Lefkosia

Lefkosia

The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is a de facto state covering the northeastern part of the island of Cyprus. Recognized only by Turkey, its territory is considered by the worldwide community to be part of the Republic of Cyprus. Northern Cyprus stretches from the northeastern tip of the Karpass Peninsula to Morphou Bay, Cape Kormakitis and its westernmost point, the western exclave of Kokkina. The village of Louroujina is the southernmost point. Between North Cyprus and the rest of the island is a UN-controlled buffer zone that separates the island's largest city and capital, Nicosia, from both sides. Northern Cyprus covers an area of 3355 square kilometers, which is about a third of the island. On the coastline there are two bays, Morphou Bay and Famagusta Bay, and four capes, Cape Apostolos Andreas, Cape Kormakitis, Cape Zeytin and Cape Kasa, with Cape Apostolos Andreas being the terminus of the Karpaz Peninsula. The northern coastline is flanked by the narrow Kyrenia Mountains, and within these mountains is Mount Selvili, the highest point in Northern Cyprus at an elevation of 1,024 meters. Another dominant landscape is the Mesaoria Plain, which stretches from the Güzelyurt district to the eastern coast. The plain of the Mesaoria consists of flat fields and small hills, crossed by numerous seasonal streams. Northern Cyprus, a comparatively pristine biodiversity hotspot in the Mediterranean, has a high level of ecological diversity and encompasses a large number of terrestrial habitats. Its flora contains about 1900 plant species, 19 of which are endemic.