Moldova

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.

arable land:

53%

permanent crops:

14%

permanent pastures:

13%

forests and woodland:

13%

other:

7% (1993 est.)

• heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater;
• extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods

party to:

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

0-14 years:

23% (male 523,373; female 505,064)

15-64 years:

67% (male 1,422,470; female 1,544,169)

65 years and over:

10% (male 161,659; female 273,919) (2000 est.)

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 (2000 est.)

noun:

Moldovan(s)

adjective:

Moldovan

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

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

• 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

chief of state:

President Petru LUCINSCHI (since 15 January 1997)

head of government:

Prime Minister Dumitru BRAGHIS (since 21 December 1999), one first deputy prime minister and two deputy prime ministers

cabinet:

selected by prime minister-designate, subject to approval of parliament

elections:

• president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
• election last held 17 November 1996;
• runoff election 1 December 1996 (next to be held NA November-December 2000);
• according to the Moldovan constitution, the president, on consulting with the 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

election results:

• Petru LUCINSCHI elected president;
• percent of vote - Petru LUCINSCHI 54%, Mircea SNEGUR 46%;
• Dumitru BRAGHIS was nominated by the president 16 December 1999 and was elected prime minister by a parliamentary vote of 57-4 (40 abstentions) on 21 December 1999

• Bloc for a Democratic and Prosperous Moldova or PMDP [Dumitru DIACOV];
• Christian Democratic Popular Front or FPCD [Iurie ROSCA, chairman];
• Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman];
• Democratic Convention of Moldova or CDM [Mircea SNEGUR, chairman];
• Party of Democratic Forces or PFD [Valeriu MATEI, chairman]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU

chancery:

2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 667-1130

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-1204

chief of mission:

Ambassador Rudolf Villem 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

• 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

lowest 10%:

2.7%

highest 10%:

25.8% (1992)

total:

1,328 km

broad gauge:

1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

total:

12,300 km

paved:

10,738 km

unpaved:

1,562 km (1996 est.)

• 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 [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]