Transylvania (
Romanian:
Transilvania or
Ardeal,
Hungarian:
Erdély,
German:
Siebenbürgen or
Transsilvanien,
Polish:
Siedmiogród,
Latin:
Transsilvania,
Turkish:
Erdel) is a historical region in the central part of
Romania. Bound on the east and south by its
natural borders, the
Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended eastward to the
Apuseni Mountains. The term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical regions of
Crișana,
Maramureș and
Romanian part of Banat. The region of Transylvania is known for the scenic beauty of its
Carpathian landscape and its rich history. It also contains major Romanian cities such as
Cluj-Napoca,
Brașov and
Sibiu. In the English-speaking world it has been commonly associated with
vampires, chiefly due to the influence of
Bram Stoker's famous novel
Dracula as well as the many later film adaptations.
