FACTBOX - Five facts on Cyprus leaders

(Reuters) - Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat launched reunification talks on Wednesday, the first since peace efforts collapsed in 2004.

Following are five facts on each of the two leaders:

CHRISTOFIAS

- Elected President of Cyprus in 2008, routing his former coalition partner Tassos Papadopoulos, on a pledge to be more pro-active in reunification talks.

- Christofias heads AKEL, the island's powerful Communist party. He is the only communist EU head of state and his party recently backed rejection of the EU reform treaty.

- His family are refugees from the 1974 Turkish invasion triggered by a brief, Greek-inspired coup. His mother still lives in refugee housing.

- Soviet-educated on a scholarship, with a doctorate in history, he speaks Russian and has close ties with the Kremlin.

- Born August 29 1946, he later underwent a life-saving kidney transplant with his sister as donor. He is married and has three children.

TALAT: