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.

Area
Total: 33,700 km²
Land: 33,700 km²
Comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii

Land boundaries: Total 1,389 km, Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 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: Nistru River 2 m
Extremes highest point: Mount Balaneshty 430 m

Natural resources:

Land use
Arable land: 50%
Permanent crops: 13%
Permanent pastures: 9%
Forests and woodland: 0%
Other: 28%

Irrigated land: 2,920 km² (1990)

Population:
Growth rate:

Nationality
Noun: Moldovan(s)
Adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups:
Note: Internal disputes with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the Dniester region and Gagauz Turks in the south

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

Religions:
Note: The large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldavian

Population growth rate:

Birth rate:

Death rate:

Net migration rate:

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
Current issues Natural hazards: NA
International agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change; signed, but not ratified_Air Pollution
International agreements note: Landlocked

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
All ages:

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.14 years (1996 est.), 68.22 years (1995 est.)
Male: 60.77 years (1996 est.), 64.81 years (1995 est.)
Female: 69.73 years (1996 est.), 71.8 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate:

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over that can read and write (1989)
Total population: 96%
Male: 99%
Female: 94%

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
Conventional short form: Moldova
Local long form: Republica Moldova
Local short form: Moldova
Former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia

Government type: Republic

Capital: Chisinau

Administrative divisions: Previously divided into 40 rayons; new districts possible under new constitution in 1994

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August 1991

Constitution: New constitution adopted NA July 1994; replaces 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 OSCE documents

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990); election last held 8 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results_Mircea SNEGUR ran unopposed and won 98.17% of vote; note_President SNEGUR was named executive president by the Supreme Soviet on 3 September 1990 and was confirmed by popular election on 8 December 1991
Head of government: Prime Minister Andrei SANGHELI (since 1 July 1992; reappointed 5 April 1994 after elections for new legislature); First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch: Unicameral Parliament:Elections last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results_percent of vote by party NA; seats_(104 total) PDAM 56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11, FPCDM 9; note_seats as of June-July 1995 were as follows:PDAM 45, PSM/UN 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11, PRCM 11, FPCDM 9
Note: the comparative breakdown of seats by faction is approximate

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

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 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 overview: 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. Energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Moldovan Government has been making steady progress on an ambitious economic reform agenda, and the IMF has called Moldova a model for the region. As part of its reform efforts, Chisinau has introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed their steady privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. Chisinau appears strongly committed to continuing these reforms in 1996. Published estimates probably overstated the decline in output in 1991-94; the $2,310 per capita figure for GDP thus is a minimum estimate.

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:

Agriculture products: Accounts for about 40% of GDP; Moldova's principal economic activity; products are vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, meat, milk, tobacco

Industries:

Industrial production growth rate: Growth rate -6% (1995 est.), -30% (1994 est.)

Labor force: 2.03 million (January 1994)
By occupation Agriculture: 34.4%
By occupation Industry: 20.1%
By occupation Other: 45.5% (1985 figures)

Unemployment rate:

Budget
Revenues: NA
Expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Note: budget deficit for 1995 approximately 5% of GDP; 1993 approximately 6% of GDP

Fiscal year: Calendar year

Exports:
Commodities:
Partners:

Debt external:

Exchange rates: Lei per US$1_4.5460 (January 1996), 4.4990 (1995), 4.2700 (1994), 3.6400 (1993), 0.4145 (1992), 0.0017 (1991)

Electricity
Capacity: 3,000,000 kW
Production: 8.2 billion kWh
Consumption per capita: 1,830 kWh (1994)

Telephone system: 577,000 telephones; 134 telephones/1000 persons; telecommunication system not well developed; 215,000 unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991)
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: international connections to the other former Soviet republics by land line and microwave radio relay through Ukraine, and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT earth station

Airports: 26
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways under 914 m: 3
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (1994 est.)

Pipelines: Natural gas 310 km (1992)

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