Moldova
Republic of MoldovaRepublica Moldova
republicIndependence 27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Moldova as the 2014 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 166 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
Part of Romania during the interwar period, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although the country has been independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River supporting the separatist region of Transnistria, composed of a Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians), but with a sizeable ethnic Moldovan minority.
One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist, Vladimir VORONIN, as its president in 2001. VORONIN served as Moldova's president until he resigned in September 2009, following the opposition's gain of a narrow majority in July parliamentary elections and the Communist Party's (PCRM) subsequent inability to attract the three-fifths of parliamentary votes required to elect a president and, by doing so, put into place a permanent government.
Four Moldovan opposition parties formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), iterations of which have acted as Moldova's governing coalitions since. Moldova experienced significant political uncertainty between 2009 and early 2012, holding three general elections and numerous presidential ballots in parliament, all of which failed to secure a president. Following November 2010 parliamentary elections, a reconstituted AEI-coalition consisting of three of the four original AEI parties formed a government, and in March 2012 was finally able to elect an independent as president.
As of late May 2013, the ruling coalition - comprised of two of the original AEI parties and a splinter group from a third - is called the Pro-European Coalition. In November 2013, the Moldovan Government initialed an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU), advancing the coalition's policy priority of EU integration.
Geography
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
20 fieldsLand useshare of 33,851 sq km
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)
- total:
- 1.07 cu km/yr (14%/83%/4%)
- per capita:
- 290 cu m/yr (2010)
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
Environment - international agreements
- party to:
- Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
Geography - note
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
People and Society
36 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2014 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2014 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2004 est.)
Religions(2004 est.)
Languages
Moldovan 58.8% (official; virtually the same as the Romanian language), Romanian 16.4%, Russian 16%, Ukrainian 3.8%, Gagauz 3.1% (a Turkish language), Bulgarian 1.1%, other 0.3%, unspecified 0.4% note: percentages represent lanugage usually spoken (2004 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.07 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.95 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.6 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.94 male(s)/female (2014 est.)
Government
Republic; President Nicolae TIMOFTI (since 23 March 2012); Prime Minister Iurie LEANCA (since 25 April 2013
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament or Parlamentul, 101 seats, elected 28 November 2010one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- 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
Capital
- name:
- Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)
note: pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyev)
- geographic coordinates:
- 47 00 N, 28 51 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
Administrative divisions
32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
- raions:
- Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
- municipalities:
- Balti, Bender, Chisinau
- autonomous territorial unit:
- Gagauzia
- territorial unit:
- Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)
Constitution
- previous 1978;
- latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994;
- amended 2003 (2011)
Legal system
civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Nicolae TIMOFTI (since 23 March 2012)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Iurie LEANCA (since 25 April 2013; acting until 30 May 2013, sworn in on 31 May 2013)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet selected by president with approval of Parliament; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- elections:
- president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held 16 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2016);
- 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;
- the prime minister and Cabinet received a vote of confidence on 30 May 2013
- election results:
- Nicolae TIMOFTI elected president;
- parliamentary votes - 62 of 101 votes Iurie LEANCA designated prime minister;
- parliamentary votes of confidence - 58 of 101
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members elected on an at-large basis by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
- elections:
- last held on 28 November 2010 (next to be held in November 2014);
- note - this was the third parliamentary election in less than two years;
- the earlier parliaments (elected 5 April 2009 and 29 July 2009) were dissolved after they could not elect a presidential candidate with the necessary three-fifths majority
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - PCRM 39.3%, PLDM 29.4%, PD 12.7%, PL 10%, other 8.6%;
- seats by party - PCRM 42, PLDM 32, PD 15, PL 12;
- note - in November of 2011, 3 legislators defected from the Communist Party (PCRM) and voted with the PLDM, PD, and PL governing coalition - termed the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) - to reach a 62-seat majority sufficient to elect a new president;
- the 3 former PCRM legislators are now aligned with the Party of Socialists, and in 2012 an additional 5 legislators defected from the PCRM;
- 1 PLDM legislator also defected and is independent
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- ;
- Supreme Court of Justice (consists of a chief judges, 3 deputy-chief judges, 45 judges, and 7 assistant judges);
- Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 6 judges)
- note - the Constitutional Court is autonomous to the other branches of government;
- the Court interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government.
