Editing Cyprus (section)

==Geography==
{{Main|Geography of Cyprus}}

[[File:Cyprus sentinel2.jpg|thumb|A [[Sentinel-2]] image of Cyprus taken in 2022]]
[[File:Sea caves Cape Greco 9.jpg|thumb|Sea caves at [[Cape Greco]]]]

Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after the [[List of islands of Italy|Italian islands]] of [[Sicily]] and [[Sardinia]], both in terms of area and population.<ref name="CIA"/> It is also the [[List of islands by area|world's 80th largest by area]] and [[List of islands by population|world's 51st largest by population]]. It measures {{convert|240|km|mi|0}} long from end to end and {{convert|100|km|mi|0}} wide at its widest point, with Turkey {{convert|75|km|mi|0}} to the north. It lies between latitudes [[34th parallel north|34°]] and [[36th parallel north|36° N]], and longitudes [[32nd meridian east|32°]] and [[35th meridian east|35° E]].

Other neighbouring territories include Syria and Lebanon to the east and southeast ({{convert|105|and|108|km|mi|0}}, respectively), Israel {{convert|200|km|mi|0}} to the southeast, The Gaza Strip 427 kilometres (265&nbsp;mi) to the southeast, Egypt {{convert|380|km|mi|0}} to the south, and Greece to the northwest: {{convert|280|km|mi|0}} to the small [[Dodecanese|Dodecanesian]] island of [[Kastellorizo]] (Megisti), {{convert|400|km|mi|0}} to [[Rhodes]] and {{convert|800|km|mi|0}} to the Greek mainland. Cyprus is at the crossroads of three continents, with some sources placing Cyprus in Europe,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destination/cyprus |title=Travel – National Geographic |website=travel.nationalgeographic.com |access-date=19 July 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817175131/http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/cyprus-facts/ |archive-date=17 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1016541.stm |title=BBC News – Cyprus country profile |date=23 December 2011 |access-date=1 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728172734/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/country_profiles/1016541.stm |archive-date=28 July 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Europe map / Map of Europe – Facts, Geography, History of Europe – Worldatlas.com |url=http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/eu.htm |access-date=20 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516064446/http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/eu.htm |archive-date=16 May 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref> and some sources placing Cyprus in Western Asia and the Middle East.<ref>{{cite web |title=United Nations Statistics Division- Standard Country and Area Codes Classifications (M49) |url=http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#asia |website=United |publisher=[[United Nations Statistics Division|UNSD]] |access-date=20 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417070721/http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49regin.htm#asia |archive-date=17 April 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>{{fv|date=April 2025}}<ref name="CIA" />

The physical relief of the island is dominated by two mountain ranges, the [[Troodos Mountains]] and the smaller [[Kyrenia Mountains|Kyrenia 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 (Cyprus)|Mount Olympus]] at {{convert|1952|m|abbr=on}}, in the centre of the Troodos range. The narrow Kyrenia Range, extending along the northern coastline, occupies substantially less area, and elevations are lower, reaching a maximum of {{convert|1024|m|abbr=on}}. The island lies within the [[Anatolian Plate]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Erdik |first1=Mustafa |title=Strong Ground Motion Seismology |year=2013 |page=469|author-link=Mustafa Erdik}}</ref>

