CIA - The World Factbook

Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

slightly larger than Maryland

moderate winters, warm summers

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods

landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

4,320,748 (July 2009 est.)

11.12 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

10.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

-1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

1.27 children born/woman (2009 est.)

fewer than 100 (2007 est.)

Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)

Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)

Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)

27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

adopted 29 July 1994; effective 27 August 1994; note - replaced 1979 Soviet constitution

based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)

Centrist Union or UCM [Vasile TARLEV]; Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]; Democratic Party or PD [Dumitru DIACOV]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLDM [Vladmir FILAT]; Liberal Party or PL [Mihai GHIMPU]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN [Serafim URECHEAN]; Party for Social Democracy or PDSM [Dumitru BRAGHIS]

BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow; same color scheme as Romania

Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import almost all of its energy supplies. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy was underscored at the end of 2005, when a Russian-owned electrical station in Moldova's separatist Transnistria region cut off power to Moldova and Russia's Gazprom cut off natural gas in disputes over pricing, and again in January 2009, during a similar dispute. Russia's decision to ban Moldovan wine and agricultural products, coupled with its decision to double the price Moldova paid for Russian natural gas, slowed GDP growth in 2006. However, in 2007-08 growth returned to the 6% level Moldova had achieved in 2000-05, boosted by Russia's partial removal of the bans, solid fixed capital investment, and strong domestic demand driven by remittances from abroad. Economic reforms have been slow because of corruption and strong political forces backing government controls. Nevertheless, the government's primary goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. The granting of EU trade preferences and increased exports to Russia will encourage higher growth rates, but the agreements are unlikely to serve as a panacea, given the extent to which export success depends on higher quality standards and other factors. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors. Also, the presence of an illegal separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region continues to be a drag on the Moldovan economy. The deteriorating global economic crisis did not seriously effect the Moldovan economy in 2008 due to its low exposure to the international financial system, but a global economic slowdown, particularly in the EU and Russia, could hurt the economy in 2009 as Moldova relies heavily on remittances from Moldovans abroad.

$10.63 billion (2008 est.)

$9.954 billion (2007)

$9.664 billion (2006)

$6.197 billion (2008 est.)

1.327 million (2008 est.)

36.1% of GDP (2008 est.)

21.3% of GDP (2008 est.)

NA% (31 December 2008)

18.83% (31 December 2007)

$1.116 billion (31 December 2008)

$965 million (31 December 2007)

$1.928 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.449 billion (31 December 2007)

$2.406 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.896 billion (31 December 2007)

$573.9 million (2004)

vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk

sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles

3.824 billion kWh (2006 est.)

5.806 billion kWh (2006 est.)

229 million kWh (2006 est.)

3.741 billion kWh (2006 est.)

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

15,770 bbl/day (2006 est.)

50.03 bbl/day (2005)

14,450 bbl/day (2005)

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

50 million cu m (2006 est.)

2.44 billion cu m (2007 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

$-903 million (2008 est.)

$1.79 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

foodstuffs, textiles, machinery

Russia 25.3%, Romania 13%, Italy 10%, Ukraine 8.7%, Germany 8.5%, Poland 6.2%, Belarus 4.2% (2007)

$5 billion f.o.b. (2008 est.)

mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles

Russia 20.5%, Ukraine 15.8%, Romania 15%, Germany 8.7%, Italy 5.7%, Poland 4.1% (2007)

$1.65 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$4.092 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$1.813 billion (2008)

Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 10.326 (2008 est.), 12.177 (2007), 13.131 (2006), 12.6 (2005), 12.33 (2004)

1.883 million (2007)

AM 2, FM 29, shortwave NA (2006)

424 km (on Dniester and Prut rivers) (2008)

National Army: Land Forces, Rapid Reaction Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (2009)

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation (2009)

0.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor the transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region, which remains under OSCE supervision

limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity