The Maronites of Cyprus

THE MARONITES OF CYPRUS 16 Demographic Profile According to the first modern count of the population of Cyprus, in 1841, Maronites numbered 1.400 persons: 300 in Nicosia (out of a total of 12.000 residents), 100 in the Morfou region and 1.000 in the Kyrenia region in the Maronite villages of Asomatos, Ayia Marina, Kambyli, Karpasha, Kormakitis and Vouno. According to the first official Cyprus population census, in 1881, Maronites numbered 830; in the second official census, in 1891, their number had increased to 1.131. During the British Era, the number of Maronites increased significantly. According to official census figures, Maronites numbered 1.130 in 1901, 1.073 in 1911, 1.350 in 1921, 1.704 in 1931, 2.083 in 1946, 2.445 in 1956 and 2.752 in 1960. The table below presents the population of Maronites in Cyprus and their geographical distribution for each census. Today, the Maronite community constitutes the second largest Christian community in Cyprus after the Orthodox community – there are 5.000 Maronites in Cyprus, according to the official demographic data of 2011: 75 percent of the Maronite population lives in Nicosia, 15 percent in Limassol, 5 percent in Larnaka and 5 percent in Kochatis, Marki and Pafos, as well as in the occupied villages of Asomatos, Karpasha and Kormakitis. 1881 113 68 10 27 -- 612 830 1901 150 65 22 101 -- 792 1.130 1911 153 16 14 11 -- 879 1.073 1921 223 44 12 14 11 1.046 1.350 1931 364 95 7 35 6 1.197 1.704 1946 504 51 11 7 -- 1.510 2.083 1956 677 63 60 23 4 1.618 2.445 Nicosia District Limassol District Famagusta District Larnaka District Pafos District Kyrenia District Total Source: British Administration, Department of Statistics and Research of the Republic of Cyprus. 1891 177 82 91 81 6 694 1.131 1960 798 102 33 18 7 1.794 2.752