Moldova

Republic of MoldovaRepublica Moldova

republicIndependence 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Moldova as the 1995 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 81 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

Area33,700 sq km

LocationEastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Populationas each edition published it

4.49 million July 1995 est. · 4.46m in 1992

Population growth% a year

0.36% 1995 est. · 0.4% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 32 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

68.22 years 1995 est. · 67.92 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.16 children per woman 1995 est. · 2.6 in 1992

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

29.8 deaths per 1,000 live births 1995 est. · 35 in 1992

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$2,670 1994 est. · $3,650 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

-30% 1994 est. · -26% in 1993

Geography

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

14 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

total · Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Irrigated land

2,920sq km

(1990)

Map references

Commonwealth of Independent States - European 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

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

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:: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

People

15 fields

Population

4,489,657

(July 1995 est.)growth rate: 0.36% (1995 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1995 est.)

Birth

15.93Death

10.05Net migration

-2.25

Male · female(1995 est.)

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years68.22

64.81 · 71.8

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy96%

99% · 94%

MaleFemaleLiteracy age 15 and over can read and write (1989)

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

Labor force

2.03million

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

Age structure

0-14 years:: 27% (female 588,155; male 609,372)
15-64 years:: 64% (female 1,487,170; male 1,386,293)
65 years and over:: 9% (female 258,958; male 159,709) (July 1995 est.)

Infant mortality rate

29.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.16 children born/woman (1995 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); Prime Minister Andrei SANGHELI (since 1 July 1992

22 fields

Legislature, 104 seatsone dot, one seat

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

Names

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

Digraph

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

new constitution adopted NA July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979

Legal system

based on civil law system;
no judicial review of legislative acts;
does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and OSCE documents

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch

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 SANGHELI (since 1 July 1992; reappointed 5 April 1994 after elections for new legislature);
First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA)
cabinet:: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Legislative branch

unicameral

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, Vladimir SOLONARI, 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, cochairman;
Communist Party, Vladimir VORONIN, cochairman;
Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc

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, EBRD, ECE, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

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 Mary C. PENDLETON
embassy:: Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau
mailing address:: use embassy street address
telephone:: [373] (2) 23-37-72

FAX

[373] (2) 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 enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has | no major mineral deposits.

19 fields

GDP per capita, PPP

$2,670

(1994 est.)

Real growth rate

-30%

(1994 est.)industrial production growth: growth rate -30% (1994 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

7.6%per month

(1994)

Unemployment rate

(includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers)

Installed generating capacity, 3,000,000 kW

Electricity production

8.2 billionElectricity consumption per capita

1,830 (1994)

Overview

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 must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, and energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

The Moldovan government is 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 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 1995. Meanwhile, privatization of medium and large enterprises got underway in mid-1994 and is expected to pick up speed in 1995. To improve its precarious energy situation, Chisinau reached an agreement with Moscow in December 1994 on gas deliveries for 1995.

Gazprom, Russia's national gas company, has agreed to reduce prices for natural gas deliveries to Moldova from the world market price of $80/thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $58/tcm in return for part ownership of the Moldovan pipeline system.

National product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $11.9 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)

Budget

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

note: budget deficit for 1993 approximately 6% of GDP

Exports

$144 million to outside the FSU countries (1994); 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

$174 million from outside the FSU countries (1994); 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

External debt

$300 million (as of 11 December 1994)

Industries

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

Agriculture

accounts for about 40% of GDP;
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

Economic aid

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

Exchange rates

lei per US$1 - 4.277 (22 December 1994)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Transportation

5 fields

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

over 3,047 m

2,438 to 3,047 m

1,524 to 2,437 m

under 914 m

1,524 to 2,438 m

914 to 1,523 m

PavedUnpaved

Networkskm

Highways

20,000Railroads

1,150

Highways: paved or graveled: 13,900 km · unpaved: earth 6,100 km (1990) · Railroads: ; does not include industrial lines · broad gauge: 1,150 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Railroads

total:: 1,150 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines
broad gauge:: 1,150 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

Highways

total:: 20,000 km
paved or graveled:: 13,900 km
unpaved:: earth 6,100 km (1990)

Pipelines

natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports

none

Communications

3 fields

Telephone system

577,000 telephones;
134 telephones/1,000 persons;
telecommunication system not well developed;
215,000 unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991)

local:: NA
intercity:: NA
international:: 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; 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT earth station