Aurochs - Moldova

Aside from bearing the national coat of arms, the flag of Moldova has the same design and color scheme as the Romanian flag. Moldova and Romania share a common bond in their historical lineage, a history reflected in their similar flags. The flag of Moldova can also be mistaken with those of Chad and Andorra.

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Bos primigenius - The lineage of domesticated cattle can be traced to the aurochs, a large grazing animal. Aurochs roamed throughout Europe and Northern Africa during the late Pleistocene and early Holocene epochs. Extensive hunting by humans began to thin the herds. The aurochs herds were soon limited to a handful of areas including modern Lithuania, Moldova, and Poland. Efforts to save the dwindling numbers failed. The last aurochs, a female, died of natural causes in 1627 and brought the species to extinction.

Springtails - Moldova

Lathriopyga nistru - There are three groups of wingless arthropods: Collembola, Protura, and Diplura. Springtails belong to the Collembola group, the largest of the three. Springtails were once classified as insects, but have been reassigned to the arthropod family because they have internal mouth parts; insects have external mouth parts. Springtails are omnivores and start the decomposition process of organic matter through their ability to fragment the material they feed on.

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The Principality of Moldavia was formed near a settlement along the Moldova River in 1359 by Dragoș Vodă. In 1538, Moldova became a semi-independent state within the Ottoman Empire. The Treaty of Bucharest, signed in 1812, ended the Russo-Turkish War and awarded the eastern section of Moldova to Russia. The western section merged with Romania. Various territories of Moldova were shuffled back and forth between Russian and Romanian control until the country achieved independence in 1991.

Historical Flags of Europe

The area of present day Moldovia had been part of the Roman province of Dacia. It was proclaimed The Principality of Moldavia when Dragoş became the first Voivode or ruler of the country in 1346. Bosnia-Herzegovina obtained its independence from Yugoslavia in 1992. The new flag, based on the design of the former Bosnian Kingdom, was replaced in 1998 with the current flag. The Andorran flag used from 1806 until 1866 reflected the country’s close association with Spain. A third stripe was added to acknowledged the bond with France. Yugoslavia was created after World War I by the Treaty of Rapallo. When Yugoslavia declared itself a socialist republic in 1943, a red star was installed as the flag’s centerpiece. The constitute republics making up Yugoslavia began to separate in 1980’s. Serbia retained the flag it had used since 1835, but removed the star in favor of the national coat of arms.