Transylvania is a historical region that is located in central Romania. Bound on the east and south by its natural borders , the Carpathian mountain range , historical Transylvania extended westward to the Apuseni Mountains.
The region of Transylvania is known for the scenery of its Carpathian landscape and its rich history. The Western world commonly associates Transylvania with vampires , because of the influence of Bram Stoker 's novel Dracula and the many films the tale inspired.
The earliest known reference to Transylvania appears in a Medieval Latin document of the Kingdom of Hungary in as ultra silvam , meaning "beyond the forest" ultra meaning "beyond" or "on the far side of" and the accusative case of sylva sylvam "woods, forest". Transylvania, with an alternative Latin prepositional prefix, means "on the other side of the woods".
Historical names of Transylvania are:. Transylvania has been dominated by several different peoples and countries throughout its history. In AD the Roman Empire conquered the territory , systematically exploiting its resources. After the Roman legions withdrew in AD, it was overrun by a succession of various tribes, bringing it under the control of the Carpi , Visigoths , Huns , Gepids , Avars , and Slavs. From 9th to 11th century Bulgarians ruled Transylvania.
The Magyars conquered much of Central Europe at the end of the 9th century. The Kingdom of Hungary established partial control over Transylvania in , when king Stephen I , according to legend, defeated the prince named Gyula. Between [ dubious β discuss ] and , Transylvania was a voivodeship in the Kingdom of Hungary , led by a voivode appointed by the King of Hungary.
