Map of Moldova | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Eastern Europe northeast of Romania

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N 29 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 33,851 km²
Rank: 139
Land: 32,891 km²
Water: 960 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 1390 km
Border countries: (2) Romania 450 km; Ukraine 940 km

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: Dniester River 2 m
Extremes highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Natural resources: lignite phosphorites gypsum arable land: limestone

Land use
Arable land: 54.52%
Permanent crops: 8.81%
Other: 36.67% (2005)

Irrigated land: 3,000 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 11.7 km³ (1997)

Natural hazards: landslides

Geography
Note: landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand gravel gypsum and limestone


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Population: 4,320,748 (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 122
Growth rate: -0.079% (2009 est.)
Growth rate rank: 212
Below poverty line: 29.5% (2005)

Nationality
Noun: Moldovan
Adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups: Moldovan/Romanian 78.2% Ukrainian 8.4% Russian 5.8% Gagauz 4.4% Bulgarian 1.9% other 1.3% (2004 census)
Note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region

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

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.9%
15-64 years: 73.3% (male 1,536,263/female 1,629,882)
65 years and over: 10.8% (male 172,070/female 294,446) (2009 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 34.6 years
Male: 32.7 years
Female: 36.7 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.079% (2009 est.)
Rank: 212

Birth rate: 11.12 births/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 176

Death rate: 10.78 deaths/1000 population (July 2009 est.)
Rank: 49

Net migration rate: -1.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2009 est.)
Rank: 126

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 42% of total population
Rate of urbanization: -1.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Major urban areas

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
International agreements party to: Air Pollution Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Endangered Species Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.13 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 137
Male: 14.57 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.6 deaths/1000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.8 years
Rank: 136
Male: 67.1 years
Female: 74.71 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.27 children born/woman (2009 est.)
Rank: 210

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2007 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 81
People living with hivaids: 8,900 (2007 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 109
Deaths: fewer than 100 (2007 est.)
Deaths rank: 139

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 7.6% of GDP (2006)
Rank: 17

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.1%
Male: 99.7%
Female: 98.6% (2005 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2006)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
Conventional short form: Moldova
Local long form: Republica Moldova
Local short form: Moldova
Former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Chisinau
Note: pronounced kee-shee-now
Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N 28 51 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 32 raions (raioane singular - raionul) 3 municipalities (municipiul) 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma) and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
Raions: Anenii Noi Basarabeasca Briceni Cahul Cantemir Calarasi Causeni Cimislia Criuleni Donduseni Drochia Dubasari Edinet Falesti Floresti Glodeni Hincesti Ialoveni Leova Nisporeni Ocnita Orhei Rezina Riscani Singerei Soldanesti Soroca Stefan-Voda Straseni Taraclia Telenesti Ungheni
Municipalities: Balti Bender Chisinau
Autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia
Territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)

Dependent areas

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 27 August (1991)

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

Legal system: 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: Acting President Mihai GHIMPU
Note: Vladimir VORONIN president since 4 April 2001 resigned on 11 September 2009; Mihai GHIMPU the Parliamentary Speaker replaced him until new elections can be held
Head of government: Prime Minister Vladimir FILAT (since 25 September 2009); Deputy Prime Minister Iurie LEANCA (since 25 September 2009)
Cabinet: Cabinet selected by president subject to approval of Parliament
Elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next to have been held 5 April 2009); note - prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; 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 17 September 2009; cabinet received a vote of confidence 25 September 2009
Election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75 Gheorghe DUCA 1; Vladimir FILAT designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 53 of 101

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 29 July 2009 (next to be held in 2013); note - this was the second parliamentary election in less than four months; the earlier parliament (elected 5 April 2009) could not agree on a presidential candidate
Election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 44.7% PLDM 16.6% PL 14.7% PD 12.5% AMN 7.4%; seats by party - PCRM 48 PLDM 18 PL 15 PD 13 AMN 7

