Republic of Cyprus (Greek: Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία [cipɾiaˈci ðimokɾaˈti.a] Kypriakī́ Dīmokratía; Turkish: Kıbrıs Cumhuriyeti [ˈkɯbɾɯs d͡ʒumhuɾijeˈti]), is an island country in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily and Sardinia, and a member state of the European Union. It is located east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and Lebanon, northwest of Israel and the Gaza Strip, and north of Egypt. The earliest known human activity on the island dates to around the 10th millennium BC. Archaeological remains from this period include the well-preserved Neolithic village of Khirokitia, which has been declared a World Heritage Site with an "enhanced protection" status in the event of armed conflict by UNESCO, along with the archaeological sites of Paphos and the Painted Churches of the Troodos Region. Cyprus is home to some of the oldest water wells in the world.