The Statistics Portugal (Portuguese: INE - Instituto Nacional de Estatística) estimates that, according to the 2011 census, the population was 10,562,178 (of which 52% was female, 48% was male). This population has been relatively homogeneous for most of its history: a single religion (Catholicism) and a single language have contributed to this ethnic and national unity, namely after the expulsion of the Moors and Jews. A considerable number of Moors and Jews, nevertheless, stayed in Portugal, under the condition that they converted to Catholicism, and afterwards they were known as Mouriscos (former Muslims) and Cristãos Novos (New Christians or former Jews) some of whom may have continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret, as in the case of the secret Jews of Belmonte, who now observe the Jewish faith openly. After 1772 the distinction between Old and New Christians was abolished by decree. Some famous Portuguese New Christians were the mathematician Pedro Nunes and the physician and naturalist Garcia de Orta.