Geography, Weather, & Wildlife of Cyprus

Geography

Cyprus is an island nation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. There is debate as to what continent Cyprus belongs. As an island in the Mediterranean it can claim to be part of either Europe or Asia. Many people consider the country to be geographically in Asia, although many also consider southern (and perhaps northern) Cyprus to be culturally European, hence the genesis of the debate. Cyprus has no land borders, but is relatively close to Lebanon (east), Syria (east), and its closest neighbor, Turkey (north).

Geographically, Cyprus is a rocky island with some smaller mountains in the south, primarily in the southwest of the country. Other than the mountains, some coasts drop off into the sea, while others have long sandy beaches, making the sea quite accessible.

Weather

Cyprus is a relatively dry country with very intense heat and sunny for much of the year. The heat is at its most grueling during the summers, but is present year-round; the months of June to early September can get well over 90˚ F (30˚ C). The island typically only receives rain from about October to February, but you still tend to see the sun on most days as temperatures rarely dip below any winter temperatures found in continental Europe. It can be rather cool and snowy in the mountains during the winter though (December-February).

Wildlife

The island nation of Cyprus has few native mammals in the present day and little more to note other than a species of wild sheep. Sea life, however is very prevalent as the country is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, which boasts a significant amount of aquatic life.

The bird life that passes through Cyprus is among the world's most impressive as migrating birds travel through from Africa to Europe and vice versa, as some species stay on the island for the winter. Snakes and turtles were very common on the island in times past, but are less common today, although both are still present.

This page was last updated: March, 2013