Nearly everyone in Cyprus, at least in the south, learns English as a second language,
primarily due to the island's former status as a British protectorate and colony.
English tends to be the language of communication from one group to the next and
with the many tourists who visit each year.
Religion
Most of the Greeks are Cypriot or Greek Orthodox, while the
Turks tend to be Muslim. There are also small minority groups
in Cyprus, all of whom practice various religions.
Orthodoxy is a Christian religion that claims to be the most loyal to the Christian
faith and religion as it was described by Jesus and the Gospels in the New Testament.
Christianity, including Orthodoxy, was founded after the death of Jesus in about
30-33 AD; various branches of Orthodoxy were officially recognized by governments
long before Catholicism was recognized in the Roman Empire.
Orthodoxy and Catholicism have many of the same beliefs; both believe that there
is a single God who created everything and a savior, the son of God, Jesus Christ
who is the forgiver of sins. However, Orthodoxy is decentralized so each bishop
oversees their local country or region, giving each orthodox country a different
leader. In this way, no bishop has more power than any other, meaning the tenants
and interpretations of the faith remain relatively unchanged. These beliefs are
based on the teachings of the Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, in
particular the life and teachings of Jesus, which is found in the gospels (in the
New Testament).