Basic information on the spoken languages:

Greek-speaking Cypriots make up about 78% of the population. About 18% of the population is of Turkish origine, and the remainder is made up of Armenians and other ethnic groups.

Greek and Turkish are the official languages and are taught in schools and used in broadcasting. English is widely spoken in the main towns. Cypriot Greek, although related to the language of the Greek mainland, is a dialect believed by language scholars to resemble more closely the speech of ancient Greece than any modern Greek dialect.

Separate educational systems are each maintained by the Greek-speaking and Turkish-speaking communities. Greek Cypriot education is administered by the Ministry of Education. Six years of elementary education are free and compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 12. Six years of secondary school are provided. In the early 1990s, Greek Cypriot elementary schools each year had about 64.300 pupils enrolled, and Greek Cypriot secondary schools had about 48.100. Higher education is provided by the University of Cyprus (1989) and by teacher-training, technical, and vocational schools.

On 04-06-96 Cyprus has ratified the European Framework Convention of National Minorities.

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