47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries:

total: 1,390 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 940 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: Dniester River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Natural resources:

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

Land use:

arable land: 54.52% permanent crops: 8.81% other: 36.67% (2005)

Irrigated land:

3,000 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

11.7 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 2.31 cu km/yr (10%/58%/33%) per capita: 549 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

landslides

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, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:

landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

People
Moldova

Population:

4,324,450 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 16.3% (male 361,000/female 341,785) 15-64 years: 72.9% (male 1,528,080/female 1,622,620) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 174,448/female 296,517) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 34.3 years male: 32.4 years female: 36.4 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

-0.092% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

11.01 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

10.8 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

-1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 13.5 deaths/1,000 live births male: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 70.5 years male: 66.81 years female: 74.41 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.26 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.2% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

5,500 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 300 (2001 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan

Ethnic groups:

Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census) note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region

Religions:

Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)

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: 99.1% male: 99.7% female: 98.6% (2005 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2006)

Education expenditures:

7.6% of GDP (2006)

Government
Moldova

Country name:

conventional long form: Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: Moldova former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

republic

Capital:

name: Chisinau (Kishinev) note: pronounced kee-shee-now geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions:

32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala) raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)

Independence:

27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

Constitution:

new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994; replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979

Legal system:

based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Zinaida GRECEANII (since 31 March 2008); First Deputy Prime Minister Igor DODON (since 31 March 2008) cabinet: Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next to be held in 2009); note - prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated 21 March 2008; cabinet received a vote of confidence 31 March 2008 election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Zinaida GRECEANII designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 56 of 101

Legislative branch:

unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic Moldova Bloc (AMN, PD, PSL) 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party - PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc (AMN, PD, PSL) 34, PPCD 11

Judicial branch:

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

Political parties and leaders:

Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]; Democratic Party or PD [Dumitru DIACOV]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLDM [Vladmir FILAT]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN [Serafim URECHEAN]; Party for Social Democracy or PDSM [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders: