The cones are small, usually spherical, with three to six pairs of woody or leathery scales that are attached to the cone axis by the back of the scale, and have a small projection on the outer surface. total: Olympus 1,952 m[3], Natural resources: Leaf Group is a USA TODAY content partner providing general travel information. Cypress, any of 12 species of ornamental and timber evergreen conifers constituting the genus Cupressus of the family Cupressaceae, distributed throughout warm-temperate and subtropical regions of Asia, Europe, and North America. This includes forests of conifers and broadleaved trees such as Pinus brutia, cedar, cypresses and oaks. The now-divided capital of the island, Nicosia, lies in the middle of this central plain. Exclusive Economic Zone: An extensive system of dams and waterways has been constructed to bring water to farming areas. The fragmented Mamonia Terrane is located on the coast southwest of the Troodos massif, or compact mountain group. In general, the island experiences mild wet winters and dry hot summers. 0.78 km3 (2011), Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural): Intensive uplifting and folding in the formative period left the area highly fragmented, so that subordinate ranges and spurs veer off at many angles, their slopes incised by steep-sided valleys. Deep alluvium in coastal valleys allows 27 percent of annual rainfall to percolate into aquifers, with part extracted by wells and the remainder passing into the sea. Water: It is located south of the Anatolian peninsula, so it may be included in Western Asia[1] or the Middle East:[2] Cyprus is close to Southern Europe, and Northern Africa, and has had lengthy periods of mainly Greek and intermittent Anatolian, Levantine, Byzantine, Turkish, and Western European influence. Even the highest peaks of the Kyrenia Range are hardly more than half the height of the great dome of the Troodos massif, Mount Olympus (1,952 m or 6,404 ft),[3] but their seemingly inaccessible, jagged slopes make them considerably more spectacular. Highest point: The Troodos Mountains run east to west and occupy 1,351 square miles on the southern half of Cyprus, and peak at 6,560 feet. The name “cypress” is occasionally used for some species of fustic and for bald cypress; in eastern Canada it often denotes jack pine. 3.24% 10 km², Maritime claims: In addition to commercial writing, she has contributed art exhibit reviews to Phoenix Arts and hurricane update articles to New Orleans Indymedia. If the clients are not particular about the name, we can provide a “shelf” name. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Territorial sea: Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea. The hybrid or Leyland cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii) is an ornamental windbreak developed by crossing the Monterey cypress with the yellow cypress (Chamaecyparis nootkatensis). These three trees, together with the Arizona (C. arizonica and C. glabra), Gowen (C. goveniana), Kashmir (C. cashmeriana), Mexican (C. lusitanica), mourning (C. funebris), and Sargent (C. sargentii) cypresses, are cultivated as ornamentals for their foliage and graceful habit, especially when young. Some species develop flattened, spreading heads at maturity, and others are shrubs less than 6 metres tall. Fertile scales bear from 6 to more than 100 winged seeds each, depending on the species; the seeds ripen at the end of the second season after fertilization, but they may be retained for several more years until the cone breaks open. Just About Cyprus is a free resource for travelers looking to visit the island of Cyprus. 86.86% (2012), Total renewable water resources: Cyprus is an island in the Eastern Basin of the Mediterranean Sea.It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and the 80th largest island in the world by area. As the Tethys Ocean closed, movement of the Arabian and African tectonic plates uplifted the Troodos Terrane, or fragment of continental crust, in part because its volcanic serpentine rock was lighter than thicker continental crusts. How to settle a trust in Cyprus. Lowest point: Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY. The Troodos Mountains cover most of the southern and western portions of the island and account for roughly half its area. Land: 12 nmi (22.2 km; 13.8 mi) With approximately 1,800 species and subspecies of flowering plants, Cyprus is a botanist’s paradise. All of the island's rivers, however, are dry in the summer. Places to Stay The Best Boutique Hotels in Cyprus. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, after the Italian islands of Sicily and Sardinia, and the 80th largest island in the world by area. Where there is no forest, tall shrub communities of golden oak (Quercus alnifolia), strawberry tree (Arbutus andrachne), terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus), olive (Olea europaea), kermes oak (Quercus coccifera) and styrax (Styrax officinalis) are found, but such maquis is uncommon. Bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) is a primitive conifer native to southeastern North America. Despite its small size, Cyprus has a variety of natural vegetation. The lowest point in Cyprus is the Mediterranean Sea at 0 m. Districts of Cyprus Map Print Map. Angelica Azadyants-10 February 2020. Many resinous, aromatic evergreen trees called cypress belong to The oldest strata, or layers, of limestone date to the Permian Period, 290 to 245 million years ago; however, the main limestone of the Kyrenia dates to the Triassic, which ended 208 million years ago and the Jurassic, which ended 146 million years ago. The leaves are spreading and awl-shaped on young shoots but are characteristically small, scalelike, and appressed to the branch on older branchlets. Continental shelf: British writer Lawrence Durrell, in Bitter Lemons, wrote of the Troodos as "an unlovely jumble of crags and heavyweight rocks" and of the Kyrenia Range as belonging to "the world of Gothic Europe, its lofty crags studded with crusader castles. Cyprus is a 3,567-square-mile island, or about 30 percent smaller than Connecticut, located in the Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey. Many resinous, aromatic evergreen trees called cypress belong to other genera of the same family, especially species of false cypress and cypress pine. To learn more, please visit our about us page. Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights, Alexander Hassenstein/Photodisc/Getty Images. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Get exclusive access to content from our 1768 First Edition with your subscription.