Cyprus is the largest island country in the Mediterranean Sea by area, covering about 9,251 square kilometres.
Cyprus lies in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of the Levant. It is the Mediterranean’s third-largest island overall, after Sicily and Sardinia. Those larger islands belong to Italy, which is not an island country because most of its territory lies on the European mainland.
The key distinction is the phrase “island country.” Greece has many famous islands and a larger total area, but it also has a substantial mainland, so it is not wholly an island country. Malta is another Mediterranean island country, but its area is only about 316 square kilometres, making Cyprus far larger.
Cyprus has a long strategic history because it sits near Europe, Asia, and Africa. Its name is often linked to the island’s ancient copper trade; the Latin phrase aes cyprium, “metal of Cyprus,” helped give copper its modern name.