Overview

The Republic of Cyprus is an inland country about the size of Connecticut, measuring 3,572 square miles (9,251 square kilometers). Located at the crossroads of the Levant, as the eastern end of the Mediterranean is known, Cyprus is the third-largest island in Mediterranean, after Sicily and Sardinia. Located 386 kilometers north of Egypt, 97 kilometers west of Syria, and 64 kilometers south of Turkey, this former British colony achieved independence in August 1960. The Republic of Cyprus is partitioned, with the southern part of the country under the control of the Cyprus government and the northern 37 percent of the land under the autonomous Turkish-Cypriot administration, supported by the presence of Turkish troops.

Nicosia, the capital city, is divided to provide areas of control to each of the two major population segments. Other major cities include Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, Paphos, Kyrenia, and Morphou. Cyprus's terrain is a central plain with mountain ranges...