Burebista (82 BC- 44 BC) was a king of the Getae and Dacians, who unified them for the first time. He is mentioned in three ancient sources: Strabo, Jordanes and a marble inscription found in Balchick, Bulgaria. He attacked the tribes that lived along the Middle Danube and in what is today Slovakia. Dacia included the present territory of Romania, extending to Bohemia to the West, the Balkans to the South, the Bug River to the East.

Roman Dacia Dacia Felix ( /275 AD ) was an Imperial Province of the Roman Empire. Emperor Trajan conquered it after the war of 106.

Early State Entities In the Middle Ages Romanians lived in three distinct Principalities: Wallachia, Moldavia and Transylvania. Wallachia was controlled by the First Bulgarian Empire from its establishment in 681 until approximately the end of the 10 th century when it came under the control of the Pechenegs ( a Turkic people) Transylvania also had autonomous political entities which were in contact with the Bulgarians.

The Ottoman Suzerainty The territory of present day Romania came under Ottoman suzerainty but kept fully internal autonomy until the 18 th century. Wallachia paid tribute to the Ottomans From 1417, Moldavia from Transylvania was part of the Habsburg, later Austro- Hungarian Empire.

Mihai Viteazul ( ) He was prince of Wallachia, Transylvania and Moldavia. Briefly, in 1600/1601, the three Principalities inhabited by Romanians were for the time united under a single rule.

Modern Romania After Mihai’s death the Principalities were split up again, their rulers being appointed by the Sultan from the Phanariots of Istanbul. The Treaty of Paris(1856) passed Wallachia and Moldavia under the tutelage of the Great European Powers. In 1859 people in both Wallachia and Moldavia elected the same ruler, Alexandru Ioan Cuza( ). The two provinces were again united under one ruler, while Transylvania was still part of the Austro- Hungarian Empire.

The Romanian Kingdom During the reign of Carol I ( ) Romania achieved full independence from the Ottoman Empire. He added the south of Dobrogea to the Principalities Cuza had united before him.

România Mare România Mare ( Greater Romania) refers to the Romanian territory covered by the state from 1918 to Transylvania, Basarabia and Bucovina were united to Romania under king Ferdinand ( ). At the time Romania united essentially all of the territories inhabited by Romanians.

Romania in World War II The Romanian administration and army retreated from Basarabia and Northern Bucovina. Southern Dobrogea went to Bulgaria and Hungary received Northern Transylvania. At the end of the war, Greater Romania was largely dismantled.

Communist Romania After World War II the Soviet Union had a large influence over what was known as the Eastern Bloc. Romania was included. Romania neighbored on Bulgaria to the South, Yugoslavia and Hungary to the West and the Soviet Union to the North and East.

Present day Romania On January 1 st, 2007, Romania joined the European Union. Present day Romania neighbors on Bulgaria to the South, Moldova to the East, the Ukraine to the East and North, Hungary and Serbia to the West.