A/HRC/22/51/Add.1 non-profit organizations if they desire to engage in financial transactions and maintain a bank account. 18. Beyond the sphere of State institutions, the secular nature of Cypriot law also includes a secular marriage and family law equally accessible to persons from different religious or belief-related orientations. This has also become an option for non-citizens. Indeed, given the predominance of religious personal status laws – and the lack of secular options – in some countries of the Middle East and Northern Africa, Cyprus has become a popular destination for those who wish to contract marriages beyond the confines of their respective denominational marriage and family laws. 19. In the northern part, the “Constitution” provides that every individual has freedom of conscience, religious faith and opinion (article 23 (1)); and that forms of worship and religious ceremonies and rites are free, provided they do not contravene public order or public morals or the laws enacted for these purposes (article 23 (2)). Furthermore, no person shall be compelled to worship; to participate in religious ceremonies and rites or to reveal his religious faith or belief; and no person shall be reproached for his religious faith or belief (article 23 (3)). Religious education and teaching is carried out under the supervision and control of the State (article 23 (4)). Moreover, no person shall exploit or abuse, in any manner whatsoever, religion or religious feelings or things considered sacred by religion for the purpose of founding, even though partially, the basic social, economic, political or legal order on religious precepts or for the purpose of securing political or personal advantage or influence (article 23 (5)). IV. Religious demography 20. The Cypriot religious landscape has traditionally been dominated by the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus and Sunni Islam. Although recognizing the symbolic primacy of the Patriarch of Constantinople, the Greek Orthodox Church of Cyprus has the status of an autocephalous church, tracing its origins back to the first century A.D. During Ottoman rule from 1571-1878, Sunni Islam became the second largest religion of the island. In addition, the three officially recognized religious minority churches which have collectively associated themselves with the Greek community – Armenian, Maronite and “Latin” – have also continued to play an important role in society and public life, as part of the traditional religious mosaic of Cyprus. 21. As a result of violent conflicts in the 1960s and following the military intervention by Turkish troops in 1974 no more than a few hundred Christians continue to live in the northern part (see V. C. 1. below). The number of Muslims living in the southern part is also small (see V. C. 2. below). 22. According to the 2001 census, 94.8 per cent of the population living in the southern part are Christian Orthodox. All other religious groups combined constitute around five per cent of the population in the southern part, including Roman Catholic (1.5 per cent), Church of England (1.0 per cent), Muslim (0.6 per cent), Maronite Catholic (0.6 per cent), Armenian Orthodox (0.3 per cent) and other religions or beliefs. 23. At present the Maronite community in Cyprus is a very small community forming an integral part of the wider Greek Cypriot community, mainly through inter-marriage, but at the same time continuing to exist as a separate community. The Maronite community today numbers around 6,000 people scattered all over the island, including in the northern part in Kormakiti and Karpashia. 24. About 3,500 Armenians currently live in the southern part of the island, mainly in Nicosia, Larnaca and Limassol. 7