Although with a small territory, Republic of Moldova has a relatively high ethnic
diversity. It is the result of the last centuries of colonization and population migration, mainly during
the Russian Empire and Soviet time. Last population census was conducted in 2004, being the first one
during the independence of the Republic of Moldova. Practically the country is split between the main
territory controlled by the official authorities and self-proclaimed Dniester Moldavian Republic in the
Eastern side of Moldova, which has also conducted separate census in 2004. The ethnic structure of
population still keeps the configuration from the Soviet time, but many quantitative and qualitative
changes occurred. Ideological separation of the same nation between Romanians and Moldovans are
still not exceeded, official census regards the Moldovan as titular nation of the country. General
characterization of the settlements according to ethnic structure shows the specific regional and urbanrural
character of particular ethnic groups. The geographical division in northern, central, southern and
eastern parts of the Republic of Moldova corresponds to the ethnic concentration of main nation and
minorities, as can be seen by the administrative units and at the level of localities.