A look At Older Maps and Flags of Romania

Romania is a land of beauty and of history.  It is filled with hundreds of castles and people.  Its flags and maps tell us a story.

Europe before the First World War

The best way to see Romania if you can't travel there is by looking at maps.  Each one tells a different story.  Some will tell you what Romania looks like now, and others will show you what it looked like over the course of the life of this country.  The country was founded in 1859, with the uniting of Wallachia and Moldavia under the rule of Alexandru Cuza (1820-1873.)

Under his rule, the map of Europe changed, as did the flag of Romania, as it was a new country.  Both the maps and the flag would see changes over the next years, and notably, would not have Transylvania as a part of the country until the end of the First World War.

1859-1862 flag of Romania

The Romanian flag has meaning- the one, with the horizontal bars, and the blue on the top and the yellow in the centre and the red at the bottom, was used from 1859-1862 by the Cuza government and was used by the united principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. (As they were originally called before Romania.)

This was the flag used by the first Prince of Romania, known as the Domnitor of Romania, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, who reigned from 1859-1862.  After he was deposed, by the next Prince, Carol of Romania (who would later become the First King of Romania. The flag would change after 1862- and the reign of Prince Carol I.

flag of Romania 1862-1866

Cuza, known as the Domnitor of Romania from 1859 until he was deposed  was also a Prince of Wallachia and Moldavia before the unification between these two principalities.  Ironically, he would be the one who would have two sons, and his successor, Carol would have a daughter (who died young) who could not inherit the throne of Romania.  His nephew would inherit the throne of Romania.  The flag of Romania changed.

How Romania looks now.

From 1862 until 1866 the Romanian flag reversed the red and the blue. This was the major change during this time, but territorially, there was no major changes until the First World War.  Fortunately for Romania, they would fight on the side of the allies and would gain the territory they wanted.

Moldova, would become an independent country as well, and some of the territory which Romania would gain during the First World War would change Romania is still a part of Europe, and one which has a strong outlook in all aspects of life and culture.  Maps and flags continue to change and so does Romania, and we shall see more about this soon.