Major Towns of Cyprus - Provinces, and Mountain Ranges
The major towns of Cyprus present visitors to the
island with only a small glimpse of life on the island.
Those looking for a more traditional taste of Cypriot
living would be well advised to venture off the beaten
path and take a look at some of the Republic's smaller
communities.
The
Major Towns of Cyprus
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A
brief overview of Cyprus
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CYPRUS, AN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN PARADISE
Cyprus covers an area of 9,251 km/sq; it is 225 km long (from its
eastern most to its western most tip), 94 km wide at its widest point,
and has 853 km of coastline. The population of the island is about
793,000 and it is divided into 6 provinces: Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca,
Paphos, Famagusta & Kyrenia. Since the summer of 1974, the whole
province of Kyrenia, most of Famagusta province and parts of Nicosia
province are occupied by Turkish forces.
LARNACA (LARNAKA)
With a population of around 72,000, Larnaca is the third largest
town on Cyprus and is successor to the ancient city of Kition. In
the 1st century AD. The city became the second home of Lazarus, the
friend of Christ, who, after being raised from the dead in Bethany,
was persecuted by the Jews and fled to Cyprus, where St Paul and St
Barnabas appointed him 1st Bishop of Kition.
The exporting of salt brought significant revenue to the
town, which gradually became a trade centre, at which many foreign
merchants and consuls settled.
The name Larnaca was probably first used in the early
years of the Turkish domination in 1571 and derives from
the discovery in the area of a large number of sarcophagi
(larnakes). The town is the home of the international airport of Cyprus,
a modern harbour, a marina with a capacity of 200 yachts; it incorporates
a tourist zone to the east with many modern hotels and apartments.
Located on the seafront is the Fort of Larnaca, originally built in
the middle ages and used by the British as a prison, it now houses
the local Medieval Museum.
One of the finest examples of Byzantine architecture on Cyprus is
the church of Ayios Lazaros in the centre of the town. This church
distinguishes itself by being the final resting place of St. Lazarus.
His sarcophagus was engraved with the inscription: 'The friend of
Christ'.
THE PROVINCE OF LARNACA
The province of Larnaca occupies about 12% of the total area of Cyprus
and has a population of some 100,000.
The larger parts of the province of Larnaca consist of
plain.
In addition to corn, improvements in irrigation have led
to the cultivation of garden produce and citrus fruit.
Fishing has made significant advances with the growth
of fish farms all along the coast. Tourism has also developed in leaps
and bounds.
LIMASSOL (LEMESOS)
Limassol, with about 160,000 inhabitants is the second largest town
on Cyprus. Together with the suburbs surrounding it, it is already
a large town and is continually expanding in a coastal zone about
16 km long.
It is a modern town with fine residences, modern buildings,
shops, luxury hotel complexes, countless restaurants and taverns,
and entertainment venues to cater for all tastes.
The kernel of it is the old town with its narrow, busy
shopping streets, and old archontika (mansions), gems
of architecture, which are now being restored.
PROVINCE OF LIMASSOL
The province of Limassol is in the south part of Cyprus and occupies
about 15% of the island’s total area and has a population of
173,000.
The province of Limassol is largely mountainous or semi
mountainous leading to narrow valleys running to the coast.
Limassol is and has been the main wine producer of the
island.
The Major Towns of Cyprus - Larnaca, Limassol and beyond
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