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D. POPULATION. 1. The population of Cyprus, (end of 1996) was 741.000 (males: 369.500; females 371.500). 2. Population distribution by ethnic group: 83.9% or 621,800 Greek Cypriots; 12.0% or 89,200, Turkish Cypriote; 0.4% or 2,500, Armenians; 0.6% or 4,500, Maronites; 0.1% or 700, Latins, and 3.0% or 22,300 foreing nationals i.e., foreign residents, mainly British, Greek, other Europeans and Arabs. (Note: settlers, approximately 109,000, transferred form Turkey since the 1974 Turkish invasion in order to alter the demographic structure of Cyprus, in contravention to international law as well as the Turkish occupation forces (approximately 30,000 troops), are not included.). 3. By virtue of Article 2 (paras 1. and 2.) of the Constitution, all Cypriot citizens are deemed to belong to either the Greek Community, if they are of Greek origin, share the Greek cultural traditions or are members of the Greek Orthodox Church or, to the Turkish Community, if they are of Turkish origin, share the Turkish cultural traditions or are Moslems. The above mentioned three religious groups of Armenians, Maronites and Latins, were given three months to exercise the option of becoming, for constitutional purposes, and as a group, a member of either the Greek or the Turkish Community. In exercising this option, the said religious groups elected to belong to the Greek Community, obviously, due to the fact that they were Christians, albeit of different denominations. 4. It is emphasised that, the option given by Article 2 of the Constitution, to Maronites, Armenian and Latin religious groups to become members of either the Greek or the Turkish Communities, was so given only for constitutional purposes, and that the end result is, that Communities in Cyprus were divided according to their religious beliefs and not according to their ethnic origin. 5. Although it may be true that what distinguishes the communities is not only the factor of religious but also their ethnic origin, the fact is that whatever the discription given by the drafters of the Constitution, this discription cannot be changed, and that the gist of the matter is not how the groups are discribed, but whether their rights are safeguarded. 6. As a result of the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation of 37%of the northern territory of the Republic of Cyprus, the Greek Cypriote were forcibly expelled by the invading army from the area occupied by the army, and are now living in the Government controlled area. On the other hand, almost all Turkish Cypriote who lived in this area, were forced by their leadership to move to the area occuped by Turkish troops. It is to be noted that, prior to the invasion, the two Communities had been living together in roughly the same proportion of 4 Greeks to 1 Turk in all six administrataive districts. Twenty-two thousand Greek and Moronite Cypriote who remained enclaved in the area occupied by the Turkish army, were subsequently and gradually expelled. In June 1997, there were in the occupied area 673 elderly Greek and Maronite Cypriote. 7. The policies pursued by Turkey in the occupied area since Its Invasion of Cyprus constitute the first example of ethnic cleansing in post-World-War 11 Europe. Area under the effective control of the Government of the Republic.
11. Working population as a percentage of the total population (1996): 47.3%.
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