1996 Edition

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

Location

47 00 N, 29 00 E -- Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii

land area

33,700 sq km

total area

33,700 sq km

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

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 - Biodiversity, Climate Change; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution

natural hazards

NA

Geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 29 00 E

Geographic note

landlocked

International disputes

certain territory of Moldova and Ukraine - including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina - are considered by Bucharest as historically a part of Romania; this territory was incorporated into the former Soviet Union following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940

Irrigated land

2,920 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries

border countries

Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

total

1,389 km

Land use

arable land

50%

forest and woodland

0%

meadows and pastures

9%

other

28%

permanent crops

13%

Location

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural resources

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

highest point

Mount Balaneshty 430 m

lowest point

Nistru River 2 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 26% (male 592,245; female 573,452) 15-64 years: 64% (male 1,381,017; female 1,496,428) 65 years and over: 10% (male 155,908; female 264,797) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

16.3 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

11.75 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

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

Infant mortality rate

47.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.73 years (1996 est.)

male

60.77 years

total population

65.14 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)

female

94%

male

99%

total population

96%

Nationality

adjective

Moldovan

noun

Moldovan(s)

Net migration rate

-2.77 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

4,463,847 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

0.18% (1996 est.)

Religions

Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991)

note

the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldavian

Sex ratio

all ages

0.91 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

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

Total fertility rate

2.17 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Administrative divisions

previously divided into 40 rayons; new districts possible under new constitution in 1994

Capital

Chisinau

Constitution

new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979

Data code

MD

Diplomatic representation in US

chancery

Suites 329, 333, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005

chief of mission

Ambassador Nicolae TAU

telephone

[1] (202) 783-3012

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990) was elected for a four-year term by popular vote; election last held 8 December 1991 (next to be held NA December 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) was appointed by Parliament; First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA April 1994)

FAX

[1] (202) 783-3342

[373] (2) 23-30-44

Flag

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

Independence

27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

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)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

conventional long form

Republic of Moldova

conventional short form

Moldova

former

Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia

local long form

Republica Moldova

local short form

none

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 August 1991

Other political or pressure groups

United Council of Labor Collectives (UCLC), Igor SMIRNOV, chairman; 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

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

Political parties and leaders

Christian Democratic Popular Front (FPCDM - formerly Moldovan Popular Front), Iurie ROSCA, chairman; Socialist Unity Faction (US) of the Socialist Party of Moldova (PSM), Vladimir SOLONARI, leader; Social Democratic Party of Moldova (PSDM), Anatol TARAN, chairman; Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova (PDAM), Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman; Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc, Mihai GHIMPU, leader; Liberal Party of Modova (PLM), Mircea RUSU, chairman; Socialist Party of Moldova (PSM), Valeriu SENIC and Victor MOREV, cochairmen; Party of Rivival and Conciliation of Moldova (PRCM), Mircea SNEGUR, chairman; Moldovan Party of Democratic Forces (PFDM), Valeriu MATEI, chairman; Party for Social Progress (PPSM), Eugen SOBOR, chairman; Communist Party (PCM), Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman; Yedinstvo Intermovement, Vladimir SOLONARI, chairman, note - this party may not be in existence now

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Type of government

republic

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission

Ambassador John Todd STEWART

embassy

Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau 277014

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[373] (2) 23-37-72

Agriculture

vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; meat, milk

Budget

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

note

budget deficit for 1995 approximately 5% of GDP

revenues

$NA

Currency

the leu (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993

Economic aid

note

commitments, $1,335 million ($500 million disbursements), 1992-95

recipient

ODA, $46 million (1993)

Economic 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.

Electricity

capacity

3,000,000 kW

consumption per capita

1,830 kWh (1994)

production

8.2 billion kWh

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)

Exports

$720 million (1995)

commodities

foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals

partners

Russia, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany

External debt

$550 million (of which $250 million to Russia)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (1995 estimate extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

33%

industry

36%

services

31% (1993 est.)

GDP per capita

$2,310 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

-3% (1995 est.)

Illicit drugs

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

Imports

$822 million (1995)

commodities

oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables

partners

Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany

Industrial production growth rate

-6% (1995 est.)

Industries

food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

24% (1995 est.)

Labor force

2.03 million (January 1994)

by occupation

agriculture 34.4%, industry 20.1%, other 45.5% (1985 figures)

Unemployment rate

1.2% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (December 1995)

Branches

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

Defense expenditures

203 million lei, 2.5% of GDP (1995); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Manpower availability

males age 15-49

1,125,538

males fit for military service

888,757

males reach military age (18) annually

37,183 (1996 est.)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 5, shortwave NA (1994)

Radios

NA

Telephone system

telecommunication system not well developed; 215,000 unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991 est.)

domestic

NA

international

international connections to other former Soviet republics by landline and microwave radio relay through Ukraine and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth stations - 1 Eutelsat and 1 Intelsat

Telephones

577,000 (1991 est.)

Television broadcast stations

2 (one national and one private) (1995)

Televisions

NA Defense

Airports

total

26

with paved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with paved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

2

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

3

with unpaved runways 1 524 to 2 437 m

2

with unpaved runways 2 438 to 3 047 m

3

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

5

with unpaved runways under 914 m

8 (1994 est.)

Highways

paved

12,346 km

total

14,508 km

unpaved

2,162 km (1992 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports

none

Railways

broad gauge

1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

total

1,328 km

Waterways

424 km (1994)