Former principality, southeast-central Europe.
Located on the lower Danube River , it was founded in the 14th century by the Vlachs and achieved independence in 1349. In the mid-16th century it was part of the Ottoman Empire . In 1774 it came under Russian control; it soon lost its northwestern territory, Bukovina, to Austria and its eastern portion and Bessarabia to Russia. In 1859 Moldavia and Walachia formed the state of Romania . In 1918 the territories earlier ceded by Moldavia joined Romania. In 1924 the Soviet Union created a Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic on territory east of the Dniester River, within the Ukrainian S.S.R. See also Moldova .