Moldova Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Moldova appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 25 different states, among them Romania, Ottoman Empire, Moldova, Poland-Lithuania, USSR.
MoldovaExplore the history of Moldova in the interactive map
Who ruled the land of Moldova, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Moldova?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Moldova belonged to Romania, Ottoman Empire, Moldova, Poland-Lithuania, USSR, Alans, along with 19 other states.
What was Moldova part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Moldova lay within Alans.
What was Moldova part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Moldova lay within Poland-Lithuania.
What was Moldova part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Moldova lay within Romania.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.