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

Political parties and leaders: 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]

International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA
In the us chancery: 2,101 S Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
In the us fax: [1] (202) 667-1204
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Asif CHAUDHRY
From the us embassy: 103 Mateevici Street Chisinau MD-2009
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [373] (22) 40-8,300
From the us fax: [373] (22) 23-3,044

Flag description: 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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. 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 2006-07. However in 2008 growth exceeded 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 146
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 33

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 172
Note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 19.4%
Industry: 20%
Services: 60.6% (2008 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables fruits wine grain sugar beets sunflower seed tobacco; beef milk

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

Industrial production growth rate: -1% (2008 est.)
Rank: 143

Labor force: 1.327 million (2008 est.)
Rank: 132
By occupation agriculture: 40.6%
By occupation industry: 16%
By occupation services: 43.3% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 1.5% (2008 est.)
Rank: 10

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 29.5% (2005)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3%
Highest 10: 28.2% (2004)

Distribution of family income gini index: 40.6 (1997)
Rank: 95

Budget
Revenues: $2.453 billion
Expenditures: $2.513 billion (2008 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 63.4% of GDP (2004 est.)
Rank: 89

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 12.3% (2007 est.)
Rank: 177

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 18.83% (31 December 2007)
Rank: 22

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $1.896 billion (31 December 2007)
Rank: 90

Market value of publicly traded shares: $573.9 million (2004)
Rank: 102

Current account balance: -$695.5 million (2007 est.)
Rank: 119

Exports: $1.368 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 137
Commodities: foodstuffs textiles machinery
Partners: Morocco 48.3% Russia 15.2% Romania 8.1% Italy 5% (2008)

Imports: $3.676 billion (2007 est.)
Rank: 115
Commodities: mineral products and fuel machinery and equipment chemicals textiles
Partners: Ukraine 20.6% Russia 19.5% Romania 14.6% Germany 8.1% Italy 5.1% Belarus 4.3% (2008)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.334 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 114

Debt external: $3.326 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Rank: 110

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $1.813 billion (2008)
Rank: 94

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

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


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Electricity
Production: 3.617 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Production rank: 121
Consumption: 4.37 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption rank: 113
Exports: 240 million kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 2.931 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 50 million m³ (2007 est.)
Production rank: 82
Consumption: 2.52 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 77
Exports: 0 m³ (2008)
Exports rank: 157
Imports: 2.52 billion m³ (2008 est.)
Imports rank: 43
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2009 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 114

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.115 million (2008)
Main lines in use rank: 73
Mobile cellular: 2.423 million (2008)
Mobile cellular rank: 117

Telephone system
General assessment: inadequate outmoded poor service outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way
Domestic: depending on location new subscribers may face long wait for service; multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellular telephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; a CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 85 per 100 persons
International: country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 (Intelsat Eutelsat and Intersputnik) (2008)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .md
Hosts: 367,150 (2009)
Hosts rank: 52
Users: 850,000 (2008)
Users rank: 96

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 0.4% of GDP (2005 est.)
Rank: 166

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 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)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 11 (2009)
Rank: 154
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2 (2009)
With unpaved runways total: 6
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 3 (2009)

Heliports

Pipelines: gas 1906 km (2008)

Railways
Total: 1138 km
Rank: 87
Broad gauge: 1124 km 1.520-m gauge
Standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2008)

Roadways
Total: 12,666 km
Rank: 130
Paved: 12,117 km
Unpaved: 549 km (2007)

Waterways: 424 km (on Dniester and Prut rivers) (2008)
Rank: 87

Merchant marine
Total: 39
Rank: 78
By type: bulk carrier 2 cargo 32 chemical tanker 2 combination ore/oil 2 petroleum tanker 1
Foreign owned: 17 (Egypt 1 Romania 3 Russia 3 Syria 1 Turkey 3 Ukraine 5 Yemen 1) (2008)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

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