The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of the factor of ethnolanguage identification of the population of Montenegro on the results of the 2006 independence referendum. The article presents arguments pointing to a stable territorial split of Montenegro, confirmed by census materials, the results of referendums in 1992 and 2006, as well as the course of parliamentary and presidential elections. Montenegrins, Serbs and representatives of other ethnic communities have completely different assessments of the geopolitical situation of the republic and have their own vision of the further development of Montenegrin statehood. The scientific novelty of the study consists in an attempt to show a clear correlation of the voting results in each community with the ethnocultural identity of the local population, due to the historical conditions of residence of a particular region within the Montenegrin state. As a result of the study, it was determined that the Orthodox majority of the republic is in a state of deep division into two approximately equal groups – Serbs and Montenegrins. Their separation on the issue of maintaining a unified state entity with Serbia was noticeable even during the collapse of greater Yugoslavia, and finally took shape in the late 1990s and early 2000s in connection with the new course of the political leadership of Montenegro to achieve full independence from Serbia.