Where is Cyprus?

Cyprus is the most easterly of the Mediterranean islands and the third largest in the area after Sicily and Sardinia in the Mediterranean. 

At the nearest coastal points it is 40 miles from Turkey, 60 miles from Syria, and 250 miles from Egypt. 

North Cyprus is some 100 miles long, 40 miles across at its widest point and has a total area of 1357 square miles, comprising nearly 36% of the island of Cyprus.

Boundaries in Cyprus
        An in depth pictorial guide to land boundaries in Cyprus

Geography of the island
The geography of North Cyprus is characterized by a unique blend of mountains, plains, and beaches. The Kyrenia  (Beşparmak / Five Finger) mountain range, with its magnificent jagged limestone peaks, the highest of which is Mount İçova at 3,357 ft. runs along most of the northern coastline from a startling backdrop.

To the east of the island the mountain range loses height as it extends along the narrow peninsula known as Karpas, or more affectionately, `The Panhandle'.

It is here that the best beaches of Cyprus can be found, long wide empty bays of the purest sand that stretch for miles.

Cities and the towns
To the south of the Kyrenia range lies Nicosia (Lefkoşa) (population 39,000), the capital of North Cyprus, through which runs the boundary, or as it is called `The Green Line' separating the North from South Cyprus.

The other major centers are the tourist resorts of Famagusta (Mağusa) (population 30,000), Kyrenia (Girne) (population 22,000), and the citrus center of Güzelyurt (Morphou) (population 15,000).

Local Time
        Click to see the current local time in North Cyprus.
 

 

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