Somewhere between Ukraine and Russia-The Autonomous Republic of Crimea has been part of Ukraine only since 1954, when it was transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR.Before, Crimea was conquered and controlled many times throughout its history. The Cimmerians, Greeks, Persians (Iranians), Goths, Huns, Bulgars, Khazars, the state of Kievan Rus', Byzantine Greeks, Kipchaks, and the Mongols all controlled Crimea in its early history. In the 13th century it was partly controlled by the Venetians and by the Genoese. They were followed by the Crimean Khanate and Ottoman Empire in the 15th–18th centuries and the Russian Empire in the 18th–20th centuries.rnrn***rnCrimea is the homeland for the Crimean Tatars, an ethnic minority who now make up about 13% of the population. The Crimean Tatars were forcibly expelled to Central Asia by Joseph Stalin but have been returning to their homeland in recent years. About 300,000 have returned so far. They are the most loyal segment of the Crimean population to the central Ukrainian government. Most Tatars in the otherwise mainly Pro-Russian Crimea, voted for Viktor Yuschenko, the pro-western president in the last election, and their’s were about only votes he got in Crimea.rnrnThe majority of the Crimean population is ethnic Russian. After Crimean Tatars and other ethnic groups were deported from the Crimea, a large resettlement program took place. Thousands of ethnic Russians were invited to live and work in the Crimea. With recent Ukraine aspirations to join NATO and move closer to the West, the delicate ethnic make-up of Crimea has been shaken. Ethnic Russians naturally lean towards Russia where their families live and roots are from. Russia actively supports pro-Russian sentiment of the Crimean population, which adds to the tensions between the Autonomous Crimea and central government of Ukraine.rn***rnrnLocal Cossacks – the majority of whom are ethnic Russians- are among the most active pro-Russian formations in Crimea. Most of them were relocated from Russia during Soviet times. They have recently started to actively develop their formal structure with support from Russia.rnrnCossack is not an ethnicity and historically Cossacks were of various Slavic backgrounds and originally came from territories located in present-day Russia and Ukraine. They formed armies, which were hired by various governments. During the Bolshevik revolution and the civil war which followed, different Cossack groups supported both Red and White armies, often switching sides in the course of a war which lasted several years. After Soviets seized control, Cossacks were persecuted and their traditional settlements were practically destroyed. Thousands of Cossacks were relocated forcefully. Some left their traditional settlements to escape persecution and the Crimea was one of their destinations.rnrnOver the following years, Cossack families hid their past to become average citizens of the Soviet Union. After its collapse, the Cossack lifestyle blossomed once again. In Russia, Cossacks were officially rehabilitated and their status was regulated. Cossacks as such, officially became part of the Russian military and civil administration. In Ukraine, which witnessed a similar rebirth, Cossack status within society was never regulated, despite numerous attempts to do so. Cossacks are not part of any formal structure of the Ukrainian army and function as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) unconnected to each other and pursuing different agendas.