Guide to Moldova Introduction Background: Formerly part of Romania, 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. The poorest nation in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.
Geography Location: Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 29 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Climate: moderate winters, warm summers
Terrain: rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 3,070 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: landslides (57 cases in 1998)
Environment - current issues: heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
People Population: 4,455,421 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: 0.22% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 15.27 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 12.79 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 1.81 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 5,500 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 300 (2001 est.)
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.) note
Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
Languages: Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: republic
Capital: Chisinau
Administrative divisions: 32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Constitution: new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994; replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979
Legal system: based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Modova Bloc [Serafim URECHEANU] includes
Political pressure groups and leaders: NA
International organization participation: ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: same color scheme as Romania - 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
Economy Economy - overview: 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 from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in December 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort after independence, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The economy returned to positive growth of 2.1% in 2000, 6.1% in 2001, 7.2% in 2002, 6.3% in 2003, and 6.8% in 2004. Further reforms will come slowly because of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $8.581 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 6.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,900 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 1.36 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 14%, services 46% (1998)
Unemployment rate: 8% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad) (2002 est.)
Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 40.6 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 11.5% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 17.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: 63.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk
Industries: food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
Industrial production growth rate: 17% (2003 est.)
Electricity - production: 3.876 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 4.605 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 1 billion kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 24,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 2.05 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 2.05 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance: $-148.4 million (2004 est.)
Exports: $1.03 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
Exports - partners: Russia 35.8%, Italy 13.9%, Romania 10%, Germany 7.3%, Ukraine 6.6%, Belarus 6%, US 4.6% (2004)
Imports: $1.83 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (2000)
Imports - partners: Ukraine 24.6%, Russia 12.2%, Romania 9.3%, Germany 8.5%, Italy 7.4% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $390 million (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $1.4 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $100 million (2000)
Currency (code): Moldovan leu (MDL)
Currency code: MDL
Exchange rates: lei per US dollar - 12.33 (2004), 13.945 (2003), 13.571 (2002), 12.865 (2001), 12.434 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 706,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 338,200 (2002)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios: 3.22 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 1.26 million (1997)
Internet country code: .md
Internet hosts: 11,984 (2003)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (1999)
Internet users: 150,000 (2002)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Waterways: 424 km (2004)
Pipelines: gas 606 km (2004)
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 23 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military Military branches: National Army
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; national service obligation - 12 months (2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 18-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $8.7 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 0.4% (FY02)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: Moldova and Ukraine have established joint customs posts to monitor transit through Moldova's break-away Transnistria Region which remains under OSCE supervision
Refugees and internally displaced persons: IDPs
Illicit drugs: 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
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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