Why is it called Bessarabia?
According to the traditional explanation, the name Bessarabia (Basarabia in Romanian) derives from the Wallachian Basarab dynasty, who allegedly ruled over the southern part of the area in the 14th century.
Is it safe to travel in Moldova?
Reconsider travel to Moldova due to armed conflict in neighboring Ukraine. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.
Does Romania still claim Bessarabia?
Soviet Russia and Ukraine promptly notified Romania that they did not recognize the treaty’s validity and did not consider themselves bound by it. Ultimately, Japan failed to ratify the treaty and so it never came into force, leaving Romania without a valid international act to justify its possession of Bessarabia.
Is Bessarabia Ukraine?
Bessarabia forms the southwestern corner of Ukraine, lying between the Rivers Dniester and Danube, with Moldova to the north and Romania to the west. It was ruled first by the Ottoman Empire, then by a succession of Romanian, Russian, and Soviet overlords.
Did Ukraine take Romanian land?
The Armistice and the subsequent peace treaty of 1947 confirmed the Soviet-Romanian border as it was on January 1, 1941….Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina.
| Date | June 28 – July 3, 1940 |
|---|---|
| Location | Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, Kingdom of Romania |
| Result | Moldavian SSR established, northern Bukovina and Budjak integrated into Ukrainian SSR |
Why did the Soviets want Bessarabia?
The area was under Romanian rule from 1918 to 1940, when it was annexed by the Soviet Union. Thousands of Germans had lived in farming enclaves in Bessarabia since the mid-18th Century when their ancestors were lured there with promises of land by Catherine the Great of Russia, who wanted to expand her empire.
Does Bessarabia belong to Romania?
During World War II, Romanians occupied Bessarabia and temporarily reorganized it as part of Romania. The Soviet Union seized it in 1944, and the territorial arrangements of 1940 were reestablished. Bessarabia remained divided after Ukraine and Moldavia (now Moldova) declared independence in 1991.
