| #1 Moldavia/Moldova--a principality existed 1359- 1859. In 1812 Russia took the region East of the Prut river, and created Besserabia; however, the southern region had been taken by the Turks in the 16th century and renamed it Budjak. (It now forms part of Ukraine. Meanwhile, a principality of Moldova/Moldavia (with the capital and most cities situated West of Prut river) continued to exist. It unified with Wallachia in 1859 under a new state called Romania, and in 1918 it was able to take back from Russia the rest of Moldavia (the part that had become known as Besserabia). Then, the USSR recaptired Besserabia and from 1944-1991 created the Soviet Republic of Moldova. And now we have a new Moldova with truncated borders and which should be assimilated by Romania. Confusing? No? |