Why is Cyprus not included on the Europe map?

Question

I am curious why Cyprus is regarded as only Asia on the Project-GC maps, but not Europe, given that it is an EU member. I am aware of the geological boundaries.

Turkey is represented as both Europe and also as Asia on the 2 respective regional maps.

Perhaps, Cyprus should be added to Europe?

Answer 1

Well, part of Cyprus is an EU member, and part is not.  This is a thorny enough political issue that there are two governments on one island and a UN peacekeeping mission separating them, 54 years after the mission was begun and 44 years after the 1974 Greek coup and Turkish invasion.

There are a lot of things that should perhaps happen with Cyprus; I am not so concerned as to the geocaching aspects of the issues there.

Comments

The politics are evident, as you say (and ones that I have no interests in), but I think your answer goes to strengthen the argument for co-inclusion of Cyprus on the map of the European continent along side the Asian map, rather than the status quo; if the inclusion of Cyprus on the Asian map is a hat-tip to the politics, then we must be even handed, surely?

And if it's not a 'political' issue, then it is certainly a geopolitical one - that would lead to the exclusion of, for example, Greenland, or perhaps Iceland.

It seems to me, the Turkish precedent of inclusion on both Europe and Asian continent maps is a neat solutions that avoids 'thorny issues'.

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Well, then focus on the geology.  Cyprus is part of the continent of Asia.  Whereas Turkey is partially located in Asia and partly in Europe.

Of course, there is some inconsistency.  Greenland would geologically be part of North America, but it counts toward the European map on project-gc.  And Iceland, like Turkey, straddles two continents, Europe and North America, but is only listed on the European map.  And both Sicily and Malta are on the African continental plate, but Ceuta is on the European plate.

But now this has devolved into an exercise in pedantry, I'm afraid!  :)  Therefore, at the end of the day, I suppose it's easier to be a little arbitrary about it.

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It's hardly pedantry to look at the precedents and inconsistencies, afterall, that is very precisely what we are discussing here. That some inclusions and exclusions are based on geology and others on politics is abundantly clear. And it is the hard cases that make for bad law, isn't it?

Thanks for sharing your perspective - it has been interesting to explore the arguments.

My own take is that there is ample precedent to co-include Cyprus, the Geocaching region, on both GC-maps of Europe (political, in respect of the EU member state the Republic of Cyprus) and that of Asia (geology of the island and more complicated matter still).

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It appears your opinion has been vindicated - Cyprus is now included on the project-GC map of Europe!

Next step is getting it shaded.