Canada's unity is up for vote - Trump supports the separatists

The residents of the oil-rich province of Alberta are to hold a referendum on Monday (from 5 p.m. CEST) to decide on a possible path towards secession from Canada, which a minority has repeatedly called for.

Voters should vote on whether their province should remain part of Canada - or whether a process should be initiated that leads to a legally binding further referendum on secession.

In recent surveys, a large majority were in favor of remaining part of Canada. Alberta's Prime Minister Danielle Smith, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney and both of the country's major political parties have also repeatedly spoken out clearly against secession. However, support for the independence movement came from the US government of US President Donald Trump.

The Canadian province of Alberta, with around five million inhabitants, is located in the west of the world's second largest country and is particularly popular with tourists for its national parks in the Rocky Mountains.

A movement calling for secession from Canada for cultural and economic reasons, among other things, has been around for a long time in the province, which is considered to be very conservative - although, according to surveys, it is still only supported by a minority. Some representatives of the oil industry, for example, feel constrained by environmental regulations.