Cyprus

Cyprus is an island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Located off the coast of the Levant mainland in West Asia, the territory covers an area of 9250 square kilometres.

Advanced High-Income Markets

As a developed country featuring an advanced high-income economy, Cyprus maintains very high human development and utilizes the euro currency. The island's geography positions it at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, a strategic location shaped historically by rich natural resources such as copper. Economic activities are further bolstered by its intense Mediterranean climate and rich cultural heritage, which attract numerous visitors to the major tourist destination.

Divided Territories

Geographical divisions mark the landscape, separating the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus along the United Nations Buffer Zone. The territory also encompasses the capital and largest city of Nicosia, alongside the British sovereign military bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia located in the south of the island.

Cyprus is an island country located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the Levant mainland in West Asia. Covering an area of 9,250 square kilometers with a population of 1,189,265, the country features Nicosia as its capital and largest city.

Where is the island situated geographically?

Positioned at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, Cyprus stands as the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea.

How is the territory divided today?

The island is divided along the United Nations Buffer Zone between the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey. Additionally, the south of the island hosts the British sovereign military bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Cyprus is an island country located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, positioned off the coast of the Levant mainland in West Asia. Encompassing a total area of 9,250 square kilometers, the landmass stands as the third largest and third most populous island in the Mediterranean.

Mediterranean crossroads

Positioned at the strategic crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, the territory features geographic coordinates at 35.17284 latitude and 33.35397 longitude. The capital and largest city of the country is Nicosia. Across its 9,250 square kilometers of terrain, the region accommodates a total population of 1,189,265 residents who utilize the EUR currency.

Divided physical and political terrain

The island is partitioned along the United Nations Buffer Zone, separating the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which is recognised only by Turkey. In the southern sector of the geography, the territory also hosts the British sovereign military bases of Akrotiri and Dhekelia. Throughout its long history shaped by intense Mediterranean climate patterns, the landscape has supported human habitation from early hunter-gatherers and farming communities to urbanised Bronze Age societies rich in natural resources, particularly copper.

Strategic regional position

As a developed representative democracy situated in the European region, the sovereign territory operates with an advanced high-income economy and very high human development. The geographic positioning has historically exposed the land to successive empires and occupations, ranging from Assyrians, Egyptians, and Persians to Alexander the Great, the Ptolemaic Empire, Roman rule, Arab caliphates, French Lusignans, Venetians, and over three centuries of Ottoman dominion before British administration and subsequent independence in 1960. Today, the nation maintains official administrative recognition under ISO codes CY and CYP, while linguistic diversity across the communities includes el-CY, tr-CY, and en.