2000 Edition

Background

Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of 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 Nistru (Dnister) River supporting the Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians) who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic.

Area

land

33,371 sq km

total

33,843 sq km

water

472 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Maryland

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Dealul Balanesti 430 m

lowest point

Nistru River 2 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

border countries

Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

total

1,389 km

Land use

arable land

53%

forests and woodland

13%

other

7% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

14%

permanent pastures

13%

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, arable land

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Age structure

0-14 years: 23% (male 523,373; female 505,064) 15-64 years: 67% (male 1,422,470; female 1,544,169) 65 years and over: 10% (male 161,659; female 273,919) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

12.86 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

12.58 deaths/1,000 population (2000 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 Slavs in the Transnistrian region

Infant mortality rate

43.32 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.22 years (2000 est.)

male

59.92 years

total population

64.45 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

94% (1989 est.)

male

99%

total population

96%

Nationality

adjective

Moldovan

noun

Moldovan(s)

Net migration rate

-0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

4,430,654 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

-0% (2000 est.)

Religions

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

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 (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.63 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Administrative divisions

10 juletule (singular - juletul) 1 municipality* 1 autonomous territorial unit**; Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau*, Dubasari, Edinet, Gagauzia**, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Tighina, Ungheni

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

former

Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia

local long form

Republica Moldova

local short form

none

Data code

MD

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

(2) 23-37-72

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU

telephone

(202) 667-1130

Executive branch

cabinet

selected by prime minister-designate, subject to approval of parliament

chief of state

President Petru LUCINSCHI (since 15 January 1997)

election results

Petru LUCINSCHI elected president; percent of vote - Petru LUCINSCHI 54%, Mircea SNEGUR 46%; Dumitru BRAGHIS was nominated by the president 16 December 1999 and was elected prime minister by a parliamentary vote of 57-4 (40 abstentions) on 21 December 1999

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-December 2000); according to the Moldovan constitution, the president, on consulting with the parliament, will designate a candidate for the office of prime minister; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate will request a vote of confidence from the parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet

head of government

Prime Minister Dumitru BRAGHIS (since 21 December 1999), one first deputy prime minister and two deputy prime ministers

FAX

(202) 667-1204

(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

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)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court is the sole authority of constitutional judicature

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; parties and electoral blocs, as well as independent candidates, compete in popular elections to serve four-year terms)

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

elections

last held 22 March 1998 (next to be held spring 2002)

note

the comparative breakdown of seats by faction is approximate

National holiday

Independence Day, 27 August 1991

Political parties and leaders

Bloc for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova or PMDP ; Christian Democratic Popular Front or FPCD ; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Democratic Convention of Moldova or CDM ; Party of Democratic Forces or PFD [Valeriu MATEI, chairman]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

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

Budget

expenditures

$594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)

revenues

$536 million

Currency

Moldovan leu (MLD) (plural lei)

Debt - external

$1.3 billion (December 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. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. Yet these efforts could not offset the impact of political and economic difficulties, both internal and regional. In 1998, the economic troubles of Russia, by far Moldova's leading trade partner, were a major cause of the 8.6% drop in GDP; the value of the currency in relation to the dollar fell by half. In 1999, GDP fell again, by 4.4%, the fifth drop in the past six years; exports were down, and energy supplies continued erratic. GDP is expected to remain at about the same level in 2000.

Electricity - consumption

7.065 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

1.8 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

5.661 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

93%

hydro

7%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

lei (MLD) per US$1 (end of year) - 12.1408 (January 2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997), 4.6045 (1996), 4.4958 (1995)

Exports

$470 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Exports - commodities

foodstuffs, wine, and tobacco 66%; textiles and footwear, machinery (1998)

Exports - partners

Russia 53%, Romania 10%, Ukraine 8%, Germany 5%, Belarus 4% (1998)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

31%

industry

35%

services

34% (1998)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $2,200 (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

-4.4% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1992)

Imports

$560 million (f.o.b., 1999)

Imports - commodities

mineral products and fuel 31%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (1998)

Imports - partners

Russia 22%, Ukraine 16%, Romania 12%, Belarus 9%, Germany 5% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

-10% (1999 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

38% (1999 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

75% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate

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

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

2 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios

3.22 million (1997)

Telephone system

inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way

domestic

new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced

international

service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik

Telephones - main lines in use

566,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

14 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

40 (1998)

Televisions

1.26 million (1997)

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

paved

10,738 km

total

12,300 km

unpaved

1,562 km (1996 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports and harbors

none

Railways

broad gauge

1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

total

1,328 km

Waterways

424 km (1994)

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$6 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

1% (FY99)

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49: 1,156,705 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49: 913,896 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

40,239 (2000 est.)

Disputes - international

separatist Transnistria 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 US

MONACO