Geography of Cyprus

I am certainly no Geography major, but I like to think I know my way around the globe and can easily identify certain countries.  When I first learned about the archaeology dig in Cyprus, I though to myself... Cyprus, I think that is an island off of mainland Greece, similar to how Sicily is off of mainland Italy.  I surprised myself to learn that Cyprus is quite a distance away from Greece, we're talking about a good 800km from it.  Being able to see it on a map, did put the country's historical background into perspective.

The Republic of Cyprus was divided in half in 1974 by the invasion of Turkey, and it's self proclaimed "Turkish Republic of North Cyprus."  Even though the area is governed by the Republic of Cyprus, only Turkey recognizing the difference.  This conflict is still in dispute today, and Cyprus is divided by a "green zone."

The history of Cyprus can be dated back 12,000ya, there is proof of domestication of cats approximately 9,500ya.

The area I will be in is a port city called Larnaca, it is located on the South-East end of the island, it is flanked on the Eastern end by the village of Pyla and a British Army base.  This area is where the field work will be conducted.