What are the main ethnic groups in Cyprus?

The population of Cyprus is primarily composed of two main ethnic groups:

• Greek Cypriots: They constitute nearly four-fifths of the population and are descendants of aboriginal inhabitants and immigrants from the Peloponnese who began colonizing the island around 1200 BCE.12
• Turkish Cypriots: They make up approximately one-fifth of the population. This group descends from soldiers of the Ottoman army that conquered the island in 1571 and immigrants from Anatolia brought in by the sultan’s government.12

In addition to these two major groups, there are smaller communities of Arabic-speaking Maronite Christians and Armenian speakers.12