Country ProfileCyprus is a beautiful island situated in the eastern Mediterranean at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Cyprus' total area is 9.251 sq kms. The island's time zone is GMT + 2 and it is 7 hours ahead of New York and 1 hour behind Moscow.
The island enjoys the best type of Mediterranean climate with about 300 days of sunshine per year. The coldest month is January with minimum and maximum mean temperatures of 6°C and 13°C, respectively, while in August, the hottest month, the corresponding minimum and maximum mean temperatures are 21°C and 36°C.
Cyprus' estimated population is 800.000 of which 85 percent belongs to the Greek Cypriot community and 12 percent to the Turkish Cypriot community, whilst the remaining 3 percent are foreign residents. Greek and Turkish are the official languages of the Republic but English is widely spoken and understood, and is regularly used in commerce and government. Apart from the capital, Nicosia, with an estimated population of 194.000, all major cities are located on the coast. Limassol is the second largest city and the island's biggest port. Larnaca and Paphos, which are popular holiday resorts, are the third and fourth largest cities, respectively. The island is served by 40 major airlines and two international airports, located in Larnaca and Paphos. |