Cyprus is an island country part of the Middle East and geopolitically in Europe. It’s located in the Mediterranean Sea south of Turkey, southeast of Greece, west of Syria, and northwest of Lebanon. It’s the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, smaller than both Sicily and Sardinia. Since the 1970s, the country has been split into two by a 180 km (120 mi) U.N. Buffer Zone. The Greek Cypriot Side in the south occupies about 60% of the territory. Whereas the Turkish Cypriot Side claims about 38%. Cyprus is filled with exclaves and abandoned areas throughout due to the division of both sides. Within Cyprus, the United Kingdom administers two regions. First, Akrotiri is in the south-central and Dhekelia to the southeast. Nicosia is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. Other major cities are Limassol, Larnaca, and Stróvolos.