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Revision as of 17:18, 24 August 2003 by Bogdangiusca (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Bessarabia is a former region of Eastern Europe comprising most of current-day Moldova and districts of Ukraine. It is bounded by the Dniestr river to the north and east, the Prut to the west and the the lower Danube river and the Black Sea to the south.
The region's main cities are Chişinău, the capital of Moldova, Tiraspol, Izmayil and Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'ki. The name Bessarabia (in Romanian, Basarabia) is probably derived from the Wallachian family of Basarab, once rulers over part of the area.
Greek settlers established colonies in the region in the 7th century BCE. Bessarabia was part of the Dacian kingdoms ruled by Burebista in 1st century BC and by Decebalus in the 1st century AD. After the Roman Empire conquered a part of Dacia, some Dacians (the free Dacians) resisted the Roman conquering in Bessarabia.
The region was later frequently invaded: by Goths, Huns, Avars, Magyars, Cumans and Mongols. Through the Middle Ages, Bessarabia was a part of the principality of Moldavia, falling thereafter under the rule of the Ottoman Empire.
In 1812, the Treaty of Bucharest gave the region to Russia. After the Crimean War, the southern part was handed over to Moldavia, but this reverted to Russian rule in 1878. After the Russian Revolution, the area declared itself an independent republic, but the local parliament decided the union with Romania, which was confirmed by Romania's western allies in the Treaty of Paris (1920), but not recognised by the Soviet Union.
In 1940, Romania had to cede the region to the the Soviet Union, which divided it between the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and Ukrainian SSR. Northern and Southern district of Bessarabia (largely inhabited by Romanians) were exchanged with Transnistria (the region to the left bank of Nistru, largely inhabited by Russians). During the Soviet rule, many Moldovans of Romanian origin were deported to Siberia and Kazahstan.
When these countries gained independence in August 1991, the boundaries remained unchanged.