Transylvania is a region in central Romania in the Southern Carpathian region. In the Middle Ages, the territory belonged to the kingdom of Hungary. From the 12th and 13th century until the 19th century, German speaking groups from different regions settled in the area and founded towns and settlements that exist to this day. The early settlers and their descendants are referred to as Transylvanian Saxons. Besides Transylvanian Saxons and other German speaking groups, Romanians and Hungarians also lived Transylvania, with Romanians being the majority of the population for most of the time. Since 1920 Transylvania belongs to Romania. In the 1970s, large groups of Transylvanian Saxons emigrated to the Federal Republic of Germany.