Cyprus offshore company : Demography

Geography, Population, language and culture

Cyprus is officially called the Republic of Cyprus and is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean. Cyprus can be found south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon.
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean, and one of its most popular tourist destinations. As a former British colony it became an independent republic in 1960 and a member of the Commonwealth in 1961. The Republic of Cyprus has one of the most advanced economies in the Middle East, and became a member of the European Union on May 1st 2004.
According to the first population census carried out in December 1960 and covering the entire island, Cyprus had a total population of 573,566, with Greek Cypriots accounting for 77% of the island's population and Turkish Cypriots 18% (other nationals accounted for the remaining 5%). According to the last census covering the entire island (April 1973), the population of Cyprus was 631,778 with the Turkish Cypriots estimated at 19% of the total (about 120,000).
The 5% of foreigners present in Cyprus are mainly British Citizens who hold secondary residences or small businesses. English is the main business language and is widely and well spoken around the country. The official languages of Cyprus are Greek, Turkish and English.