By 28 June 1940, when the Romanian territory between Prut and Dniester Rivers, Northern Bucovina and Hertza district had been annexed by the USSR, in southern Bessarabia existed six major communities (Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, German and Gagauz), who lived relatively compact, especially in rural areas. After the repatriation of Germans, especially the southern part of Bessarabia was partially depopulated, and the former German villages were populated mainly by Russian and Ukrainian immigrants from other regions of Ukraine. During the Soviet period were carried four censuses (1959, 1970, 1979 and 1989), but were not released more detailed information per locality or at least districts. According to Soviet estimates from 1948, in Ismail region were living 537 708 people, of which 33.5% were Ukrainians, 26.9% - Bulgarians, 17.3% - Russians, 14.8% - Moldovans and 4% were Gagauz. Over four decades, in 1989, in the same territory were living over 670 000 people, including 36.7% Ukrainians, 24% Russians, 20.8% Bulgarians, 12.6% Moldovans and 3.7% Gagauz. In 2001, in the south of Bessarabia were living 617 245 people, of which 247 750 (40.1%) were Ukrainians, 128 702 (20.8%) - Bulgarians, 124 511 (20.2%) - Russians, 78 217 (12.7%) - Moldovans, 24.755 (4%) - Gagauz and 13,310 (2.1%) of other nationalities. Linguistic structure of the population of this territory is radically different, especially in urban areas, but also in many villages with mixed population. In 2001, out of 623 662 inhabitants of Southern Bessarabia (including the towns of Zatoca and Sergheevca), already 219 322 (35.2%) considered Russian, only 201 106 (32.2%) - Ukrainian, 111 978 (18%) - Bulgarian, 62.353 (10.3%) - “Moldovan”, 21 017 (3.4%) - Gagauz and 5,886 (0.9%) - other languages as native. Romanian population has preserved the majority in 21 large villages of Southern Bessarabia. Romanian language speakers are the majority and in several smaller villages in northern districts of Tarutino and Sarata. In the same districts there are several villages with a significant share of Romanian speakers.