THE ARMENIANS OF CYPRUS 16 Demographic Profile Unfortunately, there is no available information as to the size of the Armenian population of Cyprus during the Byzantine and the Latin Eras. With regard to the Ottoman Era, it appears that, during its very first years, about 20.000 Armenians used to live in Cyprus. Their number, however, rapidly declined due to the harshness and the oppression of the regime, as well as the onerous taxation, forcing many to become Linobambaki (Crypto-Christians) or to embrace Islam; others were assimilated into the Greek-Cypriot majority. In the mid-19th century, the number of Armenians in Cyprus ranged between 150-200 persons, according to various censuses and estimations. The official censuses that took place between 1881 and 1960 provide fairly accurate data on the Armenian population of Cyprus. The table below shows the combined figures of those recorded as Gregorian and as speakers of Armenian. The map on page 33 shows the places of origin of the Genocide refugees, according to a survey conducted by Archbishop Bedros Saradjian in 1935; those refugees hailed mainly from Adana and Seleucia, with significant numbers originating from Aintab, Caesarea, Hadjin, Marash, Sis and Tarsus. According to data from the community, the Armenian population of Cyprus is about 3.500: 60% live in the capital, Nicosia, 20% in Larnaka, 15% in Limassol and 5% in Pafos and some villages. Over 95% of them speak Armenian and are Armenian Orthodox, while some 5% are either Protestants (mainly Evangelicals) or Catholics. 1881 136 9 4 14 1 37 201 1901 357 14 24 100 8 50 553 1911 326 25 13 196 3 48 611 1921 615 576 57 306 1 18 1.573 1931 2.301 218 105 950 16 27 3.617 1946 ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? 3.962 1956 3.130 295 198 867 26 33 4.549 1960 2.542 287 157 604 3 35 3.628 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 186 18 11 28 8 40 291 l The geographical distribution of Armenians in Cyprus (2016).