Cyprus contains the [[Cyprus Mediterranean forests]] ecoregion.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dinerstein |first1=Eric |last2=Olson |first2=David |last3=Joshi |first3=Anup |last4=Vynne |first4=Carly |last5=Burgess |first5=Neil D. |last6=Wikramanayake |first6=Eric |last7=Hahn |first7=Nathan |last8=Palminteri |first8=Suzanne |last9=Hedao |first9=Prashant |last10=Noss |first10=Reed |last11=Hansen |first11=Matt |last12=Locke |first12=Harvey |last13=Ellis |first13=Erle C |last14=Jones |first14=Benjamin |last15=Barber |first15=Charles Victor |last16=Hayes |first16=Randy |last17=Kormos |first17=Cyril |last18=Martin |first18=Vance |last19=Crist |first19=Eileen |last20=Sechrest |first20=Wes |last21=Price |first21=Lori |last22=Baillie |first22=Jonathan E. M. |last23=Weeden |first23=Don |last24=Suckling |first24=Kierán |last25=Davis |first25=Crystal |last26=Sizer |first26=Nigel |last27=Moore |first27=Rebecca |last28=Thau |first28=David |last29=Birch |first29=Tanya |last30=Potapov |first30=Peter |last31=Turubanova |first31=Svetlana |last32=Tyukavina |first32=Alexandra |last33=de Souza |first33=Nadia |last34=Pintea |first34=Lilian |last35=Brito |first35=José C. |last36=Llewellyn |first36=Othman A. |last37=Miller |first37=Anthony G. |last38=Patzelt |first38=Annette |last39=Ghazanfar |first39=Shahina A. |last40=Timberlake |first40=Jonathan |last41=Klöser |first41=Heinz |last42=Shennan-Farpón |first42=Yara |last43=Kindt |first43=Roeland |last44=Lillesø |first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow |last45=van Breugel |first45=Paulo |last46=Graudal |first46=Lars |last47=Voge |first47=Maianna |last48=Al-Shammari |first48=Khalaf F. |last49=Saleem |first49=Muhammad |title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm |journal=BioScience |volume=67 |issue=6 |year=2017 |pages=534–545 |issn=0006-3568 |doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014 |pmid=28608869 |pmc=5451287}}</ref> It had a 2018 [[Forest Landscape Integrity Index]] mean score of 7.06/10, ranking it 59th globally out of 172 countries.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Grantham |first1=H. S. |last2=Duncan |first2=A. |last3=Evans |first3=T. D. |last4=Jones |first4=K. R. |last5=Beyer |first5=H. L. |last6=Schuster |first6=R. |last7=Walston |first7=J. |last8=Ray |first8=J. C. |last9=Robinson |first9=J. G. |last10=Callow |first10=M. |last11=Clements |first11=T. |last12=Costa |first12=H. M. |last13=DeGemmis |first13=A. |last14=Elsen |first14=P. R. |last15=Ervin |first15=J. |last16=Franco |first16=P. |last17=Goldman |first17=E. |last18=Goetz |first18=S. |last19=Hansen |first19=A. |last20=Hofsvang |first20=E. |last21=Jantz |first21=P. |last22=Jupiter |first22=S. |last23=Kang |first23=A. |last24=Langhammer |first24=P. |last25=Laurance |first25=W. F. |last26=Lieberman |first26=S. |last27=Linkie |first27=M. |last28=Malhi |first28=Y. |last29=Maxwell |first29=S. |last30=Mendez |first30=M. |last31=Mittermeier |first31=R. |last32=Murray |first32=N. J. |last33=Possingham |first33=H. |last34=Radachowsky |first34=J. |last35=Saatchi |first35=S. |last36=Samper |first36=C. |last37=Silverman |first37=J. |last38=Shapiro |first38=A. |last39=Strassburg |first39=B. |last40=Stevens |first40=T. |last41=Stokes |first41=E. |last42=Taylor |first42=R. |last43=Tear |first43=T. |last44=Tizard |first44=R. |last45=Venter |first45=O. |last46=Visconti |first46=P. |last47=Wang |first47=S. |last48=Watson |first48=J. E. M. |title=Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity – Supplementary Material |journal=Nature Communications |volume=11 |issue=1 |year=2020 |page=5978 |issn=2041-1723 |doi=10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3 |pmid=33293507 |pmc=7723057|bibcode=2020NatCo..11.5978G }}</ref>

[[Geopolitics|Geopolitically]], the island is subdivided into four main segments. The Republic of Cyprus occupies the southern two-thirds of the island (59.74%). The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus occupies the northern third (34.85%), and the United Nations-controlled [[Green Line (Cyprus)|Green Line]] provides a [[buffer zone]] that separates the two and covers 2.67% of the island. Lastly, there are [[Sovereign Base Areas|two bases under British sovereignty]] on the island: [[Akrotiri and Dhekelia]], covering the remaining 2.74%.
[[File:Former UN tower, North Nicosia, Cyprus.jpg|thumb|right|UN tower in the buffer zone]]

