Cyprus

Cyprus is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Cyprus is the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean, and a member state of the European Union. It is located east of Greece, south ofTurkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and the Gaza Strip, and north of Egypt.Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world. Cyprus is a major tourist destination in the Mediterranean. An advanced,high-income economywith a very high Human Development Index.

 

Geography

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia (both in terms of area and population). It is also the world’s 81st largest by area and world’s 51st largest by population. It measures 240 kilometres long from end to end and 100 kilometres (62 mi) wide at its widest point, with Turkey 75 kilometres to the north. It lies between latitudes 34° and 36° N, and longitudes 32° and 35° E.

Other neighbouring territories include Syria and Lebanon to the east, Israel to the southeast, Egypt to the south, and Greece to the northwest.

The physical relief of the island is dominated by two mountain ranges, the Troodos Mountains and the smallerKyrenia Range, and the central plain they encompass, the Mesaoria. The Mesaoria plain is drained by the Pedieos River, the longest on the island. The Troodos Mountains cover most of the southern and western portions of the island and account for roughly half its area. The highest point on Cyprus is Mount Olympus located in the centre of the Troodos range. The narrow Kyrenia Range, extending along the northern coastline, occupies substantially less area, and elevations are lower.


The Troodos Mountains

 

Climate

Cyprus has a subtropical climate – Mediterranean and semi-arid type with very mild winters (on the coast) and warm to hot summers. Snow is possible only in the Troodos Mountains in the central part of island. Rain occurs mainly in winter, with summer being generally dry.Cyprus has the warmest climate (and warmest winters) in the Mediterranean part of the European Union.Generally – summer’s/holiday season lasts about 8 months, begins in April. Among all cities in the Mediterranean part of the European Union, Limassol has the warmest winters, in the period January–February. Middle of summer is usually hot – in the July and August on the coast. Large fluctuations in temperature are rare. Temperatures inside the island are more stringent, with colder winters and more hot summers compared with the coast of the island.

 

Transport

Available modes of transport are by road, sea, and air. Cyprus is one of only four EU nations in which vehicles drive on the left-hand side of the road. There are several modern motorways in Cyprus. A series of motorways runs along the coast from Paphos east to Ayia Napa, with two motorways running inland to Nicosia, one from Limassol and one from Larnaca.


Larnaca International Airport, the busiest airport

Per capita private car ownership is the 29th-highest in the world. There were approximately 344,000 privately owned vehiclesand a total of 517,000 registered motor vehicles in the Republic of Cyprus in 2006. In 2006 extensive plans were announced to improve and expand bus services and restructure public transport throughout Cyprus, with the financial backing of the European Union Development Bank. In 2010 the new revised and expanded bus network was implemented.Cyprus has several heliports and two international airports: Larnaca International Airport and Paphos International Airport. A third airport, Ercan International Airport operates in the Turkish Cypriot administered area with direct flights to Turkey. The main harbours of the island are Limassol and Larnaca, which service cargo, passenger, and cruise ships.


The Port of Limassol, the busiest port in Cyprus

 

Sports

Governing bodies of sports in Cyprus include the Cyprus Football Association, Cyprus Basketball Federation,Cyprus Volleyball Federation, Cyprus Automobile Association, Cyprus Badminton Federation,  Cyprus Cricket Association and the Cyprus Rugby Federation.

The Cyprus League includes notable teams such as APOEL FC, Anorthosis Famagusta FC.  Stadiums or sports venues in Cyprus include the GSP Stadium (the largest in the Republic of Cyprus), Tsirion Stadium (second largest), Neo GSZ Stadium.  Apart from the emphasis on football, Cyprus has exhibited various accomplishments in other sports. Marcos Baghdatis is one of the most successful tennis players on the international stage. He was a finalist at the Australian Open. Also Kyriakos Ioannou a Cypriot high jumper achieved a jump of 2.35 m at the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics. He was recently ranked third at the international level and second in Europe. In motorsports, Cyprus is represented by Tio Ellinas, a successful race car driver, currently racing in the GP3 Seriesfor Marussia Manor Motorsport.


Nicosia City

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