Moldova

Republic of MoldovaRepublica Moldova

republicIndependence 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Moldova as the 1996 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 88 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

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CapitalChisinau
Position47 00 N, 29 00 E
Area33,700 sq km
LocationEastern Europe, northeast of Romania
1996

Every edition of Moldova

Populationas each edition published it
4.46 million July 1996 est. · 4.46m in 1992
Population growth% a year
0.18% 1996 est. · 0.4% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 32 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
65.14 years 1996 est. · 67.92 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.17 children per woman 1996 est. · 2.6 in 1992
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
47.6 deaths per 1,000 live births 1996 est. · 35 in 1992
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,310 1995 est. · $3,650 in 1994
GDP real growth% a year
-3% 1995 est. · -26% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

15 fields
Area
33,700sq km
land area: 33,700 sq kmcomparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none (landlocked)
Land boundaries
1,389km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Irrigated land
2,920sq km
(1990)

Location

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States

International disputes

  • certain territory of Moldova and Ukraine - including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina - are considered by Bucharest as historically a part of Romania;
  • this territory was incorporated into the former Soviet Union following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

lowest point:
Nistru River 2 m
highest point:
Mount Balaneshty 430 m

Natural resources

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum

Land use

arable land:
50%
permanent crops:
13%
meadows and pastures:
9%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
28%

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
natural hazards:
NA
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change; signed, but not ratified - Air Pollution

Geographic note

landlocked

People

15 fields
Population
4,463,847
(July 1996 est.)growth rate: 0.18% (1996 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1996 est.)

Birth
16.3Death
11.75Net migration
-2.77

Male · female(1996 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years65.14
60.77 · 69.73
TotalMale · femaleLiteracy96%
99% · 94%
MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)

Ethnic divisions

Moldavian/Romanian 64.5%Ukrainian 13.8%Russian 13%Gagauz 3.5%Jewish 1.5%Bulgarian 2%other 1.7% (1989 figures)note: internal disputes with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the Dniester region and Gagauz Turks in the south

Age structure

0-14 years:
26% (male 592,245; female 573,452)
15-64 years:
64% (male 1,381,017; female 1,496,428)
65 years and over:
10% (male 155,908; female 264,797) (July 1996 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.59 male(s)/female
all ages:
0.91 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate

47.6 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.17 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality

noun:
Moldovan(s)
adjective:
Moldovan

Religions

Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) note: the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldavian

Languages

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

Government

Republic; President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990) was elected for a four-year term by popular vote; Prime Minister Andrei SANGHELI (since 1 July 1992

22 fields

Legislature, 104 seatsone dot, one seat

PDAM 56Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11FPCDM 9

Name of country

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

Capital

Chisinau

Administrative divisions

previously divided into 40 rayons; new districts possible under new constitution in 1994

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

chief of state:
  • President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990) was elected for a four-year term by popular vote;
  • election last held 8 December 1991 (next to be held NA December 1996);
  • results - Mircea SNEGUR ran unopposed and won 98.17% of vote;
  • note - President SNEGUR was named executive president by the Supreme Soviet on 3 September 1990 and was confirmed by popular election on 8 December 1991
head of government:
  • Prime Minister Andrei SANGHELI (since 1 July 1992; reappointed 5 April 1994 after elections for new legislature) was appointed by Parliament;
  • First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA April 1994)
cabinet:
Council of Ministers was appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Parliament

  • elections last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
  • results - percent of vote by party NA;
  • seats - (104 total) PDAM 56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11, FPCDM 9;
  • note - seats as of June-July 1995 were as follows:
    • PDAM 45,
    • PSM/UN 28,
    • Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc 11,
    • PRCM 11,
    • FPCDM 9

note: the comparative breakdown of seats by faction is approximate

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

  • Christian Democratic Popular Front (FPCDM - formerly Moldovan Popular Front), Iurie ROSCA, chairman;
  • Socialist Unity Faction (US) of the Socialist Party of Moldova (PSM), Vladimir SOLONARI, leader;
  • Social Democratic Party of Moldova (PSDM), Anatol TARAN, chairman;
  • Agrarian Democratic Party of Moldova (PDAM), Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman;
  • Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc, Mihai GHIMPU, leader;
  • Liberal Party of Modova (PLM), Mircea RUSU, chairman;
  • Socialist Party of Moldova (PSM), Valeriu SENIC and Victor MOREV, cochairmen;
  • Party of Rivival and Conciliation of Moldova (PRCM), Mircea SNEGUR, chairman;
  • Moldovan Party of Democratic Forces (PFDM), Valeriu MATEI, chairman;
  • Party for Social Progress (PPSM), Eugen SOBOR, chairman;
  • Communist Party (PCM), Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman;
  • Yedinstvo Intermovement, Vladimir SOLONARI, chairman, note - this party may not be in existence now

