Moldova

Moldova's history is deeply intertwined with that of the Principality of Moldavia, a medieval Romanian state. For centuries, the region served as a crossroads between major empires, experiencing periods of autonomy and foreign rule. In the 19th century, Bessarabia, as the territory was then known, became part of the Russian Empire. Following a brief period of independence after World War I, it was incorporated into Romania, only to be re-occupied by the Soviet Union during World War II. Moldova declared its independence in 1991, marking a new chapter in its complex and often turbulent history.