Who were the first people to settle in Romania?

The earliest evidence of human habitation in Romania dates back to the Paleolithic era, around 40,000 years ago. These early inhabitants were nomadic hunter-gatherers who lived in caves and rock shelters. The first permanent settlements appeared in the Neolithic era, around 6,000 years ago. These settlements were located in the Transylvanian Plain and Banat region, and were inhabited by people who practiced agriculture and animal husbandry.

The first major civilization in Romania was the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture, which flourished from around 5,000 to 3,000 BCE. This culture was characterized by its highly developed pottery and architecture, and its large settlements, some of which had populations of up to 20,000 people.

The Cucuteni-Trypillia culture was followed by the Bronze Age cultures, which included the Otomani, Monteoru, and Wietenberg cultures. These cultures were characterized by their development of bronze metallurgy and the use of chariots.

In the late Bronze Age, around 1200 BCE, the Dacians arrived in Romania from the north. The Dacians were a Thracian people who spoke a language closely related to Romanian. They established a powerful kingdom in what is now Romania, and were known for their skill in warfare and their elaborate fortifications.

The Dacians were conquered by the Romans in 106 CE, and Romania became part of the Roman Empire. The Roman occupation lasted for over two centuries, and had a profound impact on Romanian culture and language.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Romania was ruled by a succession of Germanic tribes, including the Visigoths, Ostrogoths, and Gepids. In the 6th century CE, the Slavs arrived in Romania and began to assimilate the Germanic tribes. The Slavs were the ancestors of the Romanians, and their language and culture formed the basis of modern Romanian culture.

In the 10th century CE, the Hungarians conquered Romania and established the Kingdom of Hungary. The Hungarians ruled Romania for over 800 years, and their rule had a significant impact on Romanian culture and language.

In the 19th century, the Romanians began to assert their national identity, and in 1859 they united to form the modern state of Romania. Romania gained its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1878, and became a kingdom in 1881. Romania became a republic in 1947, and joined the European Union in 2007.