1994 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1994 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
Administrative divisions
previously divided into 40 rayons; new districts possible under new constitution in 1994
Agriculture
Moldova's principal economic activity; products are vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, meat, milk, tobacco
Airports
total: 26 usable: 15 with permanent-surface runways: 6 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 5 with runways 1,060-2,439 m: 8 note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip
Area
total area: 33,700 sq km land area: 33,700 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii
Birth rate
16.02 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Branches
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defence Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA note: budget deficit for 1993 approximately 6% of GDP
Capital
Chisinau
Climate
moderate winters, warm summers
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Constitution
old Soviet constitution (adopted NA 1979) is still in effect but has been heavily amended during the past few years; a new constitution is expected in 1994
Currency
the leu (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993
Death rate
10.02 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Defense expenditures
$NA, NA% of GDP
Digraph
MD
Diplomatic representation in US
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae TIU chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Room 329, Washington, DC telephone: (202) 783-3012 or -2807
Economic aid
recipient: Joint EC-US loan (1993), $127 million; IMF STF credit (1993), $64 million; IMF stand-by loan (1993), $72 million; US commitments (1992-93), $61 million in humanitarian aid, $11 million in technical assistance; World Bank loan (1993), $60 million; Russia (1993), 50 billion ruble credit; Romania (1993), 20 billion lei credit
Electricity
capacity: 3,115,000 kW production: 11.1 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,491 kWh (1992)
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 natural hazards: NA international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change
Ethnic divisions
Moldavian/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Gagauz 3.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, other 1.7% (1989 figures) note: internal disputes with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the Dniester region and Gagauz Turks in the south
Exchange rates
NA
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 SANGHALI (since 1 July 1992; reappointed 5 April 1994 after elections for new legislature) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister
Exports
$108 million to outside the FSU countries (January-September 1993); over 70% of exports go to FSU countries commodities: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals (1991) partners: Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany
External debt
$325 million (end of 1993)
FAX
7-0422-23-30-44
Fiscal year
calendar year
Flag
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
Highways
total: 20,000 km paved or gravelled: 13,900 km unpaved: earth 6,100 km (1990)
Illicit drugs
illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis; mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe
Imports
$145 million from outside the FSU countries (January-September 1993); over 70% of imports are from FSU countries commodities: oil, gas, coal, steel machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany
Independence
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production
growth rate -10% (1993)
Industries
key products are canned food, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, refined sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
Infant mortality rate
30.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
30% per month (1993)
International disputes
no official territorial claims by either Moldova or Romania, but nationalists in Romania seek the merger of Moldova into Romania; potential future dispute by Moldova and Romania against Ukraine over former southern and northern Bessarabian areas and Northern Bukovina ceded to Ukraine upon Moldova's incorporation into USSR
Irrigated land
2,920 sq km (1990)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Labor force
2.05 million (1992) by occupation: agriculture 34.4%, industry 20.1%, other 45.5% (1985 figures)
Land boundaries
total 1,389 km, Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Land use
arable land: 50% permanent crops: 13% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 0% other: 28%
Languages
Moldovan (official; virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
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
Legislative branch
unicameral
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 68.07 years male: 64.65 years female: 71.67 years (1994 est.)
Literacy
age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 99%
Location
Eastern Europe, between Ukraine and Romania
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 1,098,156; fit for military service 869,866; reach military age (18) annually 35,814 (1994 est.)
Map references
Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
none; landlocked
Member of
BSEC, CE (guest), CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO
Names
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
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 August 1991
National product
GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $16.3 billion (1993 estimate from the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to 1993 using official Moldovan statistics, which are very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)
National product per capita
$3,650 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
-4% (1993 est.)
Nationality
noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan
Natural resources
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum
Net migration rate
-2.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Note
landlocked
Other political or pressure groups
United Council of Labor Collectives (UCLC), Igor SMIRNOV, chairman; Congress of Intellectuals, Alexandru MOSANU; The Ecology Movement of Moldova (EMM), G. MALARCHUK, chairman; The Christian Democratic League of Women of Moldova (CDLWM), L. LARI, chairman; National Christian Party of Moldova (NCPM), D. TODIKE, M. BARAGA, V. NIKU, leaders; The Peoples Movement Gagauz Khalky (GKh), S. GULGAR, leader; The Democratic Party of Gagauzia (DPG), G. SAVOSTIN, chairman; The Alliance of Working People of Moldova (AWPM), G. POLOGOV, president; Christian Alliance for Greater Romania; Stefan the Great Movement; Liberal Convention of Moldova; Association of Victims of Repression; Christian Democratic Youth League
Overview
Moldova has pushed ahead boldly on economic reform since gaining its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It introduced a convertible currency - the leu - in late 1993 that has remained stable against the dollar, removed price controls on most products, eliminated licenses and quotas on most imports and exports, and freed interest rates. In 1994, Moldova aims to privatize at least one-third of state enterprises, lower inflation to 1% per month, and reduce the budget deficit to 3.5% of GDP. Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, Moldova's economy is primarily based on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova, however, must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, and energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Activities by separatist groups in the Dniester region have held back economic development in that area. Foreign economic assistance has been a tangible plus for Moldova, whereas direct foreign investment has been lacking.
Parliament
elections last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent by party NA; seats - (104 total) Agrarian-Democratic Party 56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectual Bloc 11, Christian Democratic Popular Front 9
Pipelines
natural gas 310 km (1992)
Political parties and leaders
Christian Democratic Popular Front (formerly Moldovan Popular Front), Iurie ROSCA, chairman; Yedinstvo Intermovement, V. YAKOVLEV, chairman; Social Democratic Party, Oazu NANTOI, chairman, two other chairmen; Agrarian-Democratic Party, Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman; Democratic Party, Gheorghe GHIMPU, chairman; Democratic Labor Party, Alexandru ARSENI, chairman; Reform Party, Anatol SELARU; Republican Party, Victor PUSCAS; Socialist Party, Valeriu SENIC, chairman; Communist Party, Vladimir VORONIN
Population
4,473,033 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
0.38% (1994 est.)
Ports
none; landlocked
Railroads
1,150 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)
Religions
Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) note: the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldavian
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Telecommunications
The telecommunication system of Moldova is not well developed; number of telephone subscribers 577,000 (1991); number of subscribers per 1,000 persons 134 (1991); number of unsuccessful requests for telephone service 215,000 (1991); 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; 2 satellite earth stations - 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT; broadcast services NA
Terrain
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Total fertility rate
2.18 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Type
republic
Unemployment rate
less than 1% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers)
US diplomatic representation
chief of mission: Ambassador Mary C. PENDLETON embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: 373 (2) 23-37-72 or 23-34-76