In eastern Europe, Romania is emerging as a lovely country to explore. It suffered horribly during the German and then the Soviet occupations, then fell under the control of a brutal dictator who was overthrown in a revolution. After joining the European Union, corruption eased and the economy improved. Mostly, peace, order, and reasonably good governance turned the country into a model of what can happen in Europe when countries help each other. Touristically, Romania has much to offer and has invested heavily in restoring castles, churches, and manor houses to their former glory. The road network is much improved, and access is easy. An inset map of central Bucharest, the capital, is included on side 1. Side 2 is dominated by the smaller country of Moldova (formerly known as Bessarabia) and the breakaway portion known as Transnistria. This is an exceptionally interesting corner of Europe, simply because it exists. In the early post-Soviet era, the people living in what had been a province of Russian-dominated Romania fought for their own country, and achieved it, placing their capital at Chisinau. A Russian-dominated military movement occupied the easternmost portion, on the Ukrainian border, and set up their own country, which nobody recognizes, called Transnistria. Of course, modern politics being what it is, Moldova finds itself caught between never-ending pressure from Russia via Transnistria, and resentment against the rest of Europe for not taking them seriously. Recently, the head of the government of Moldova has suggested merging with Romania as a bulwark against Russia. The war in Ukraine complicates matters, but this would make sense. For the moment, it is easy to enter Moldova and, surprisingly, Transnistria! The map includes copious notes explaining this part of Europe.
Map size:27*39
This map is also available in digital format (resolution: 120 dpi) for $39.95 (per file) and flat map for $39.95 (per side). Please contact map@itmb.com if you would want to place an order or for more information.
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here to have an overview of the map
