Moldova

§1. Moldova Introduction

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. One
  of the poorest nations in Europe and plagued by a moribund economy, in 2001
  Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist as its
  president.

§2. Moldova Geography

Location:
  Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Geographic coordinates:
  47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map references:
  Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
  total: 33,843 kmē
  land: 33,371 kmē
  water: 472 kmē

Area - comparative:
  slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries:
  total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Coastline:
  0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims:
  none (landlocked)

Climate:
  moderate winters, warm summers

Terrain:
  rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Elevation extremes:
  lowest point: Nistru (Dnister) River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti
    430 m

Natural resources:
  lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land

Land use:
  arable land: 53%
  permanent crops: 14%
  permanent pastures: 13%
  forests and woodland: 13%
  other: 7% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:
  3,110 kmē (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:
  landslides (57 cases in 1998)

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, Wetlands
  signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Geography - note:
  landlocked

§3. Moldova People

Population:
  4,431,570 (July 2001 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 22.44% (male 506,303; female 488,311)
  15-64 years: 67.62% (male 1,437,492; female 1,559,090)
  65 years and over: 9.94% (male 163,473; female 276,901) (2001 est.)

Population growth rate:
  0.05% (2001 est.)

Birth rate:
  13.35 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate:
  12.6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

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 (2001 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  42.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 64.6 years male: 60.15 years
  female: 69.26 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.67 children born/woman (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  0.2% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  4,500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality:
  noun: Moldovan(s)
  adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups:
  Moldovan/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

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

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

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 96%
  male: 99%
  female: 94% (1989 est.)

§4. Moldova Government

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

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  Chisinau

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

Independence:
  27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:
  Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

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

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

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
  head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001),
    three Deputy Prime Ministers: Valerian CRISTEA, Andrei CUCU, and Dmitri
    TODOROGLO (all since 19 April 2001)
  cabinet: selected by prime minister, subject to approval of Parliament
  elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election
    last held 4 April 2001; presidential elections were scheduled for
    December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct popular
    elections; Parliament's failure to chose a new president in December 2000
    led to early parliamentary elections (moved up a year to February 2001);
    according to the Moldovan constitution, the president, on consulting with
    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; prime minister designated on 15 April 2001,
    cabinet received vote of confidence on 19 April 2001
  election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary votes -
    Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile
    TARLEV elected Prime Minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of
    101

Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral
  blocs, as well as independent candidates, elected by popular vote to serve
  four-year terms)
  elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005)
  election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance
    13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis
    Alliance 19, PPCD 11

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional
  judicature)

Political parties and leaders:
  Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or
  PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first
  chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  NA

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 (observer)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU chancery: 2101 S Street NW,
    Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
  FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Rudolf Vilem 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: [373] (2) 23-37-72
  FAX: [373] (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

§5. Moldova Economy

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 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. In 1999, GDP fell again, by 4.4%, the fifth drop in the past seven
  years; exports were down, and energy supplies continued to be erratic. GDP
  declined slightly in 2000, with a serious drought hurting agriculture.
  Growth should turn positive in 2001.

GDP:
  purchasing power parity - $11.3 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  -1.5% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita:
  purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 31% industry: 35%
  services: 34% (1998)

Population below poverty line:
  75% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  32% (2000 est.)

Labor force:
  1.7 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 40%, industry 14%, other 46% (1998)

Unemployment rate:
  1.9% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of
  underemployed workers) (November 2000)

Budget:
  revenues: $536 million
  expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998
    est.)

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

Industrial production growth rate:
  3% (2000 est.)

Electricity - production:
  4.155 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - production by source:
  fossil fuel: 93.62% hydro: 6.38%
  nuclear: 0%
  other: 0% (1999)

Electricity - consumption:
  5.78 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity - exports:
  0 kWh (1999)

Electricity - imports:
  1.916 billion kWh (1999)

Agriculture - products:
  vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco;
  beef, milk

Exports:
  $500 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities:
  foodstuffs 57%, wine, tobacco; textiles and footwear, machinery (1999)

Exports - partners:
  Russia 41%, Romania 9%, Germany 8%, Ukraine 7%, Italy, Belarus (1999)

Imports:
  $761 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities:
  mineral products and fuel 38%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles
  (1999)

Imports - partners:
  Russia 21%, Romania 16%, Ukraine 14%, Germany 12%, Italy 6%, Belarus (1999)

Debt - external:
  $900 million (2000)

Economic aid - recipient:
  $100.8 million (1995); note - $547 million from the IMF and World Bank
  (1992-99)

Currency:
  Moldovan leu (MDL)

Currency code:
  MDL

Exchange rates:
  lei per US dollar - 12.3728 (January 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999),
  5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997), 4.6045 (1996); note - lei is the plural form
  of leu

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Moldova Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  627,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  2,200 (1997)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: 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

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998)

Radios:
  3.22 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:
  1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:
  1.26 million (1997)

Internet country code:
  .md

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
  2 (1999)

Internet users:
  15,000 (2000)

§7. Moldova Transportation

Railways:
  total: 1,328 km
  broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Highways:
  total: 20,000 km
  paved: 13,900 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in
    addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with
    gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather)
  unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are
    difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)

Waterways:
  424 km (1994)

Pipelines:
  natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports and harbors:
  none

Airports:
  30 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 7 over 3,047 m: 1
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
  under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 23 2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
  914 to 1,523 m: 4
  under 914 m: 14 (2000 est.)

§8. Moldova Military

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

Military manpower - military age:
  18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
  males age 15-49: 1,164,018 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
  males age 15-49: 921,210 (2001 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
  males: 42,268 (2001 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $6 million (FY99)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  1% (FY99)

§9. Moldova Transnational Issues

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
