Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-11-01
CYPRUS THIRD LARGEST
MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND
Rich in Historical Associations and
Much Coveted by Powerful
Neighbors.
Domain offered by England to
Greece for Her Aid in War Has
Population of 100000.

Cyprus is one of the most important
islands in the Mediterranean" says a
bulletin just given out by the National
Geographic Society, which describes
Englands reported offer to the Greeks
for their aid in the world war. There
are just two islands in the broad in
land sea larger than Cyprus, and these
Iare Sicily and Sardinia. There are few
islands in the world richer in his
torical associations, and none, proba-
bly,, more coveted by powerful neigh
bors.
The island lies in the mouth of a
pocket formed by Asia Minor and Syria
at the northeastern end of the Mediter-
ranean. being about equally distant
from the mainland to the north and to
the east. 1t has an area of 1854 square
miles, or is as large as the states of
Delaware and Rhode Island combined.
Its greatest length is 141 miles and its
greatest width is so miles, while its
average width is more than So miles.
\ great part of the island is taken up
by two mountain ranges one OF which
fills much of the southern and central
part, and the other of which stretches
along the northern coast.
Part of British Empire.
The coast of Asia Minor lies forty
six miles to the north, and that of Syria
between fifty and fifty-five miles to the
east. Although nominally a possession
of the Ottoman empire up until the out
break of hostilities between the Turks
and the allies, Cyprus has been admin
istered by Great Britain since 1878, and
now forms an integral part of the Brit
ish empire. English occupation has
done much to improve the conditions
of health on the island. as it has been
stimulus to commercial development.
The mountains of the island are
wild and beautiful, and upon their sides
the forests are still growing that were
famed and priced il carly Egyptian
times. They also contain the mines of
copper celebrated among the ancients
and still richly productive. The high
est altitude is attained by Mount
Troodes, with a summit 6,40G feet above
sea level.
"A wide valley runs east and west
through the central part of the island
This valley is about sixty miles long,
with a breadth varying from ten to
twenty miles. The mountain ranges OH
either side send their waters TO the
valley through intermittent torrents
Much of this o"land is Uncultivated,
though in the northern parts grain is
grown. The soil OF the whole valley is
good, and there is no reason why the
uncertain water supply might not be
supplemented, bringing all of the land
under cultivation. In the days when
western civilization was in it's swad
ding clothes Cyprus was widely known
for it's impossible forests, which not
only clothed the sides and submits OF
it's mountains with thick, dark masses
of green, but which evergreen the whole
floor OF the valley between with such
an interlacing sturdy tangle of trees
and underbrusb that it was difficult to
clear the land for cultivation.
Toro,<,
THE wonderful forests of the land.
however. in the more than 1000 years
of exploitation that have passed over
them have been almost entirely cut
away. These forests built the ships of
Egypt, of Greek Syrian rulers. of Asia
Minor cities and of Turks, and all that