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The island that came to be known as Cyprus lies wounded on the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the third largest island in the Mediteranean with the principal city/"capital" being Nicosia. It measures 3572 square km in area. It is a very mountainous island crossed by two major ranges extending east - west. In the North the Kyrenia ranges and at the South the Olympus ranges which has the highest point on the island measuring 1953m. In between the two ranges lies a fertile depressed landmass, the Messaoria Depression which covers 1/3 of the island.
The Economy is driven by agriculture, as the major industry, followed by forestry, fishing, mining (copper asbestos, iron pyrites, gypsum,& chromite), manufacturing (clothing, processed foods, footwear, construction materials, wine, cigarettes, chemicals, & cooking oils). Greek myth had it that the goddess of love, beauty, etc. , Aphrodite (Rm. Venus), came ashore on the coasts of this beautiful island. One of her identities was Kypris which might have been the originator of the island's present name.