Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Principality of Moldavia occupied the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River in Eastern Europe. Its western half is now part of Romania, its eastern side belongs to the Republic of Moldova, and its northern and southeastern portions are in Ukraine.
Bogdan of Cuhea, a Vlach voivode from Maramureș, founded the independent Principality of Moldavia in 1359 after crossing the Carpathians and wresting control of the region from Hungary. The principality traces an earlier vassal predecessor to 1353, when Dragoș was sent by the Hungarian king to establish a defense line on the Siret River.
Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected prince of Moldavia on the 17th of January, 1859, and then elected prince of Wallachia on February 5 of the same year, creating a personal union of both principalities. This was possible because the Paris Convention, which set the terms for a limited union, neglected to prohibit both thrones being held by the same person. The United Principalities were formally proclaimed as a single state in 1862.
Slavery in Moldavia was abolished in stages during the 1840s and 1850s. In December 1855, a bill drafted by Mihail Kogălniceanu and Petre Mavrogheni was adopted by the Divan following a proposal by Prince Grigore Alexandru Ghica, granting all enslaved people the status of taxpayers and citizens.
Stephen the Great required all farmers and villagers to bear arms, and imposed the death penalty on anyone found without a weapon. He organized two armies: the Small Host of around 10,000 to 12,000 men, and the Large Host, which could reach up to 40,000 troops recruited from all free peasants older than 14. He also promoted men from the free peasantry into infantry and light cavalry to reduce dependence on the boyar class.
Several competing etymologies exist for the name Moldavia, including a legend about a hunting hound named Molda recorded by Dimitrie Cantemir in 1714-1716, a Gothic word meaning dust or dirt, a Slavic suffix denoting ownership, and a 1334 document naming a local boyar called Alexa Moldaowicz. No single etymology has been confirmed, and scholars continue to consider multiple origins.