Editing Moldova (section)

==History==
{{main|History of Moldova}}
{{see also|History of Transnistria|Founding of Moldavia}}
[[File:DragosIofMoldavia.jpg|upright=.7|thumb|[[Dragoș]], a [[Vlach]] [[voivode]] and founder of the [[Founding of Moldavia|Principality of Moldavia]], 19th-century depiction]]

The history of Moldova spans [[Prehistory|prehistoric cultures]], [[Ancient history|ancient]] and [[Medieval history|medieval]] empires, and periods of foreign rule and modern [[independence]].

Evidence of human habitation dates back 800,000–1.2 million years, with significant developments in [[agriculture]], [[pottery]], and settlement during the [[Neolithic]] and [[Bronze Age]]s. In [[Classical antiquity|antiquity]], Moldova's location made it a crossroads for invasions by the [[Scythians]], [[Goths]], [[Huns]], and other tribes, followed by periods of [[Roman Empire|Roman]] and [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] control. The medieval [[Principality of Moldavia]] [[founding of Moldavia|emerged in the 1350s]], and was the medieval precursor of modern Moldova and [[Romania]]. It reached prominence under rulers like [[Stephen the Great]] before becoming a [[vassal state]] of the [[Ottoman Empire]] from 1538, until the 19th century.

In 1812, following [[Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)|one of several Russian–Turkish wars]], the eastern half of the principality, [[Bessarabia]], was annexed by the [[Russian Empire]], marking the beginning of Russian influence in the region. In 1918, Bessarabia briefly became independent as the [[Moldavian Democratic Republic]] and, following the decision of the Parliament (Sfatul Țării), united with [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]]. During the Second World War it was occupied by the [[Soviet Union]] which reclaimed it from Romania. It joined the Union in 1940 as the [[Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic|Moldavian SSR]]. During this period, policies of [[Russification]] and economic transformation deeply influenced the region.

The [[dissolution of the USSR]] in 1991 led to [[Moldovan Declaration of Independence|declared independence]], followed by the [[Transnistria War]] in 1992, a conflict that left the [[Transnistria]]n region as a de facto independent state. Moldova continues to navigate a complex relationship between pro-Western and pro-Russian factions. In recent years, it has pursued closer ties with the [[European Union]], submitting a formal membership application in 2022.

In the [[2020 Moldovan presidential election|November 2020 presidential election]], the pro-European opposition candidate [[Maia Sandu]] was elected as the new president of the republic, becoming the first female elected president of Moldova.<ref>{{Cite news|date=16 November 2020|title=Moldova election: Pro-EU candidate Maia Sandu wins presidency|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54942847|access-date=27 July 2021|archive-date=24 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424114019/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54942847|url-status=live}}</ref> In the [[2024 Moldovan presidential election|November 2024 presidential election]], President Maia Sandu was re-elected with 55% of the vote in the run-off.<ref>{{cite news |title=Moldova election: Pro-EU leader wins despite alleged Russian meddling |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cz7w9dglzzlo |work=www.bbc.com}}</ref>