- judge selection and term of office:
- Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by Parliament upon the recommendation of the Supreme Council of the Magistracy;
- all judges serve 4-year renewable terms;
- Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the Moldovan president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy;
- court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year term;
- other judges appointed for 6-year terms
- subordinate courts:
- Courts of Appeal;
- Court of Business Audit;
- municipal courts
Political parties and leaders
- represented in Parliament:
- Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]; Democratic Party or PD [Marian LUPU]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLDM [Vladimir FILAT]; Liberal Party or PL [Mihai GHIMPU]; Liberal Reformers Party or PLR [Ion HADARCA]; Pro-European Coalition (coalition of the PD, PLDM, and PLR)
- not represented in Parliament:
- Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Conservative Party or PC [Natalia NIRCA]; Ecological Party of Moldova "Green Alliance" or PEMAVE [Vladimir BRAGA]; European Action Movement or MAE [Veaceslav UNTILA]; For Nation and Country Party or PpNT [Sergiu MOCANU]; Humanist Party of Moldova or PUM [Valeriu PASAT]; Labor Party or PM [Gheorghe SIMA]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]; Party of Socialists or PSRM [Igor DODON]; Patriots of Moldova Party or PPM [Mihail GARBUZ]; Popular Republican Party or PPR [Nicolae ANDRONIC]; Republican Party of Moldova or PRM [Andrei STRATAN]; Roma Social Political Movement of the Republic of Moldova or MRRM [Ion BUCUR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Victor SELIN]; Social Political Movement "Equality" or MR [Valeriy KLIMENCO]; United Moldova Party or PMUEM [Vladimir TURCAN]
International organization participation
BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Igor MUNTEANU (since 7 September 2010)
- chancery:
- 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 667-1130
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 667-2624
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador William H. MOSER (since 6 September 2011)
- embassy:
- 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- telephone:
- [373] (22) 40-8300
- FAX:
- [373] (22) 23-3044
Flag description
- 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 aurochs head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow;
- based on the color scheme of the flag of Romania - with which Moldova shares a history and culture - but Moldova's blue band is lighter;
- the reverse of the flag does not display any coat of arms
note: one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Paraguay and Saudi Arabia
Economy
Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe.
41 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2013 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
Economy - overview
Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. With a moderate climate and good farmland, Moldova's economy relies heavily on its agriculture sector, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova also depends on annual remittances of about $1.6 billion from the roughly one million Moldovans working in Europe, Russia, and other former Soviet Bloc countries.
With few natural energy resources, Moldova imports almost all of its energy supplies from Russia and Ukraine. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy is underscored by a growing $5 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result of unreimbursed natural gas consumption in the separatist Transnistria region.
In August 2013, work began on a new pipeline between Moldova and Romania that may eventually break Russia's monopoly on Moldova's gas supplies. The government's goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2013 due to increased agriculture production, to economic policies adopted by the Moldovan government since 2009, and to the receipt of EU trade preferences.
Moldova is poised to sign an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU during fall 2014, connecting Moldovan products to the world’s largest market. Still, growth has been hampered by high prices for Russian natural gas, a Russian import ban on Moldovan wine, increased foreign scrutiny of Moldovan agricultural products, and by Moldova’s large external debt.
Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, corruption, higher fuel prices, Russian pressure, and the illegal separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region.
Gross national saving
16.9% of GDP (2013 est.) · 16.1% of GDP (2012 est.) · 11.8% of GDP (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 98
Agriculture - products
- vegetables, fruits, grapes, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, tobacco;
- beef, milk;
- wine
Industries
- sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery;
- foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines;
- hosiery, shoes, textiles
Distribution of family income - Gini index
33 (2010) · 33.2 (2003) country comparison to the world: 100
Central bank discount rate
3.5% (31 December 2013) · 4.5% (31 December 2012) country comparison to the world: 79 note: this is the basic rate on short-term operations
Commercial bank prime lending rate
12.26% (31 December 2013 est.) · 13.34% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 56
Stock of narrow money
$2.154 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $1.701 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Stock of broad money
$4.974 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $4.088 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 129
Stock of domestic credit
$2.978 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $2.908 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 124
Current account balance
-$507.7 million (2013 est.) · -$495.3 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.814 billion (31 December 2013 est.) · $2.513 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 112
Debt - external
$6.218 billion (30 September, 2013 est.) · $5.984 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 113
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home
$3.448 billion (31 December 2012 est.) · $3.262 billion (31 December 2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 94
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad
$108.2 million (31 December 2012) · $88.42 million (31 December 2011) country comparison to the world: 86
Exchange rates
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 12.592 (2013 est.) · 12.112 (2012 est.) · 12.369 (2010 est.) · 11.11 (2009) · 10.326 (2008)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 439,900 kW
Natural gas - imports
1.095 billion cu m country comparison to the world: 56 note: excludes Transnistria (2012 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- poor service outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way
- domestic:
- multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellular telephone service are operating;
- GPRS system is being introduced;
- a CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007;
- combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 100 per 100 persons
- international:
- country code - 373;
- service through Romania and Russia via landline;
- satellite earth stations - at least 3 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik) (2011)
Broadcast media
- state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 TV and 2 radio stations;
- a total of nearly 40 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation;
- Russian and Romanian channels also are available (2007)
Transportation
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 121 ships by type
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Networkskm
Military
National Army: Land Forces Command, Air Forces Command (includes air defense unit), Logistics Command (2013)
6 fieldsMilitary branches
National Army: Land Forces Command, Air Forces Command (includes air defense unit), Logistics Command (2013)
Military service age and obligation
- 18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service;
- male registration required at age 16;
- 1-year service obligation (2012)
Manpower available for military service
- males age 16-49:
- 1,143,440
- females age 16-49:
- 1,156,958 (2010 est.)
Transnational Issues
3 fieldsDisputes - international
Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor the transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region, which remains under the auspices of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-mandated peacekeeping mission comprised of Moldovan, Transnistrian, Russian, and Ukrainian troops
Illicit drugs
- 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
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Moldova.” The World Factbook 2014. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/moldova/2014.