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  Introduction
  Geography
  People
  Government
  Economy
  Communications
  Transportation
  Military
  Transnational Issues

In general, information available as of 1 January 2002
was used in the preparation of The World Factbook 2002.


This page was last updated on 19 March 2003


Map of Moldova

Legend: Definition Definition Field Listing Field Listing
   Introduction    Moldova
Background:
Definition Field Listing
Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of 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.
   Geography    Moldova
Location:
Definition Field Listing
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Geographic coordinates:
Definition Field Listing
47 00 N, 29 00 E
Map references:
Definition Field Listing
Europe
Area:
Definition Field Listing
total: 33,843 sq km
water: 472 sq km
land: 33,371 sq km
Area - comparative:
Definition Field Listing
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1,389 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Coastline:
Definition Field Listing
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
Definition Field Listing
none (landlocked)
Climate:
Definition Field Listing
moderate winters, warm summers
Terrain:
Definition Field Listing
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Elevation extremes:
Definition Field Listing
lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
Natural resources:
Definition Field Listing
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
Land use:
Definition Field Listing
arable land: 54.08%
permanent crops: 12.1%
other: 33.82% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land:
Definition Field Listing
3,070 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards:
Definition Field Listing
landslides (57 cases in 1998)
Environment - current issues:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
Definition Field Listing
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
   People    Moldova
Population:
Definition Field Listing
4,434,547 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure:
Definition Field Listing
0-14 years: 21.7% (male 490,414; female 472,912)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 1,451,962; female 1,572,561)
65 years and over: 10.1% (male 165,860; female 280,838) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.09% (2002 est.)
Birth rate:
Definition Field Listing
13.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate:
Definition Field Listing
12.64 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate:
Definition Field Listing
-0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio:
Definition Field Listing
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
Definition Field Listing
42.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
Definition Field Listing
total population: 64.74 years
female: 69.31 years (2002 est.)
male: 60.39 years
Total fertility rate:
Definition Field Listing
1.71 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
Definition Field Listing
0.2% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Definition Field Listing
4,500 (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
Definition Field Listing
less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality:
Definition Field Listing
noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan
Ethnic groups:
Definition Field Listing
Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region
Religions:
Definition Field Listing
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
Languages:
Definition Field Listing
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian (official), Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Literacy:
Definition Field Listing
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 99%
female: 94% (1989 est.)
   Government    Moldova
Country name:
Definition Field Listing
conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
conventional short form: Moldova
local short form: none
former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia
local long form: Republica Moldova
Government type:
Definition Field Listing
republic
Capital:
Definition Field Listing
Chisinau
Administrative divisions:
Definition Field Listing
9 counties (judetele, singular - judetul), 1 municipality* (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit** (unitate teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit*** (unitate teritoriala); Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau*, Edinet, Gagauzia**, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Stinga Nistrului***, Tighina, Ungheni
Independence:
Definition Field Listing
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Definition Field Listing
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
Constitution:
Definition Field Listing
new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979
Legal system:
Definition Field Listing
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:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
Definition Field Listing
chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Vasile IOVV (since NA 2002), Deputy Prime Minister Stefan ODAGIU (since NA 2002)
cabinet: selected by prime minister, subject to approval of Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 4 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note - presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct, popular elections; Parliament's failure to chose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections in February 2001; prime minister designated by the president, upon consultation with Parliament; note - within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated 15 April 2001, cabinet received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001
election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101
Legislative branch:
Definition Field Listing
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs, as well as independent candidates, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)
election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis Alliance 19, PPCD 11
Judicial branch:
Definition Field Listing
Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)
Political parties and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Social Democratic Union (composed of Braghis Alliance and the Democratic Party of Moldova) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Definition Field Listing
NA
International organization participation:
Definition Field Listing
ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Mihai MANOLI
FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Diplomatic representation from the US:
Definition Field Listing
chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela Hyde SMITH
embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address - American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080
telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72
FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44
Flag description:
Definition Field Listing
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    Moldova
Economy - overview:
Definition Field Listing
Moldova 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 all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed all 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 and 6.1% in 2001. Growth remained strong in 2002, in part because of the reforms and because of starting from a small base. Further reforms are in doubt because of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the scepticism of foreign investors.
GDP:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $11 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
4% (2002 est.)
GDP - per capita:
Definition Field Listing
purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture: 28%
industry: 23%
services: 49% (2000)
Population below poverty line:
Definition Field Listing
80% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Definition Field Listing
lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 31% (1997)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
Definition Field Listing
41 (1997)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
Definition Field Listing
5.5% (2002 est.)
Labor force:
Definition Field Listing
1.7 million (1998) (1998)
Labor force - by occupation:
Definition Field Listing
agriculture 40%, industry 14%, services 46% (1998) (1998)
Unemployment rate:
Definition Field Listing
8% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad) (2002 est.)
Budget:
Definition Field Listing
revenues: $536 million
expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries:
Definition Field Listing
food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
Definition Field Listing
9% (2002 est.)
Electricity - production:
Definition Field Listing
3.317 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source:
Definition Field Listing
fossil fuel: 90%
hydro: 10%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption:
Definition Field Listing
3.655 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports:
Definition Field Listing
630 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports:
Definition Field Listing
1.2 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products:
Definition Field Listing
vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk
Exports:
Definition Field Listing
$590 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Exports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
foodstuffs, textiles, and machinery (2001)
Exports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Russia 43%, Ukraine 10.1%, Italy 8.1%, Germany 7.2%, Romania 6.7% (2001)
Imports:
Definition Field Listing
$980 million f.o.b. (2002 est.)
Imports - commodities:
Definition Field Listing
mineral products and fuel 32%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (2000)
Imports - partners:
Definition Field Listing
Ukraine 18%, Russia 15.1%, Romania 13.1%, Germany 10.5%, Italy 6.4% (2001)
Debt - external:
Definition Field Listing
$1.3 billion (2002)
Economic aid - recipient:
Definition Field Listing
$100 million (2000)
Currency:
Definition Field Listing
Moldovan leu (MDL)
Currency code:
Definition Field Listing
MDL
Exchange rates:
Definition Field Listing
lei per US dollar - 12.8579 (October 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu
Fiscal year:
Definition Field Listing
calendar year
   Communications    Moldova
Telephones - main lines in use:
Definition Field Listing
627,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
Definition Field Listing
2,200 (1997)
Telephone system:
Definition Field Listing
general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way
domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced
international: service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik
Radio broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios:
Definition Field Listing
3.22 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
Definition Field Listing
1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions:
Definition Field Listing
1.26 million (1997)
Internet country code:
Definition Field Listing
.md
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
Definition Field Listing
2 (1999)
Internet users:
Definition Field Listing
15,000 (2000)
   Transportation    Moldova
Railways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 1,328 km
broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (2001)
Highways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 20,000 km
paved: 13,900 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads)
unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Waterways:
Definition Field Listing
424 km (1994)
Pipelines:
Definition Field Listing
natural gas 310 km (1992)
Ports and harbors:
Definition Field Listing
none
Airports:
Definition Field Listing
30 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Definition Field Listing
total: 23
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 14 (2002)
   Military    Moldova
Military branches:
Definition Field Listing
Ground Forces (includes Air and Air Defense Forces), Republic Security Forces (includes paramilitary Internal Troops and Border Troops)
Military manpower - military age:
Definition Field Listing
18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 1,172,714 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Definition Field Listing
males age 15-49: 929,316 (2002 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Definition Field Listing
males: 42,268 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
Definition Field Listing
$6 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
Definition Field Listing
0.4% (FY01)
   Transnational Issues    Moldova
Disputes - international:
Definition Field Listing
Moldovan difficulties with break-away Transnistria region inhibit establishment of a joint customs regime with Ukraine to curtail smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities
Illicit drugs:
Definition Field Listing
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

This page was last updated on 19 March 2003


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