Page "Demographics of Cyprus" Paragraph 8

Vasea of Cyprus are broadly divided into two main ethnic communities, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, who share many customs but maintain distinct identities based on ethnicity, religion, language, and close ties with their respective motherlands.

Before the dispute started in 1964 the peoples of Cyprus ( then 77 % Greek Cypriots, 18 % Turkish Cypriots, 5 % other nationalities, including Armenians and Maronites ) were dispersed over the entire island.

The Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 de facto partitioned the island into two political areas: 99. 5 % of Greek Cypriots now live in the Republic of Cyprus, while 98. 7 % of Turkish Cypriots live in Northern Cyprus ( of other nationalities, 99. 2 % live in the Greek Cypriot area in the south ).

Greek is predominantly spoken in the South, where the majority are Greek Cypriots, Turkish in the north, where the majority are Turkish Cypriots