Background: 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 Nistru (Dnister) River supporting the Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians) who have proclaimed a 'Transnistria' republic.

Map reference: Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area
Total: 33,700 km²
Land: 33,700 km²

Land boundaries: total 1,389 km, Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none; landlocked

Climate: mild winters, warm summers

Terrain: rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum

Land use
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 9%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 41%

Irrigated land: 2,920 km² (1990)

Population: 4,455,645 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.4% (1993 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Moldovan(s)
Adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups:

Languages: Moldovan (official; note - virtually the same as the Romanian

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991)

Population growth rate: 0.4% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 16.15 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 10.01 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -2.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate: 30.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.92 years
Male: 64.49 years
Female: 71.53 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.2 children born/woman (1993 est.)

Literacy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 99%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
Conventional short form: Moldova
Local long form: Republica Moldoveneasca
Local short form: none
Former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia

Government type: republic

Capital: Chisinau (Kishinev)

Administrative divisions: previously divided into 40 rayons; to be divided into fewer, larger districts at some future point

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August 1991

Constitution: as of mid-1993 the new constitution had not been adopted; old constitution (adopted NA 1979) is still in effect but has been heavily amended during the past few years

Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and CSCE documents

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: president, prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation:

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Permanent Representative to the UN Tudor PANTIRU (also acts as representative to US)
In the us chancery: NA
In the us telephone: NA
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mary C. PENDLETON
From the us embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau
From the us mailing address: APO AE 9,862
From the us telephone: 7-0422-23-37-72 or 23-34-94
From the us fax: 7-0422-23-34-94

Flag description: same color scheme as Romania - 3 equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold 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 overview: Moldova, the next-to-smallest of the former Soviet republics in area, is the most densely inhabited. Moldova has a little more than 1% of the population, labor force, capital stock, and output of the former Soviet Union. Living standards have been below average for the European USSR. The country enjoys a favorable climate, and economic development has been primarily based on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Industry accounts for 20% of the labor force, whereas agriculture employs more than one-third. Moldova has no major mineral resources and has depended on other former Soviet republics for coal, oil, gas, steel, most electronic equipment, machine tools, and major consumer durables such as automobiles. Its industrial and agricultural products, in turn, have been exported to the other republics. Moldova has freed prices on most goods and has legalized private ownership of property. Moldova's near-term economic prospects are dimmed, however, by the difficulties of moving toward a market economy, the political problems of redefining ties to the other former Soviet republics and Romania, and the ongoing separatist movements in the Dniester and Gagauz regions. In 1992, national output fell substantially for the second consecutive year - down 22% in the industrial sector and 20% in agriculture. The decline is mainly attributable to the drop in energy supplies.

Real gdp growth rate: -26% (1992)

Real gdp per capita: $NA

Agriculture products: Moldova's principal economic activity; products (shown in share of total output of the former Soviet republics): Grain (1.6%), sugar beets (2.6%), sunflower seed (4.4%), vegetables (4.4%), fruits and berries (9.7%), grapes (20.1%), meat (1.7%), milk (1.4%), eggs (1.4%)

Industries: key products (with share of total former Soviet output in parentheses where known): agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers (2.7%), washing machines (5.0%), hosiery (2.0%), refined sugar (3.1%), vegetable oil (3.7%), canned food (8.6%), shoes, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate -22% (1992)

Labor force: 2.095 million
By occupation agriculture: 34.4%
By occupation industry: 20.1%
By occupation other: 45.5% (1985figures)

Unemployment rate: 0.7% (includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers)

Budget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: 100 million to outside the successor states of the former USSR (1992)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals (1991)
Partners: Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania

Imports: 100 million from outside the successor states of the former USSR (1992)
Commodoties: oil, gas, coal, steel machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables
Partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania

Exchange rates: rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: exchange rate conversion - $NA, NA% of GDP

Airports: 26
Usable: 15
With permanentsurface runways: 6
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 5
With runways 1220-2439 m: 8

Pipelines: natural gas 310 km (1992)

Disputes international: potential dispute with Ukraine over former southern Bessarabian areas; northern Bukovina ceded to Ukraine upon Moldova's incorporation into USSR

Illicit drugs: illicit producer of opium and cannabis; mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe