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.

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map reference: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area
Total: 33,843 km²
Land: 33,371 km²
Water: 472 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries
Total: 1,389 km
Border countries: (2) 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: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum

Land use
Arable land: 53%
Permanent crops: 14%
Permanent pastures: 13%
Forests and woodland: 13%
Other: 7% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,110 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: landslides (57 cases in 1998)

Geography
Note: landlocked

Population: 4,460,838 (July 1999 est.)
Growth rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Moldovan(s)
Adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups: Moldavian/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Gagauz 3.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, other 1.7% (1989 est.)
Note: internal disputes with ethnic Russians in the Transdniester region

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

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991)
Note: the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldovans

Age structure
0-14 years: 24% (male 555,096; female 535,625)
15-64 years: 66% (male 1,408,334; female 1,529,542)
65 years and over: 10% (male 160,317; female 271,924) (1999 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.1% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 14.43 births/1000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12.5 deaths/1000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1000 population (1999 est.)

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, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Sex ratio
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 (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 43.52 deaths/1000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 64.39 years
Male: 59.76 years
Female: 69.24 years (1999 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.86 children born/woman (1999 est.)

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

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Chisinau

Administrative divisions: 40 raions (singular_raion) and 4 municipalities*; Anenii Noi, Balti*, Basarabeasca, Bender*, Briceni, Cahul, Cainari, Calarasi, Camenca, Cantemir, Causeni, Ceadir-Lunga, Chisinau*, Cimislia, Comrat, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Grigoriopol, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Ribnita, Riscani, Singerei, Slobozia, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Tiraspol*, Ungheni, Vulcanesti
Note: in accordance with the Law on Territorial Administrative Reform, the 40 raions have been reorganized into 9 counties (judets), one municipality*, and 2 territorial units**:Baltsi, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau*, Dubossary district (Transnistria)**, Edinets, Gagauzia**, Lapushna, Orhei, Soroca, Tighina, Ungheni; the status of the Dubossary district is still under negotiation

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August 1991

Constitution: new constitution adopted 28 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 Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Petru LUCINSCHI (since 15 January 1997)
Head of government: Prime Minister Ion CIUBUC (since 15 January 1997) and four deputy prime ministers
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 17 November 1996; runoff election 1 December 1996 (next to be held NA November 2000); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; names of deputy prime ministers are submitted by the prime minister for acceptance by the president
Election results: Petru LUCINSCHI ran against Mircea SNEGUR and was elected president; percent of vote_LUCINSCHI 54%, SNEGUR 46%; Prime Minister Ion CIUBUC was appointed by the president 15 January 1997 and was elected by a parliamentary vote of 75-15 on 24 January 1997

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held spring 2002)
Election results: percent of vote by party_PCM 30%, CDM 19%, PMDP 18%, PFD 9%; seats by party_PCM 40, CDM 26, PMDP 24, PFD 11
Note: the comparative breakdown of seats by faction is approximate

Judicial branch: Supreme Court

International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU
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 Rudolf Villem PERINA
From the us embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevicie, #103, Chisinau 2009
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address_American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20,521-7,080
From the us telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72
From the us FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44

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 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, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Moldovan Government has recently been making progress on an ambitious economic reform agenda. As part of its reform efforts, Moldova introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. In 1998, the economic troubles of Russia, with whom Moldova conducts 55% of its trade, was a major cause of the 8.6% drop in GDP. In 1999, the IMF resumed payment on Moldova's Extended Fund Facility, which had been suspended since 1997. The IMF intends to grant $135 million in 1999.

Real gdp growth rate: -8.6% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity: $2,200 (1998 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 30%
Industry: 29%
Services: 41% (1997)

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: -5% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 1.7 million (1998)
By occupation agriculture: 40.2%
By occupation industry: 14.3%
By occupation other: 45.5% (1998)

Unemployment rate: 2% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (September 1998)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Budget
Revenues: $536 million
Expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1998 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports: $633 million (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery
Partners: Russia 58%, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, US, Germany, Italy (1997)

Imports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Commodities: oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, chemical products, metals, metal products, foodstuffs, automobiles, other consumer durables
Partners: Russia 26%, Ukraine 20%, Belarus, Romania, Germany, Italy (1997)

Debt external: more than $1.2 billion (February 1999)

Exchange rates: lei (MLD) per US$1 (end of period)_8.3226 (December 1998), 8.3395 (1998), 4.6605 (1997), 4.6500 (1996), 4.4990 (1995), 4.2700 (1994; period average_4.6758 (January 1998), 4.6236 (1997), 4.6045 (1996), 4.4958 (1995)

Electricity
Production: 8.325 billion kWh (1996)
Production by source fossil fuel: 96.1%
Production by source hydro: 3.9%
Production by source nuclear: 0%
Production by source other: 0% (1996)
Consumption: 6.825 billion kWh (1996)
Exports: 3.1 billion kWh (1996)
Imports: 1.6 billion kWh (1996)

Telephones: 600,000 (1998 est.)

Telephone system: the Ministry of Information, Computers, and Telecommunications controls telecommunications; the carrier is Modtelecom
Domestic: local_Chisinau has a fiber-optic loop and one cellular GSM provider; the waiting list for telephones is long; local service outside Chisinau is poor; intercity_Moldova's two fiber-optic segments form a synchronous digital hierarchy ring through Romania's system; an analog backbone system runs from south to north in Moldova
International: two fiber-optic segments provide connectivity to Romania; worldwide service can be available to Moldova through this infrastructure; additional analog lines are to Russia; Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik earth stations

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $6.3 million (FY99)
Percent of gdp: 1% (1999)

Airports: 26 (1994 est.)
With paved runways total: 8
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 (1994 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 18
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)

Railways
Total: 1,328 km
Broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Waterways: 424 km (1994)

Disputes international: separatist Transdniester region, comprising the area between the Nistru (Dniester) River and Ukraine, has its own de facto government, dominated by Moldovan Slavs

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 United States