Moldova was known in early history as Bessarabia. Due to its central location, Moldova acted as a passageway between Asia and southern Europe for many years. It also became the site for many wars to be fought and the land changed hands between empires many times throughout its history. Different invaders included the Greeks, Romans, Huns, Bulgars, and Mongols.
For a short time in the 14th century, an independent Moldova emerged under Moldovan hero Stefan the Great. However, in the 16th century the Ottoman Empire conquered the area.
As a result of the Russo-Turkish War, Moldova was split up with the eastern half going to Russian and the western half remaining with Turkey. Romania took control of the Russian half in 1918.
During World War II Romania joined the German side in an effort to attack the Soviet Union. They crossed the border in Bessarabia and deported the Jews. Few of the 185,000 Jews survived until the Russians reoccupied the area in 1944.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1990, Moldova declared its independence. Its move toward democracy and a market economy has not been easy.
Moldova has a number of ethnic groups within the country including Romanian, Ukrainian, Russian, and Bulgarian. The official language is Moldovan, which is the same as Romanian, but Russian, Ukrainian and Gagauz are also spoken by many of its residents.
