1999 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1999 (Internet Archive)
Geography
Area
total: 33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km
Area--comparative
slightly larger than Maryland
Climate
moderate winters, warm summers
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Nistru River 2 m highest point: Mount Balaneshty 430 m
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
Geographic coordinates
47 00 N, 29 00 E
Geography--note
landlocked
Irrigated land
3,110 sq km (1993 est.)
Land boundaries
total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Land use
arable land: 53% permanent crops: 14% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 13% other: 7% (1993 est.)
Location
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Map references
Commonwealth of Independent States
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Natural hazards
landslides (57 cases in 1998)
Natural resources
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum
Terrain
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
People and Society
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.)
Birth rate
14.43 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate
12.5 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
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
Infant mortality rate
43.52 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Languages
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 64.39 years male: 59.76 years female: 69.24 years (1999 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94% (1989 est.)
Nationality
noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan
Net migration rate
-0.92 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Population
4,460,838 (July 1999 est.)
Population growth rate
0.1% (1999 est.)
Religions
Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) note: the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldovans
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.)
Total fertility rate
1.86 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Chisinau
Constitution
new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979
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
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
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
Government type
republic
Independence
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
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 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
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 chairman]; Bloc for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova or PMDP Political pressure groups and leaders: The Ecology Movement of president]; Liberal Convention of Moldova (now the Liberal Party);
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
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
National holiday
Independence Day, 27 August 1991
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture--products
vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk
Budget
revenues: $536 million expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Currency
the Moldovan leu (MLD) (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993
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)
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.
Electricity--consumption
6.825 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports
3.1 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports
1.6 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production
8.325 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source
fossil fuel: 96.1% hydro: 3.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1996)
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)
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)
Fiscal year
calendar year
GDP
purchasing power parity--$10 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector
agriculture: 30% industry: 29% services: 41% (1997)
GDP--per capita
purchasing power parity?$2,200 (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate
-8.6% (1998 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 2.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1992)
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)
Industrial production growth rate
-5% (1998 est.)
Industries
food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
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)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
2% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (September 1998)
Communications
Radio broadcast stations
AM 4, FM 8, shortwave NA (1999)
Radios
NA
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
Telephones
600,000 (1998 est.)
Television broadcast stations
1 national station, 3 private stations, 15 small local stations outside Chisinau (1998)
Televisions
93 televisions/100 people (1996)
Transportation
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.)
Highways
total: 12,300 km paved: 10,738 km unpaved: 1,562 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines
natural gas 310 km (1992) Ports and harbors: none
Railways
total: 1,328 km broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)
Waterways
424 km (1994)
Military and Security
Military branches
Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military expenditures--dollar figure
$6.3 million (FY99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP
1% (1999)
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--military age
18 years of age
Military manpower--reaching military age annually
males: 38,666 (1999 est.)
Transnational Issues
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