Background: Formerly part of Romania 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.

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N 29 00 E

Map reference: Europe

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

Land boundaries
Total: 1,390 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)

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

Population: 4,324,450 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: -0.092% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Moldovan
Adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups
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)

Age structure
0-14 years: 16.3% (male 361,000/female 341,785)
15-64 years: 72.9% (male 1,528,080/female 1,622,620)
65 years and over: 10.9% (male 174,448/female 296,517) (2008 est.)

Median age
Total: 34.3 years
Male: 32.4 years
Female: 36.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.092% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 11.01 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 10.8 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -1.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 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, 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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.06 male/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male/female
Total population: 0.91 male/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.5 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 14.95 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.96 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.5 years
Male: 66.81 years
Female: 74.41 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.26 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 5,500 (2001 est.)
Deaths: fewer than 300 (2001 est.)

Education expenditures: 7.6% of GDP (2006)

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)

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 (Kishinev)
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
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)

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 27 August (1991)

Constitution: new constitution adopted 29 July 1994 effective 27 August 1994; replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
Head of government: Prime Minister Zinaida GRECEANII (since 31 March 2008); First Deputy Prime Minister Igor DODON (since 31 March 2008)
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 be held in 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 21 March 2008; cabinet received a vote of confidence 31 March 2008
Election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Zinaida GRECEANII designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 56 of 101

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009)
Election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic Moldova Bloc (AMN, PD, PSL) 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party - PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc (AMN, PD, PSL) 34, PPCD 11

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

Political parties and leaders: 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]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN [Serafim URECHEAN]; Party for Social Democracy or PDSM [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN]

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

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. 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. However in 2007 growth returned to 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 in 2008 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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $9.756 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 3% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $2,300 (2007 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 17.8%
Industry: 21.7%
Services: 60.5% (2007 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% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 1.333 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 40.7%
By occupation industry: 12.1%
By occupation services: 47.2% (2005)

Unemployment rate: 2.1%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad (2007 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.2%
Highest 10: 26.4% (2003)

Distribution of family income gini index: 33.2 (2003)

Budget
Revenues: $1.83 billion
Expenditures: $1.841 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt: 23.3% of GDP (2007 est.)

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

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

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

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

Current account balance: -$694.7 million (2007 est.)

Exports: $1.361 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: foodstuffs textiles machinery
Partners: Russia 25.3% Romania 13% Italy 10% Ukraine 8.7% Germany 8.5% Poland 6.2% Belarus 4.2% (2007)

Imports: $3.677 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: mineral products and fuel machinery and equipment chemicals textiles
Partners: Russia 20.5% Ukraine 15.8% Romania 15% Germany 8.7% Italy 5.7% Poland 4.1% (2007)

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

Debt external: $3.3 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $NA

Exchange rates: Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 12.177 (2007) 13.131 (2006) 12.6 (2005) 12.33 (2004) 13.945 (2003)

Electricity
Production: 3.824 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Consumption: 5.806 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 229 million kWh (2006 est.)
Imports: 3.741 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 50 million m³ (2006 est.)
Consumption: 2.44 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 2.44 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2006 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 1.08 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 1.883 million (2007)

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 approaching 70 per 100 persons
International: country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik) (2007)

Internet
Country code: .md
Hosts: 223,869 (2008)
Users: 700,000 (2007)

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

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for compulsory military service; 12-month service obligation (2006)

Airports: 10 (2007)
With paved runways total: 6
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: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 1980 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 1,138 km
Broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge
Standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)

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

Waterways: 424 km (on Dniester and Prut rivers) (2007)

Merchant marine
Total: 39
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)

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

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