35 00 N, 33 00 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 9,250 sq km (of which 3,355 sq km are in north Cyprus) land: 9,240 sq km water: 10 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 0.6 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:

total: 150.4 km (approximately) border sovereign base areas: Akrotiri 47.4 km, Dhekelia 103 km (approximately)

Coastline:

648 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters

Terrain:

central plain with mountains to north and south; scattered but significant plains along southern coast

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m highest point: Mount Olympus 1,951 m

Natural resources:

copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment

Land use:

arable land: 10.81% permanent crops: 4.32% other: 84.87% (2005)

Irrigated land:

400 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

0.4 cu km (2005)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 0.21 cu km/yr (27%/1%/71%) per capita: 250 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

moderate earthquake activity; droughts

Environment - current issues:

water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to island's largest aquifer, increased salination in the north); water pollution from sewage and industrial wastes; coastal degradation; loss of wildlife habitats from urbanization

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Sicily and Sardinia)

People
Cyprus

Population:

792,604 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 19.5% (male 78,922/female 75,523) 15-64 years: 68.5% (male 275,223/female 267,798) 65 years and over: 12% (male 41,592/female 53,546) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 35.3 years male: 34.3 years female: 36.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

0.522% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

12.56 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

7.76 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

0.42 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 6.75 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.34 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.07 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 78.15 years male: 75.75 years female: 80.67 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.79 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

fewer than 1,000 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: