Standing at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa at the eastern end of the Mediterranean sea, Cyprus is the third largest island of all the Mediterranean islands, after Sicily and Sardinia. Its area is 9,250 square kilometres, stretching 240 km, from west to east and 96 km from north to south. The population of Cyprus is approximately 818,200. Almost 2.7 million tourists visit the island each year. The 10,000 years of tumultuous history in Cyprus, entwined with mythology, has created a country with character and traditions all of its own. It is also an island of great scenic beauty. A startling variety of landscapes veer from sandy beaches to charming unspoiled villages nestling in vine-clad foothills; from fertile citrus and olive groves to lofty forests of pine and cedar.