Location: Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total: 33,843 sq km
land: 33,371 sq km
water: 472 sq km

Area—comparative: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries:
total: 1,389 km
border countries: 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
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 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: landslides (57 cases in 1998)

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

Environment—international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography—note: landlocked

Population: 4,460,838 (July 1999 est.)

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/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 12.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

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/1,000 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.)

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

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

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

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

Data code: MD

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

Political parties and leaders: Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; The Democratic Convention or CDM (includes the Christian Democratic Popular Front or FPCD and the Party of Rivival and Conciliation or PRC) [Mircea SNEGUR and Iurie ROSCA, chairmen]; Party of Democratic Forces or PFD [Valeriu MATEI, chairman]; Bloc for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova or PMDP [Dumitru DIACOV]; Socialist Unity Faction or US of the Socialist Party of Moldova or PSM [leader NA]; Social Democratic Party of Moldova or PSDM [Oazu NANTOI, chairman]; Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova or PDAM [Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman]; Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc [Lidia ISTRATI, chairwoman]; Liberal Party of Moldova or PLM [Mircea RUSU, chairman]; Socialist Party of Moldova or PSM [Valeriu SENIC and Victor MOREV, cochairmen]; Party for Social Progress or PPSM [Eugen SOBOR, chairman]; Civic Unity [Vladimir SOLONARI]; Moldovan National Peasant Party or PNTM [Simeon CERTAN]; Party of People's Social Justice [Maricica LITVITCHI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: The Ecology Movement of Moldova or EMM [Alecu RENITSA, chairman]; The Christian Democratic League of Women of Moldova or CDLWM [Lidia ISTRATI, chairwoman]; National Christian Party of Moldova or NCPM [V. NIKU, leader]; The Peoples Movement Gagauz Khalky or GKh [S. GULGAR, leader]; The Democratic Party of Gagauzia or DPG [G. SAVOSTIN, chairman]; The Alliance of Working People of Moldova or AWPM [G. POLOGOV, president]; Liberal Convention of Moldova (now the Liberal Party); Association of Victims of Repression [Alexander USATIUC]; Christian Democratic Youth Organization [Valeriu BARBA]; National Youth League [Valeriu STRELETS]; Union of Youth of Moldova [Petru GAVTON]

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
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Rudolf Villem PERINA
embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevicie, #103, Chisinau 2009
mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address—American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080
telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72
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.

GDP: purchasing power parity—$10 billion (1998 est.)

GDP—real growth rate: -8.6% (1998 est.)

GDP—per capita: purchasing power parity—$2,200 (1998 est.)

GDP—composition by sector:
agriculture: 30%
industry: 29%
services: 41% (1997)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 25.8% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 18.3% (1998 est.)

Labor force: 1.7 million (1998)

Labor force—by occupation: agriculture 40.2%, industry 14.3%, other 45.5% (1998)

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

Budget:
revenues: $536 million
expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)

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.)

Electricity—production: 8.325 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—production by source:
fossil fuel: 96.1%
hydro: 3.9%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (1996)

Electricity—consumption: 6.825 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—exports: 3.1 billion kWh (1996)

Electricity—imports: 1.6 billion kWh (1996)

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

Exports: $633 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports—commodities: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery

Exports—partners: Russia 58%, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, US, Germany, Italy (1997)

Imports: $1.02 billion (f.o.b., 1998)

Imports—commodities: oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, chemical products, metals, metal products, foodstuffs, automobiles, other consumer durables

Imports—partners: Russia 26%, Ukraine 20%, Belarus, Romania, Germany, Italy (1997)

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

Economic aid—recipient: $100.8 million (1995); note—$547 million from the IMF and World Bank (1992-99)

Currency: the Moldovan leu (MLD) (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993

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)

Fiscal year: calendar year

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

Radio broadcast stations: AM 4, FM 8, shortwave NA (1999)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 1 national station, 3 private stations, 15 small local stations outside Chisinau (1998)

Televisions: 93 televisions/100 people (1996)

Railways:
total: 1,328 km
broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Highways:
total: 12,300 km
paved: 10,738 km
unpaved: 1,562 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 424 km (1994)

Pipelines: natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: 26 (1994 est.)

Airports—with paved runways:
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m: 3 (1994 est.)

Airports—with unpaved runways:
total: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 8 (1994 est.)

Military branches: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military manpower—military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower—availability:
males age 15-49: 1,151,674 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 908,347 (1999 est.)

Military manpower—reaching military age annually:
males: 38,666 (1999 est.)

Military expenditures—dollar figure: $6.3 million (FY99)

Military expenditures—percent of GDP: 1% (1999)

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

Source: 1999 CIA World Factbook