Other political or pressure groups

  • United Council of Labor Collectives (UCLC), Igor SMIRNOV, chairman;
  • The Ecology Movement of Moldova (EMM), G. MALARCHUK, chairman;
  • The Christian Democratic League of Women of Moldova (CDLWM), L. LARI, chairman;
  • National Christian Party of Moldova (NCPM), D. TODIKE, M. BARAGA, V. NIKU, leaders;
  • The Peoples Movement Gagauz Khalky (GKh), S. GULGAR, leader;
  • The Democratic Party of Gagauzia (DPG), G. SAVOSTIN, chairman;
  • The Alliance of Working People of Moldova (AWPM), G. POLOGOV, president;
  • Christian Alliance for Greater Romania;
  • Stefan the Great Movement;
  • Liberal Convention of Moldova;
  • Association of Victims of Repression;
  • Christian Democratic Youth League

International organization participation

BSEC, CCC, CE, CIS, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in US

chief of mission:
Ambassador Nicolae TAU
chancery:
Suites 329, 333, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005
telephone:
[1] (202) 783-3012

FAX

[1] (202) 783-3342

US diplomatic representation

chief of mission:
Ambassador John Todd STEWART
embassy:
Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau 277014
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[373] (2) 23-37-72

FAX

[373] (2) 23-30-44

Flag

  • 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

Economy

Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good | farmland but has no major mineral deposits.

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GDP per capita, PPP
$2,310
(1995 est.)
Real growth rate
-3%
(1995 est.)industrial production growth: -6% (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate
1.2%
(includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (December 1995)

GDP composition by sector(1993 est.)

agriculture 33%industry 36%services 31% (1993 est.)

Installed generating capacity, 3,000,000 kW

Electricity production
8.2 billionElectricity consumption per capita
1,830 (1994)

Economic 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. Energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Moldovan Government has been making steady progress on an ambitious economic reform agenda, and the IMF has called Moldova a model for the region. As part of its reform efforts, Chisinau has introduced a stable convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed their steady privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates.

Chisinau appears strongly committed to continuing these reforms in 1996. Published estimates probably overstated the decline in output in 1991-94; the $2,310 per capita figure for GDP thus is a minimum estimate.

GDP

purchasing power parity - $10.4 billion (1995 estimate extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

Labor force

2.03 million (January 1994); by occupation: agriculture 34.4%, industry 20.1%, other 45.5% (1985 figures)

Budget

revenues:
$NA
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

note: budget deficit for 1995 approximately 5% of GDP

Industries

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

Agriculture

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

Illicit drugs

  • illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis;
  • mostly for CIS consumption;
  • transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Exports

$720 million (1995)

commodities:
foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals
partners:
Russia, Kazakstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany

Imports

$822 million (1995)

commodities:
oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables
partners:
Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany

External debt

$550 million (of which $250 million to Russia)

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $46 million (1993) note: commitments, $1,335 million ($500 million disbursements), 1992-95

Currency

the leu (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993

Exchange rates

lei per US$1 - 4.5460 (January 1996), 4.4990 (1995), 4.2700 (1994), 3.6400 (1993), 0.4145 (1992), 0.0017 (1991)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

6 fields

Airports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right · 26 in all

1
over 3 047 m
2
2 438 to 3 047 m
3
2
1 524 to 2 437 m
2
3
under 914 m
8
914 to 1 523 m
5
PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways
14,508Railways
1,328Waterways
424 (1994)
Highways: paved: 12,346 km · unpaved: 2,162 km (1992 est.) · Railways: broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Railways

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

Highways

total:
14,508 km
paved:
12,346 km
unpaved:
2,162 km (1992 est.)

Pipelines

natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports

none

Communications

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

9 fields
Fixed lines
577,000
(1991 est.)
Defense expenditures
203million lei
2.5% of GDP (1995); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Telephone system

telecommunication system not well developed; 215,000 unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991 est.)

domestic:
NA
international:
  • international connections to other former Soviet republics by landline and microwave radio relay through Ukraine and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch;
  • satellite earth stations - 1 Eutelsat and 1 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations

AM 9, FM 5, shortwave NA (1994)

Television broadcast stations

2 (one national and one private) (1995)

Televisions

NA Defense

Branches

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

Manpower availability

males age 15-49:
1,125,538
males fit for military service:
888,757
males reach military age (18) annually:
37,183 (1996 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Moldova.” The World Factbook 1996. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/moldova/1996.

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