Bessarabia

Bessarabia or Bessarabiya, historic region of southeastern Europe, east of Romania, between the Prut and Dniester rivers. The region corresponds to the present-day republic of Moldova, except for its northern and southern sections, which are in Ukraine. Its name is derived from that of the Basarabs, a Romanian dynasty that ruled neighboring Walachia from the 14th century to the 17th century. In the Middle Ages Bessarabia belonged to the principality of Moldavia, corresponding generally to the principality’s eastern half. Moldavia was ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1513 to 1812, when the Russian Empire annexed Bessarabia, officially designating the region by that name. For a brief period (1856-1878) southern Bessarabia was returned to Moldavia, which was part of Romania after 1862. In 1878 Russia reannexed southern Bessarabia from Romania.

In 1918, after the breakup of the Russian Empire, Bessarabia was united with Romania. In 1940, during World War II, troops of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) occupied Bessarabia. The larger part of Bessarabia was joined to the already existing Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR), across the Dniester River, to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR); the northernmost area around Khotin and the coastal strip to the south along the Black Sea became part of the Ukrainian SSR. Romania retook Bessarabia the following year, but the Soviets regained it in 1944. In 1991, when the USSR dissolved, the Moldavian and Ukrainian SSRs became the independent countries of Moldova and Ukraine.