Moldova

republicIndependence 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Moldova as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 121 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalChisinau
LocationEastern Europe, between Ukraine and Romania
1994

Every edition of Moldova

Populationas each edition published it
4.47 million July 1994 est. · 4.46m in 1992
Population growth% a year
0.38% 1994 est. · 0.4% in 1993
Median ageyears
Not in this edition 32 yrs in 2003
Life expectancyyears at birth
Not in this edition 67.92 yrs in 1993
Fertility ratechildren per woman
2.18 children per woman 1994 est. · 2.6 in 1992
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
30.3 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 35 in 1992
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$3,650 1993 est. · $16,500 in 2025
GDP real growth% a year
-4% 1993 est. · -26% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Europe, between Ukraine and Romania

22 fields
Coastline
0km
(landlocked)Maritime claims: none; landlocked
Land boundaries
1,389km
total · Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Irrigated land
2,920sq km
(1990)

Location

Eastern Europe, between Ukraine and Romania

Map references

Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

33,700 sq km

land area

33,700 sq km

comparative area

slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii

International disputes

  • no official territorial claims by either Moldova or Romania, but nationalists in Romania seek the merger of Moldova into Romania;
  • potential future dispute by Moldova and Romania against Ukraine over former southern and northern Bessarabian areas and Northern Bukovina ceded to Ukraine upon Moldova's incorporation into USSR

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Natural resources

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum

arable land

50%

permanent crops

13%

meadows and pastures

9%

forest and woodland

0%

other

28%

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

signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Note

landlocked

People

23 fields
Population
4,473,033
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 0.38% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
16.02Death
10.02Net migration
-2.2

Ethnic divisions

Moldavian/Romanian 64.5%Ukrainian 13.8%Russian 13%Gagauz 3.5%Jewish 1.5%Bulgarian 2%other 1.7% (1989 figures)
Labor force
2.05million
(1992)
Literacy
9
age · -49 can read and write (1970)

Infant mortality rate

30.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

68.07 years

male

64.65 years

female

71.67 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.18 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Moldovan(s)

adjective

Moldovan

note

internal disputes with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the Dniester region and Gagauz Turks in the south

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)

total population

100%

male

100%

female

99%

by occupation

agriculture 34.4%, industry 20.1%, other 45.5% (1985 figures)

Government

Republic

32 fields

Legislature, 104 seatsone dot, one seat

Agrarian-Democratic Party 56Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28Peasants and Intellectual Bloc 11Christian Democratic Popular Front 9

conventional long form

Republic of Moldova

conventional short form

Moldova

local long form

Republica Moldoveneasca

local short form

none

former

Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia

Type

republic

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

old Soviet constitution (adopted NA 1979) is still in effect but has been heavily amended during the past few years; a new constitution is expected in 1994

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

  • President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990);
  • election last held 8 December 1991 (next to be held NA 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 SANGHALI (since 1 July 1992; reappointed 5 April 1994 after elections for new legislature)

cabinet

Council of Ministers; 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 by party NA;
  • seats - (104 total) Agrarian-Democratic Party 56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectual Bloc 11, Christian Democratic Popular Front 9

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Political parties and leaders

  • Christian Democratic Popular Front (formerly Moldovan Popular Front), Iurie ROSCA, chairman;
  • Yedinstvo Intermovement, V. YAKOVLEV, chairman;
  • Social Democratic Party, Oazu NANTOI, chairman, two other chairmen;
  • Agrarian-Democratic Party, Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman;
  • Democratic Party, Gheorghe GHIMPU, chairman;
  • Democratic Labor Party, Alexandru ARSENI, chairman;
  • Reform Party, Anatol SELARU;
  • Republican Party, Victor PUSCAS;
  • Socialist Party, Valeriu SENIC, chairman;
  • Communist Party, Vladimir VORONIN

Other political or pressure groups

  • United Council of Labor Collectives (UCLC), Igor SMIRNOV, chairman;
  • Congress of Intellectuals, Alexandru MOSANU;
  • 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

Member of

BSEC, CE (guest), CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, IBRD, ICAO, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO

chief of mission

Ambassador Nicolae TIU

chancery

1511 K Street NW, Room 329, Washington, DC

telephone

(202) 783-3012 or -2807

chief of mission

Ambassador Mary C. PENDLETON

embassy

Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

373 (2) 23-37-72 or 23-34-76

FAX

7-0422-23-30-44

Flag

  • same color scheme as Romania - 3 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 has pushed ahead boldly on economic reform since gaining its | independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

27 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$3,650
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
-4%
(1993 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -10% (1993)
Inflation, consumer prices
30%per month
(1993)
External debt
$325million
(end of 1993)

Overview

Moldova has pushed ahead boldly on economic reform since gaining its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. It introduced a convertible currency - the leu - in late 1993 that has remained stable against the dollar, removed price controls on most products, eliminated licenses and quotas on most imports and exports, and freed interest rates.

In 1994, Moldova aims to privatize at least one-third of state enterprises, lower inflation to 1% per month, and reduce the budget deficit to 3.5% of GDP. Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, Moldova's economy is primarily based on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco.

Moldova, however, must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, and energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Activities by separatist groups in the Dniester region have held back economic development in that area. Foreign economic assistance has been a tangible plus for Moldova, whereas direct foreign investment has been lacking.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $16.3 billion (1993 estimate from the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to 1993 using official Moldovan statistics, which are very uncertain because of major economic changes since 1990)

Unemployment rate

less than 1% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers)

revenues

$NA

expenditures

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

note

budget deficit for 1993 approximately 6% of GDP

Exports

$108 million to outside the FSU countries (January-September 1993); over 70% of exports go to FSU countries

commodities

foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals (1991)

partners

Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany

Imports

$145 million from outside the FSU countries (January-September 1993); over 70% of imports are from FSU countries

commodities

oil, gas, coal, steel machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables

partners

Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany

capacity

3,115,000 kW

production

11.1 billion kWh

consumption per capita

2,491 kWh (1992)

Industries

key products are canned food, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, refined sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles

Agriculture

Moldova's principal economic activity; products are vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, meat, milk, tobacco

Illicit drugs

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

recipient

  • Joint EC-US loan (1993), $127 million;
  • IMF STF credit (1993), $64 million;
  • IMF stand-by loan (1993), $72 million;
  • US commitments (1992-93), $61 million in humanitarian aid, $11 million in technical assistance;
  • World Bank loan (1993), $60 million;
  • Russia (1993), 50 billion ruble credit;
  • Romania (1993), 20 billion lei credit

Currency

the leu (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

14 fields

Railroads

1,150 km; does not include industrial lines (1990)

total

20,000 km

paved or gravelled

13,900 km

unpaved

earth 6,100 km (1990)

Pipelines

natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports

none; landlocked

total

26

usable

15

with permanent-surface runways

6

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

5

with runways 1,060-2,439 m

8

note

a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip

Telecommunications

  • The telecommunication system of Moldova is not well developed;
  • number of telephone subscribers 577,000 (1991);
  • number of subscribers per 1,000 persons 134 (1991);
  • number of unsuccessful requests for telephone service 215,000 (1991);
  • international connections to the other former Soviet republics by land line and microwave radio relay through Ukraine, and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch;
  • 2 satellite earth stations - 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT;
  • broadcast services NA

Defense Forces

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defence Force, Security Forces (internal | and border troops)

3 fields

Branches

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defence Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 1,098,156;
  • fit for military service 869,866;
  • reach military age (18) annually 35,814 (1994 est.)

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Central Intelligence Agency. “Moldova.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/moldova/1994.

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