Population

Cyprus' population was estimated at 780,133 in 2005. Seventy-eight percent of the people are Greek (a small number live in the Turkish Cypriot area) and eighteen per cent are Turkish (with just over one per cent living in the Greek Cypriot area). There are a minority of Armenians and Lebanese.

Languages

Greek is the main language in the South and Turkish in the North. Many of the people speak English.

Religion

Seventy-eight percent of the Cypriot people are Greek Orthodox and eighteen percent are Muslim. There are some minorities such as Maronites.

Food

A meze consists of a number of small dishes, sometimes up to thirty, and may be served before the main course of a meal. Meze dishes include Greek salad, halloumi (sheep's cheese), small meat dishes and dips (houmous, taramosalata and tahini).

Main meals are kleftiko (roasted lamb), kebabs, moussaka, stuffed vine leaves, kalimari (squid) and fish dishes. Potatoes are a popular vegetable.

Honey is used in pastries such as baklava and kadaiffi. Loukoumi or Turkish Delight, called "Cyprus Delight" in the South, is a well known sweet.

Coffee is preferred strong. (The Kafeneion is a meeting place where men gather to drink coffee, talk and play backgammon). Other drinks are Cyprus wines, brandy, Brandy Sour, the aniseed flavoured Ouzo, the local spirit, Zivania (Fire Water), and Keo a locally produced beer.