Bessarabia

Bessarabia is a historical region in Eastern Europe, situated between the Dniester River to the east and the Prut River to the west. Approximately two-thirds of Bessarabia is located within modern-day Moldova, with parts also in Ukraine. The region was historically part of the Principality of Moldavia in the late 14th century and subsequently experienced periods of control by the Ottoman Empire, the Russian Empire, Romania, and the USSR. Following the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812), eastern Moldavia, including Bessarabia, was ceded to Imperial Russia and organized as the Bessarabia Governorate. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, it briefly formed the Moldavian Democratic Republic before uniting with the Kingdom of Romania.