Cyprus - Society

Population:864,000 (2008); 70% lives in urban areas; growth 0.5% p.a. 1970–90 and 1.4% p.a. 1990–2006; birth rate (2006) 12 per 1,000 people (20 in 1970); life expectancy 79 years (71 in 1970).

The population comprises Greek Cypriots (approximately 80%) and Turkish Cypriots, and small populations of Armenians, Maronites and ‘Latins’ (the term used in Cyprus for Roman Catholics of European origin). The population of the occupied north was estimated at 257,000 in 2005, and included around 160,000 Turkish illegal settlers.

Religion:Most Greek Cypriots belong to the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church; most Turkish Cypriots are Sunni Muslims. There are small religious groups of Maronites, Armenians, Roman Catholics and Anglicans.

Language:Official languages are Greek and Turkish. English is widely spoken; German and French is spoken in tourist centres.

Media: The public Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC) operates channels RIK 1andRIK 2. Radio 1 (in Greek), Radio 2 (in English, Turkish and Armenian), Radio 3(in Greek) and Love Radio are run by CyBC. A growing number of private TV and radio stations compete with the state-run channels.

There are several daily papers, most in Greek but the Cyprus Mail is in English. Of the several bi-weekly, weekly and fortnightly papers, two (Cyprus Weekly and Cyprus Financial Mirror) are in English.

There are 384 TV sets (2003), 309 personal computers (2004) and 445 internet users (2007) per 1,000 inhabitants.

Education:Public spending on education was 6.3% of GDP in 2004. There are nine years of compulsory education starting at age six. Net enrolment ratios are 99% for primary and 94% for secondary (2006). The pupil–teacher ratio for primary is 16:1 and for secondary 11:1 (2006). There are many private schools. The school year starts in September.

About 60% of school leavers go on to university, many studying overseas. Greek Cypriots have one of the world’s highest proportions of graduates. About 33% of the relevant age group is enrolled in tertiary education (2006). The University of Cyprus is a bilingual (Greek and Turkish) university which opened in 1992. Other tertiary institutions include the Higher Technical Institute (founded 1968), Forestry College, School of Nursing, Higher Hotel Institute and Mediterranean School of Management (postgraduate), as well as other, non-state universities. There is virtually no illiteracy among people age 15–24 (2006). The occupied north also has free education to the age of 15.

Health:In the Republic, medical care is free for government employees, displaced persons and low-income families, including in all about 65% of the population. The government has proposed a national health insurance scheme. A new general hospital was built in Nicosia in the latter 1990s. The entire population uses an improved drinking water source and adequate sanitation facilities (2006). Overall, the infant mortality rate was 3 per 1,000 live births in 2006 (30 in 1960).

The health service in the occupied north is socialised though complicated surgery is done abroad, though the Government of Cyprus offers free treatment in government hospitals to all Turkish Cypriots residing in the occupied north.

Communications: Country code 357. Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies, and coverage is good. There is a daily airmail postal service to all developed countries.

There are 449 main telephone lines and 1,156 mobile phone subscriptions per 1,000 people (2007).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Epiphany (6 January), Greek Independence Day (25 March), EOKA Day (1 April), Labour Day (1 May), Assumption (15 August), Independence Day (1 October), Ochi Day (28 October), Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day (26 December). Fixed-date holidays falling on a Saturday or Sunday are not moved.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Green Monday (start of Lent, 50 days before Greek Orthodox Easter), Good Friday (Greek Orthodox), Easter Monday (Greek Orthodox) and Kataklysmos (Pentecost, 50 days after Greek Orthodox Easter).