Climate
The climate of North Cyprus is typically Mediterranean with long dry summers and short, rainy winters. The average annual temperature is 19ºC (66ºF). The temperature in midsummer can soar over 40ºC (105ºF) with the warmest sea temperature in the Mediterranean, averaging 21ºC (75ºF) . The winter weather is very mild and there is an average annual rainfall of 500 mm.

The times of sunshine exposure are long and solar energy is plentiful in North Cyprus during summer when an average of 12 hours of the days are sunny. This time is reduced to around an average of 5 hours in the winter months.

North Cyprus is a place full of magic: fully deserving the title of "Pearl of the Mediterranean". It is a rich and colourful tapestry of unspoilt natural beauty, ranging from sparkling crystal clear waters and golden beaches to fields carpeted by wild flowers in the Spring and the pine clad heights of the Besparmak Mountains.

General Information
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily and Sardinia. It lies between latitudes 30.33 and 35.41 and longitudes 32.23 and 34.55.

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) covers an area of 3,355 square kilometres. The neighbours of Northern Cyprus are Turkey, 65 km to the north, Syria, 100 km to the east and Egypt, 420 km to the south. The official language of the country is Turkish. English is also widely spoken. The TRNC flag (proportions 150 by 100cm) is white, with a red crescent and star in the centre, lined by two red horizontal stripes, on the top and at the bottom. The capital is Lefkosa (Nicosia).

Geography
The total area of the TRNC is approximately one third of the whole island. Nearly half of the coast-line of the island is also part of the TRNC. About 45% of the area is arable land, 20% of which is irrigated. Nearly 20% of North Cyprus' total area is forested and there are extensive re-forestation programs in progress.