Moldovans

Moldovans, sometimes referred to as Moldavians (Romanian: moldoveni, Moldovan Cyrillic: молдовень, pronounced [moldoˈvenʲ]), are the ethnic group native to the Moldova, who mostly speak the Romanian language, locally referred also as Moldovan. 75.1% of the Moldovan population declared Moldovan ethnicity in the 2014 Moldovan census, and Moldovans form significant communities in Romania, Italy, Ukraine and Russia. There is an ongoing controversy over whether the Moldovans constitute an ethnic subgroup of the Romanians. The term "Moldavian" can also be used to refer to the inhabitants of the territory of the historical Principality of Moldavia, currently divided among Romania (47.5%), Moldova (30.5%) and Ukraine (22%). In Romania, natives of Western Moldavia identifying with the term generally declare Romanian ethnicity, while the natives of the Republic of Moldova are usually called "Bessarabians" (Romanian: basarabeni).