Cyprus (island)
Cyprus is a Mediterranean island off the coasts of Syria and Turkey. It is the third-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea; Sicily and Sardinia are larger. It is slightly larger than Puerto Rico. Geographically, it is part of Asia and in the Middle East, but for political reasons, it is sometimes counted as being part of Europe. Cyprus was part of the Byzantine Empire for hundreds of years. The Greek god Aphrodite was from Cyprus. There are two states on the island: