum, ochre and umber for export.
US company Noble Energy carried out appraisal drillings in block 12 in October and the results confirmed natural gas reserves of 3. Cyprus is currently undergoing its third licensing round. Life is meant to be enjoyed in Cyprus, which is renowned for its excellent quality of life, with the emphasis on working to live, as opposed to living to work.
Cafe culture predominates, with both business and social meetings taking place over a leisurely frappe iced coffee in the numerous cafes in every town and city. The people of Cyprus are descended from two major civilizations. Country Description Cyprus is an island nation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Since , Cyprus has been divided between a government-controlled area, comprising the southern two-thirds of the island, and a northern third administered by Turkish Cypriots.
Facilities for tourism in Cyprus are highly developed. Cyprus joined the European Union in Crime Although the crime rate in Cyprus is low, visitors in any urban areas should take the normal precautions they would take in any large city. Be alert and always vigilant of your surroundings and of your personal belongings.
Criminals often target persons who are distracted, alone in an isolated area, or impaired. There has been a reported increase in the rate of home break-ins, particularly in Nicosia. Although most home break-ins take place overnight, this type of crime can take place at any time of day or night, as perpetrators seek targets of opportunity whenever available.
As in any major metropolitan area, all travelers and residents should exercise care by locking all doors and windows to their homes, offices, and cars, and not leaving any valuables unattended or out in public view.
Not only are these items illegal to bring back into the United States, by purchasing them you may also be breaking local law. These establishments can also present foreign patrons with grossly inflated bar tabs, and customers who refuse to pay may be threatened. Criminal Penalties While you are traveling in Cyprus, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.
Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own, and criminal penalties vary from country to country. There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States; for instance, you can be prosecuted under U. Engaging in sexual conduct with children or using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States. If you break local laws in Cyprus, your U.
If you are arrested in Cyprus, authorities of Cyprus are required to notify the U. Embassy of your arrest. If you are concerned the Department of State may not be aware of your situation, you should ask the police or prison officials to notify the U. You also have the option to request communications from you be forwarded to the U.
Languages The official languages are Greek and Turkish. In social exchanges, an informal Cypriot dialect is used. Medical Facilities and Health Information Medical care is available both at government hospitals and private clinics.
Emergency rooms offer adequate care to stabilize patients, most of who are then transferred to private hospitals. Many of the private-sector doctors have been trained in the United Kingdom or the United States. While fees are generally lower than those in the United States, medical supplies are often more expensive. Paramedics do not staff ambulances.
The standard of medical care in the area administered by Turkish Cypriots is improving, but still falls below that found in the government-controlled area. The World Health Organization considers Cyprus to be one of the healthiest areas of the Mediterranean. On the second, enlarged map below, you see only the rectangle with Cyprus, its position in Europe and the Mediterranean Sea, and the surrounding countries. The map shown below with Cyprus and its neighboring countries corresponds to the square diagram with the black outline of the global map above.
This strategic location of Cyprus, in the crossroads of three continents, defined its fate and history through the centuries and the millenniums. It does so even today. As an island, Cyprus does not have borders with other countries. It does have, however, maritime boundaries with the neighboring bordering countries. These countries are Turkey to the north, Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the south-east, Egypt to the south, and Greece island of Crete to the west.
Cyprus official name: Republic of Cyprus. Capital of Cyprus: Capital and largest city of Cyprus is Nicosia. Population of Cyprus: the population of Cyprus was a bit less of 1. Internet TLD:. Time in Cyprus is two hours ahead of the time of Western European time and one hour ahead of Central European time.
Driving side: Cyprus follows the British driving style, You drive on the left side of the road, and the cars coming from your right-hand side of the road have the priority. The wheel of the car is on the right side of the car. In general, driving in Cyprus is the opposite of the driving style in the rest of Europe and the US, so please be very careful in case you rent a car.
Cyprus flag. He was an artist and art teacher. Cyprus has this flag since its independence in Design of the flag: The Cypriot flag features the shape outline of the island, with two olive branches below it, on a white background.
The map on the flag is in copper-orange colour. This symbolizes the large copper reserves of the island, for which it was famous in the ancient times. During that period Cyprus used to export copper to the entire ancient world.
Even the name of Cyprus is considered to derive from the ancient Latin word for copper, cuprous. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, smaller only to Sicily and Sardinia. It also has the third biggest population of the Mediterranean islands, again behind Sicily and Sardinia. On the west and central part of the island, the range of Troodos marks the area and creates the mountainous spine of Cyprus. At its highest point, Mount Olympus, Troodos reaches meters.
Troodos mountains are covered by pine forests and many times during winter its higher peaks are snow-covered. To the north, there is another, much smaller mountain range, the Kyrenia range.
The highest peak of the Kyrenia range is meters. The eastern part of Cyprus is a huge plain, the Mesaoria Plain. For centuries it was the granary of Cyprus. Cyprus does not have year-round running waters and rivers, nor natural lakes.
It depends heavily on the water rainfall for irrigation water, and for its big array of water dams to fill for the summer. Climate Cyprus enjoys a wonderful Mediterranean climate.
The long, dry summer and the short, moderately wet winter are separated with short spring and autumn. One of the reasons Cyprus is so popular is the fact that it enjoys more than sunny days every year. Read here more about the climate of Cyprus. Airports of Cyprus. Cyprus has two international airports. Larnaca International airport is the main entry point to Cyprus with hundreds of flights every week.
The second airport in Cyprus is the Paphos International airport. Most of the European countries and countries of the Middle East have multiple weekly connections with Larnaca airport and Paphos airport. To find out more information regarding flight connections with Cyprus, visit the official website of Cyprus Airports. Ethnic groups of Cyprus. Because of its position on the map, many rulers passed from Cyprus through the ages.
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