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, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

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 (2006 est.)

noun:

Moldovan(s)

adjective:

Moldovan

conventional long form:

Republic of Moldova

conventional short form:

Moldova

local long form:

Republica Moldova

local short form:

Moldova

former:

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic; Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic

name:

Chisinau (Kishinev)

geographic coordinates:

47 00 N, 28 50 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

• based on civil law system;
• Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution;
• 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 Zinaida GRECIANII (since 10 October 2005)

cabinet:

Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament

elections:

• president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held 4 April 2005 (next to be held in 2009);
• note - prime minister designated by the president, upon consultation with Parliament;
• 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 reelected president;
• parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1;
• Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister;
• parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101

• Braghis Faction [Dumitru BRAGHIS];
• Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA];
• Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman];
• Democratic Moldova Bloc (comprised of the AMN, Democratic Party, and PSL);
• Democratic Party [Dumitru DIACOV];
• Our Moldova Alliance or AMN [Serafim URECHEANU];
• Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA

chancery:

2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 667-1130

FAX:

[1] (202) 667-1204

chief of mission:

Ambasador Michael D. KIRBY

embassy:

103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[373] (22) 40-8300

FAX:

[373] (22) 23-3044

• 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

agriculture:

40%

industry:

14%

services:

46% (1998)

lowest 10%:

2.2%

highest 10%:

30.7% (1997)

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

general assessment:

inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau; some modernization 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 (2005)

total:

12,730 km

paved:

10,973 km

unpaved:

1,757 km (2003)

total:

7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 13,831 GRT/15,003 DWT

by type:

cargo 7

foreign-owned:

3 (Ukraine 3) (2006)

males age 18-49:

1,066,459

females age 18-49:

1,117,070 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

693,913

females age 18-49:

911,568 (2005 est.)

males age 18-49:

43,729

females age 18-49:

42,354 (2005 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;
• widespread crime and underground economic activity