Geography & environment — Cyprus
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Cyprus: Middle East
Immigration rules and fees change frequently — confirm current requirements on official government or embassy websites.
Location & size
- Geographic Location
Middle East
- Geographic Coordinates
35 00 N, 33 00 E
- Total Area
3,572 Square Miles 9,251 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
3,568 Square Miles 9,241 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
4 Square Miles 10 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
93 Miles 150 Kilometers
- Coastline
403 Miles 648 Kilometers
Physical geography
- Terrain
Central plain with mountains to the north and south; scattered but significant plains along the southern coast
- Highest Point
1,951 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Olympus 1,951 m
- Lowest Point Location
Mediterranean Sea 0 m
- Natural Resources
Copper, pyrites, asbestos, gypsum, timber, salt, marble, clay earth pigment
- Irrigated Land
176 Square Miles 457 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate
- Climate
Cyprus has hot, dry, dusty summers and moderately cool, damp winters. Nicosia's maximum mean temperature is about 80°F, while the minimum mean temperature is 50°F. From mid-June to mid-September, the temperature sometimes exceeds 100°F. After sunset, it usually falls to between 60°F and 70°F. The summer heat is tolerable because humidity is usually low and high temperatures are often tempered by westerly winds. Nicosia's summer weather is generally more comfortable than in the seaside towns, where humidity is higher though temperatures are lower. Rain falls almost exclusively from December through March. Winters are usually cool and damp. On the whole, Cyprus has an enjoyable Mediterranean climate.
- Terrain
Central plain with mountains to the north and south; scattered but significant plains along the southern coast
- Location
Middle East, island in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey
- Total Area
3,572 Square Miles 9,251 Square Kilometers
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
- Water resource problems (no natural reservoir catchments, seasonal disparity in rainfall, sea water intrusion to the 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