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Cyprus is situated in the eastern Mediterranean, lying at the hub of 3 continents and close to the busy trade routes linking Western Europe with the Arab World and the Far East. Cyprus'total area is 9.251 sq. kms and is comparable in size to Lebanon in the Middle East or Connecticut in the United States. The island's time zone is 7 hours ahead of New York and 7 hours behind Tokyo. The island enjoys the best type of Mediterranean climate with about 300 days of sunshine per year. The bulk of the rain falls during the period from November to March. The coldest month is January with minimum and maximum mean temperatures of 6 degrees C and 13 degrees C, respectively, while in August, the hottest month, the corresponding minimum and maximum mean temperatures are 21 degrees C and 36 degrees C. Cyprus' estimated population is 746.000 of which 85 percent belongs to the Greek Cypriot community and 12 percent to the Turkish Cypriot community, whilst the remaining 3 percent are foreign residents. Greek and Turkish are the official languages of the Republic but English is widely spoken and understood, and is regularly used in commerce and government. Apart from the capital, Nicosia, with an estimated population of 193.000, all major cities are located on the coast. Limassol is the second largest city and the island's biggest port. Larnaca and Paphos, which are popular holiday resorts, are the third and fourth largest cities, respectively. |
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