Christmas Island had a population of 1,843 residents , the majority living in settlements on the northern tip of the island. The main settlement is Flying Fish Cove. Historically, Asian Australians of Chinese, Malay, and Indian descent had collectively formed the majority of the population. Today, around two-thirds of the island's population is estimated to have Straits Chinese origin, with significant numbers of Malays and European Australians and smaller numbers of Indians and Eurasians. Several languages are in use, 27.8% of Christmas Islanders spoke only English at home, with both Mandarin and Malay coming in at 17.2%. Other languages spoken at home include Cantonese (3.7%) and Min Nan (1.5%). Buddhism and Islam are major religions on the island, the religion question in the Australian census is optional and 28% of the population do not declare their religious belief, if any.