Moldova

Map of Moldova Republic of Moldova President: Vladimir Voronin (2001) Prime Minister: Zinaida Greceanii (2008) Land area: 12,885 sq mi (33,371 sq km); total area: 13,067 sq mi (33,843 sq km) Population (2008 est.): 4,324,450 (growth rate: 0.0%); birth rate: 11.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 13.5/1000; life expectancy: 70.5; density per sq km: 129 Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Chisinau, 772,500 (metro. area), 709,900 (city proper) Other large cities: Tiraspol, 209,800; Beltsy, 175,400; Bendery (Tighina), 144,900 Monetary unit: Leu National name: Republica Moldova Current government officials Languages: Moldovan (official; virtually the same as Romanian), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) Ethnicity/race: Moldavian/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004) Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000) National Holiday: Independence Day, August 27 Literacy rate: 99% (2005 est.) Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2007 est.): $9.821 billion; per capita $2,900. Real growth rate: 5%. Inflation: 12.6%. Unemployment: 2.1% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad) (2007 est.). Arable land: 55%. Agriculture: vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk. Labor force: 1.34 million; agriculture 41%, industry 12%, services 47% (2005). Industries: sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles. Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone. Exports: $1.43 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): foodstuffs, textiles, machinery. Imports: $3.59 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.): mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (2000). Major trading partners: Russia, Italy, Romania, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Belarus (2006). Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 1.018 million (2006); mobile cellular: 1.358 million (2006). Radio broadcast stations: AM 2, FM 29, shortwave NA (2006). Radios: 3.22 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 40 (2006). Televisions: 1.26 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 112,026 (2007). Internet users: 727,700 (2006). Transportation: Railways: total: 1,138 km (2006). Highways: total: 12,733 km; paved: 10,976 km; unpaved: 1,757 km (2004). Waterways: 424 km (2007). Ports and harbors: none. Airports: 10 (2007). International disputes: difficulties with the Transnistria region complicate border crossing and customs with Ukraine, facilitating smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities. Major sources and definitions

Geography | Government | History

Geography

Moldova (formerly Moldavia) is a landlocked republic of hilly plains lying east of the Carpathian Mountains between the Prut and Dniester (Dnestr) rivers. The country is sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine. The area is a very fertile region with rich black soil (chernozem) covering three-quarters of the territory.

Government

Democratic republic.

History

Most of what is now Moldova was the independent principality of Moldavia in the 14th century. In the 16th century it came under Ottoman Turkish rule. Russia acquired Moldavian territory in 1791, and more in 1812 when Turkey gave up the province of Bessarabia—the area between the Prut and Dniester rivers—to Russia in the Treaty of Bucharest. Turkey held the rest of Moldavia but it was passed to Romania in 1918. Russia did not recognize the cession of this territory.

In 1924, the USSR established Moldavia as an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. As a result of the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact of 1939, Romania was forced to cede all of Bessarabia to the Soviet Union in 1940. The Soviets merged the Moldavia ASSR with the Romanian-speaking districts of Bessarabia to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. During World War II, Romania joined Germany in the attack on the Soviet Union and reconquered Bessarabia. But Soviet troops retook the territory in 1944 and reestablished the Moldavian SSR.

For many years, Romania and the USSR disputed each other's territorial claims over Bessarabia. Following the aborted coup against Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, Moldavia proclaimed its independence in Sept. 1991 and changed its name to the Romanian spelling, Moldova.

Independence Leads to Political and Financial Unrest

Conflict between ethnic Romanians and the Russian-Ukrainian majority in Trans-Dniester erupted upon independence. Trans-Dniester separatists (primarily ethnic Russians and Ukrainians) fought for independence from Moldova in 1992; about 1,500 died in the conflict. Unrest continues in Trans-Dniester, which has become a lawless haven for smuggling and other criminal activity. In the south, Gagauz, which is composed mostly of Turkic Christians, has also attempted secession.

The Russian financial crisis in fall 1998 severely affected Moldova, which relied on Russia for 60% of its foreign trade. Economic disaster caused an exodus of an estimated 600,000 Moldovans. Moldova is considered the poorest country in Europe. In Feb. 2001, the Communist Party won an overwhelming victory in parliamentary elections, and its leader, Vladimir Voronin, became prime minister. Voronin has attempted to forge closer relations with Moscow, thus sparking protests among those who advocate for closer cultural and ethnic ties to Romania.

In parliamentary elections in March 2005, the Communist Party—formerly aligned with Russia but recently becoming more pro-Western—won 46% of the vote. In April, President Voronin was reelected president, and he in turn reappointed Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev.

On March 19, 2008, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev resigned unexpectedly, saying that he had achieved his goals and he felt it was time for new blood in government. President Vladimir Voronin nominated a new candidate for prime minister, Zinaida Greceanii.

Crowds of demonstrators attacked Parliament after the ruling Communist Party won general elections in March 2009. Protestors claimed the elections were fraudulent and demanded a recount of the vote. President Voronin accused Romania of stirring up the riots.

Outgoing President Voronin was elected parliament speaker in May 2009. However, the opposition party successfully blocked his ally, the Communist prime minister Zinaida Greceanii, from being elected president in two elections during May and June 2009.

See also Encyclopedia: Moldova.
U.S. State Dept. Country Notes: Moldova
Department for Statistics and Sociology http://www.statistica.md/?lang=en .

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