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Geographical information
Cyprus is an island in the far eastern Mediterranean Sea, below Turkey and to the west of Syria. The country is actually two countries - the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (recognised only by Turkey) and the southern Republic of Cyprus. There are two large mountain ranges on the island: the Kyrenian Mountains in North Cyprus and the Troodos Massif in the centre of the Republic. The northern mountains are mainly limestone, the southern are volcanic rock. The Mesaoria Plain separates these ranges.
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Nature
| Flora | A wide range of flora can be found on Cyprus. In the mountains the Aleppo-pine-tree, a kind of stone oak and a special kind of cedar are growing. On the west and south slopes of the Troodos Mountains are large wine yards. A little bit lower on the slopes; we find for example acacias, cypresses, olive trees and carob trees. In the valley are a lot of poplar trees and besides that there are many fruit trees and along the coast there are a lot of palmtrees. From February untill May Cyprus is a large sea of flowers. During that periode the wild orchids, anemonen, wild pioen and the asphodel (that had in the Cypriotische antiquity a large symbolic meaning) are blossoming. | | Fauna | The mammal population on Cyprus is very limited. Most remarkable is the Moeflon, which is a special kind of sheep. Different bats belong to the local mammal population of Cyprus. Other frequent species are snakes, lizards, water turtles, frogs and chameleons, foxes, rabbits, weasels and hares. Also 55 different kinds of butterflies live on the island and some of these butterflies are very rare. Besides the butterflies and the mammals the island houses approximately 300 bird species. Special birds are the approximately 10.000 flamingos, which live in the salt lakes during the winter. Birds like the dove, kestrel and the barn owl are species that will stay on the island for the entire year. The ocean around Cyprus has not so much to offer, because most sea-animals live 30 meter below sea level. | | National parks | The last couple of years, diverse national parks and nature reserves were build.Some examples are the Athalasapark and Tripylos in the Troodosmountains.Besides the nature reserves, the island is rich of interesting nature areas. Turtles lay their eggs on the Lara Bay beaches. The European Union has especially made money available for these threaten species. The people who protect nature on Cyprus make sure that tourists do not come too close to where these turtles sit on the eggs. 70 percent of the island is covered with woods. The coastline mainly consists of swamps, like the Akroti-lake and the salt lakes of Larnaca, where the approximately 10.000 flamingo's rest on their way to the south. |
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Climate
The climate of Cyprus is warm Mediterranean with an annual temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. The island has hot, dry summers and mild winters with a lot of rainfall. The annual rainfall averages fewer than 50 centimetres. Cyprus often suffers drought years, and water is such a scarce commodity that it is often rationed. The winter season last from October to March. The hottest months are July and August. The mountains are also cooler than the coastal regions, for example Troodos can have snow for almost 10 weeks in midwinter.
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