Moldova

Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was incorporated into 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 Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. The poorest nation in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.

• 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

0-14 years:

20.6% (male 466,485; female 449,645)

15-64 years:

69.1% (male 1,478,220; female 1,595,695)

65 years and over:

10.3% (male 169,026; female 287,384) (2004 est.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.59 male(s)/female

total population:

0.91 male(s)/female (2004 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:

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic; Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic

• 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 Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)

head of government:

Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Vasile IOVV (since 29 January 2002)

cabinet:

selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament

elections:

• president elected by Parliament for a four-year term;
• election last held 4 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2005);
• note - presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct, popular elections;
• Parliament's failure to choose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections in February 2001;
• prime minister designated by the president, upon consultation with Parliament;
• note - 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 15 April 2001, cabinet received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001

election results:

• Vladimir VORONIN elected president;
• parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CRISTEA 3;
• Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister;
• parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101

• Democratic Modova Bloc [Serafim URECHEANU] includes: Democratic Party [Dumitru DIACOV], Our Moldova Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS, Serafim URECHEANU], Social Liberal Party [Oleg SEREBRIAN];
• Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman];
• Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Mihail MANOLI

chancery:

2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 667-1130

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-1204

chief of mission:

Ambassador Heather M. HODGES

embassy:

103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[373] (22) 408-300

FAX:

[373] (22) 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%:

2.2%

highest 10%:

30.7% (1997)

general assessment:

inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau; some effort to modernize is under way

domestic:

new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced

international:

• country code - 373;
• service through Romania and Russia via landline;
• satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik

total:

1,138 km

broad gauge:

1,124 km 1.520-m gauge

standard gauge:

14 km 1.435-m gauge (2003)

total:

12,657 km

paved:

11,012 km

unpaved:

1,645 km (1999)

total:

1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,636 GRT/1,088 DWT

by type:

cargo 1

foreign-owned:

2 Russia 1

registered in other countries:

4

• 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;
• widespread crime and underground economic activity