Crimea; Many Canadians of Ukranian Descent

I've been listening, reading watching about this region. The history of the USSR, Russia, and near-by countries takes a lot of reading. This is what I have gleaned from recent information, primarily on CBC radio and TV, interviews by various representatives, professors.

The facts about Crimea

• Ethnic Russians make up 58% of the Crimean population
• Ethnic population = 300,000 Tatars, Turkic Muslims
• Ethnic Ukrainians -  make up 24% of Crimea's population 
• Estimates: 40% want to be part of Russia
• Crimea has a tropical climate
• Most in Crimea are bilingual
• 1.8 million potential Crimean voters
• Ukraine was a nuclear power until 1996
• Some may fear the past history of USSR invasions
• Became a part of then-Soviet Ukraine in 1954
• Most Crimeans are bilingual: Ukrainophones or Russiaphones
• To the south, in Europe, countries were Fascist Regimes
• To the east: Communist governments

Canadians of Ukranian Descent: many resources

• Canada has a high population of immigrants from Slavic countries
• StatCan estimates over 1,000,000 from Ukrainian descent in Canada
• Publications abound: e.g., uManitoba and uToronto have Ukranian/Slavic Faculties
• Extensive library collections: e.g., Centre for Ukrainian Canadian Studies, uToronto: Electronic Library of Ukrainian Literature

Crimea unites in pro-Russia stance

Ahead of the secession referendum, it is almost certain that Crimea will vote in favor of uniting with Russia. No voices of opposition have been heard on the peninsula in recent days.  Aksyonov did not mention that access to Ukrainian TV channels has been blocked in Crimea for the past week. They have been replaced by Russian state television channels, which describes Ukraine's new leaders as "fascists" and "nationalists."

Crimea votes in contentious referendum on joining Russia

Voting is said to be illegitimate by the

BBC has a great
map and article

interim government in Ukraine and many western countries. Russia vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning the vote.

Voters face two options in Sunday's referendum:

• either becoming a part of the Russian Federation, 
• or returning to Crimea's status under Ukraine's 1992 constitution. 

The ballots do not offer maintaining the status quo as an option. A return to the 1992 constitution would grant much greater authority to the already semi-autonomous peninsula.

Voters in the majority ethnic-Russian region are expected to approve rejoining Moscow, 60 years after .

Crimean parliament formally applies to join Russia

The Tatars were deported to Central Asia by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1944. They were only able to return with the fall of the Soviet Union and many want to remain under Ukrainian rule.

Many ethnic Ukrainians declined to vote.

Russia Seizes Gas Plant Near Crimea Border, Ukraine Says On the eve of a secession referendum in Crimea, Russian forces took a natural gas terminal while Western officials prepared sanctions for Moscow.