The Republic of Cyprus is an island mass, located in the Mediterranean Sea, south of Turkey and west of Lebanon and Syria. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The landmass is 9240 sq km with a further 10 sq km of inland water. The total coastline measures 648 km. The terrain is comprised of a large central plain with a mountainous plateau in the north and south of the island. The south coast is made up of a low-lying plain. The highest point of elevation is Olympus, which stands at a height of 1951m. Cyprus is troubled by occasional earthquakes, though they are often moderate and rarely destructive.

Cyprus was granted independence from the United Kingdom in 1960. In 1974 a Greek sponsored government seizure attempt was halted by Turkey who quickly occupied 40% of the island. The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia, which is located in the centre of the country. The main religion is Greek Orthodox although a large percentage of the population is of the Islam faith. The languages of Cyprus are Greek, Turkish and English. The national units of currency are the Cypriot Pound and Turkish Lira.

The overall economy of Cyprus is prosperous and heavily dependent on the money that tourism provides. The GDP is comprised mainly of the industry and services sectors. Apart from tourism the industries of Cyprus are food, beverages, textiles, chemicals and metal products. The agricultural products of Cyprus are potatoes, citrus, vegetables, barley, grapes and wine. The transport network consists of 13013 km of highways.

The climate is temperate. Cyprus enjoys hot, dry summers and mild winters. Sunshine is almost a permanant factor on Cyprus. Droughts often occur during the summer months and these cause considerable interruption and disruption to agriculture. The highest recorded temperature in Nicosia was 44°C.