Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 November 2018
1. Introduction
Until the October 1991 Soviet coup, Moldova, previously known as Bessarabia and the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, had known independence only briefly, having been part of the Russian Empire, Romania, or the Soviet Union for almost its entire history. As a result of shifting foreign influences and borders, Moldova, like most modern political entities, has a multiethnic population. The conflicting perspectives and demands of Moldova's different ethnic groups underlie many of today's controversies.
1. On 23 May 1991, the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic renamed itself the Republic of Moldova, removing the “Social Socialist” designation of the alphabet, most western sources began using the Romanian forms Moldova and Chisinau (the capital), rather than Moldavia and Kishinev, which result from the translation into English from the Russian or Cyrillic. This shift seems more significant in appearance than it is in fact; Romanian speakers have always used Moldova and Chisinau, the Russian speakers continue to use the russified forms Moldavia and Kishinev. This article will use Moldova and Chisinau except when the other forms are found in direct quotations.Google Scholar
2. Bessarabia declared itself an autonomous republic on 2 December 1917. The Bessarabian State Council then voted to reunite with Romania on 27 March 1918, ending four months of independence. See Nicolas Dima, Bessarabia and Bukovina: The Soviet-Romanian Territorial Dispute (New York: Columbia University Press, 1982).Google Scholar
3. The question of a “Moldovan” people or nation will be discussed below. Few now argue that language on the two sides of the Prut differs beyond accent and some regional terminology and idioms. The existence of one or two Romanian-speaking nations has become a political rather than an analytical question; whether the Romanian-speaking people east of the Prut identify strongly enough with their territory and developing institutions to be differentiated from their relatives to the west remains an open question. The authors wish to thank Charles King, New College, Oxford, for his insight on this matter.Google Scholar
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6. Note that the eastern province of Romania (but west of the Prut) is also known as Moldova.Google Scholar
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14. Population data, unless otherwise noted, are from the 1989 census.Google Scholar
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