===Climate===
{{Main|Climate of Cyprus}}
[[File:Chionistra winter 1.JPG|thumb|The [[Troodos Mountains]] experience heavy snowfall in winter.]]
Cyprus has a [[Subtropics|subtropical climate]] – [[Mediterranean climate|Mediterranean]] and [[Semi-arid climate|semi-arid]] type (in the north-eastern part of the island) – [[Köppen climate classification]]s ''Csa'' and ''BSh'',<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Peel, M.&nbsp;C. |author2=Finlayson B.&nbsp;L. |author3=McMahon, T.&nbsp;A. |name-list-style=amp | year=2007 |title=Updated world map of the Köppen – Geiger climate classification |journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. |volume=11 |issue=5 |pages=1633–1644 |doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 |bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P |issn=1027-5606  |doi-access=free}} ''(direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf Final Revised Paper] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203170339/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |date=3 February 2012}})''</ref><ref>[https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malta/ CIA Factbook] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210402195116/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/malta/ |date=2 April 2021 }} – Geographic location</ref> 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 one of the warmest climates in the Mediterranean part of the European Union.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cyprus holiday weather |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/europe/cyprus/cyprus-weather |access-date=1 May 2023 |website=Met Office |language=en |archive-date=1 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230501205120/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/travel/holiday-weather/europe/cyprus/cyprus-weather |url-status=live }}</ref> The average annual temperature on the coast is around {{convert|24|°C|°F|abbr=on}} during the day and {{convert|14|°C|°F|abbr=on}} at night. Generally, summers last about eight months, beginning in April with average temperatures of {{convert|21|-|23|C|F}} during the day and {{convert|11|-|13|C|F}} at night, and ending in November with average temperatures of {{convert|22|-|23|C|F}} during the day and {{convert|12|–|14|C|F}} at night, although in the remaining four months temperatures sometimes exceed {{convert|20|°C|0|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/MS/MS.nsf/DMLclimet_reports_en/DMLclimet_reports_en?OpenDocument&Start=1&Count=1000&Expand=1 |title=Meteorological Service – Climatological and Meteorological Reports |access-date=25 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100621054634/http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/ms/ms.nsf/DMLclimet_reports_en/DMLclimet_reports_en?OpenDocument&Start=1&Count=1000&Expand=1 |archive-date=21 June 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Sunshine hours on the coast are around 3,200 per year, from an average of 5–6 hours of sunshine per day in December to an average of 12–13 hours in July.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/ |title=Cyprus Climate Guide |access-date=5 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091201044557/http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/cyprus/ |archive-date=1 December 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> This is about double that of cities in the northern half of Europe; for comparison, London receives about 1,540 per year.<ref name="London climate">{{cite web |url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcpv7fnqu |title=Met Office: Climate averages 1981–2010 |publisher=[[Met Office]] |access-date=28 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405045424/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gcpv7fnqu |archive-date=5 April 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> In December, London receives about 50 hours of sunshine<ref name="London climate" /> while coastal locations in Cyprus about 180 hours (almost as much as in May in London).

===Water supply===
[[File:Kouris Dam - overflow day 8 April 2012.jpg|thumb|[[Kouris Dam]] overflow in April 2012]]

Cyprus suffers from a chronic shortage of water. The country relies heavily on rain to provide household water, but in the past 30&nbsp;years average yearly precipitation has decreased.<ref name="Meteo">{{cite web |author1=Department of Meteorology |title=The Climate of Cyprus |url=http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/MS/MS.nsf/DMLcyclimate_en/DMLcyclimate_en?OpenDocument |access-date=8 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614000827/http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/ms/ms.nsf/DMLcyclimate_en/DMLcyclimate_en?opendocument |archive-date=14 June 2015 |quote=Statistical analysis of rainfall in Cyprus reveals a decreasing trend of rainfall amounts in the last 30-year[s].}}</ref> Between 2001 and 2004, exceptionally heavy annual rainfall pushed water reserves up, with supply exceeding demand, allowing total storage in the island's reservoirs to rise to an all-time high by the start of 2005.
However, since then demand has increased annually – a result of local population growth, foreigners moving to Cyprus and the number of visiting tourists – while supply has fallen as a result of more frequent droughts<ref name="Meteo" /> ([[2006 European heat wave]], [[2018 European heat wave]], [[2019 European heat waves]], [[2022 European heat waves]]).

Dams remain the principal source of water both for domestic and agricultural use; Cyprus has a total of 108 dams and reservoirs, with a total water storage capacity of about {{convert|330000000|m3|-9|abbr=on}}.<ref>[http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/wdd/Wdd.nsf/All/F1C37F7EC2249715C2256CC50039DDD5?OpenDocument&highlight=108%20dams Dams of Cyprus] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014105005/http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/wdd/Wdd.nsf/All/F1C37F7EC2249715C2256CC50039DDD5?OpenDocument&highlight=108%20dams |date=14 October 2017}} Water Development Department, Republic of Cyprus.</ref> Water [[desalination]] plants are gradually being constructed to deal with recent years of prolonged drought.

The Government has invested heavily in the creation of water desalination plants which have supplied almost 50 per cent of domestic water since 2001. Efforts have also been made to raise public awareness of the situation and to encourage domestic water users to take more responsibility for the conservation of this increasingly scarce commodity.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://moa.gov.cy/sectors/water-resources/water-development-department/?lang=en |title=''Water Development Department'' |date=12 February 2024 |access-date=20 February 2024 |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220091822/https://moa.gov.cy/sectors/water-resources/water-development-department/?lang=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

Turkey has built a water pipeline under the Mediterranean Sea from [[Anamur]] on its southern coast to the northern coast of Cyprus, to supply Northern Cyprus with potable and irrigation water ''(see [[Northern Cyprus Water Supply Project]])''.

=== Flora and fauna ===
{{main|Cyprus Mediterranean forests}}
{{See also|List of endemic plants of Cyprus}}
Cyprus is home to a number of [[Endemism|endemic]] species, including the [[Cypriot mouse]], the [[Quercus alnifolia|golden oak]] and the [[Cedrus brevifolia|Cyprus cedar]].