Moldova
Republic of MoldovaRepublica Moldova
parliamentary republicIndependence 27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Moldova as the 2020 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 160 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
A large portion of present day Moldovan territory became a province of the Russian Empire in 1812 and then unified with Romania in 1918 in the aftermath of World War I. This territory was then incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although Moldova has been independent from the Soviet Union since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River in the breakaway region of Transnistria, whose population is roughly equally composed of ethnic Ukrainians, Russians, and Moldovans.
Years of Communist Party rule in Moldova from 2001-2009 ultimately ended with election-related violent protests and a rerun of parliamentary elections in 2009. Since then, a series of pro-European ruling coalitions have governed Moldova. As a result of the country's most recent legislative election in February 2019, parliamentary seats are split among the left-leaning Socialist Party (35 seats), the former ruling Democratic Party (30 seats), and the center-right ACUM bloc (26 seats). Parliament voted in Prime Minister Ion CHICU and his cabinet on 14 November 2019, two days after voting to remove his predecessor, ACUM co-leader Maia SANDU, who had been in office since June 2019.
Geography
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
19 fieldsLand useshare of 33,851 sq km
Population distribution
pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti
Environment - current issues
heavy use of agricultural chemicals, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion and declining soil fertility 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 · (2020 est.)
Per 1,000 population(2020 est.)
Male · female
Ethnic groups(2014 est.)
Languages
Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% identify their mother tongue as Moldovan, which is virtually the same as Romanian; 23.5% identify Romanian as their mother tongue), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, Bulgarian 1.5%, Romani 0.3%, other 0.2% (2014 est.) note: data represent mother tongue
Population distribution
pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 0-14 years:
- 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-24 years:
- 1.08 male(s)/female
- 25-54 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female
- 55-64 years:
- 0.86 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.66 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Government
Parliamentary republic; President Igor DODON (since 23 December 2016); Prime Minister Ion CHICU (since 14 November 2019)
21 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament, 101 seats, elected 24 February 2019one dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Composition: men 78, women 23, percent of women 22.8%
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
- etymology:
- named for the Moldova River in neighboring eastern Romania
Capital
- name:
- Chisinau in Moldovan (Kishinev in Russian)
- 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
note: pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov) etymology: origin unclear but may derive from the archaic Romanian word "chisla" ("spring" or "water source") and "noua" ("new") because the original settlement was built at the site of a small spring
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
- history:
- previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994
- amendments:
- proposed by voter petition (at least 200,000 eligible voters), by at least one third of Parliament members, or by the government;
- passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament within one year of initial proposal;
- revisions to constitutional articles on sovereignty, independence, and neutrality require majority vote by referendum;
- articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended;
- amended several times, last in 2010;
- note – in early 2016, the Moldovan Constitutional Court decision returned the country to direct presidential elections, reversing a 2000 constitutional amendment that allowed Parliament to select the president
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
Citizenship
- citizenship by birth:
- no
- citizenship by descent only:
- at least one parent must be a citizen of Moldova
- dual citizenship recognized:
- no
- residency requirement for naturalization:
- 10 years
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Igor DODON (since 23 December 2016);
- note – in 2017-19, DODON was temporarily suspended several times by the Moldovan Constitutional Court for rejecting ministerial appointments and for refusing to sign legislation
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Ion CHICU (since 14 November 2019)
- cabinet:
- Cabinet proposed by the prime minister-designate, nominated by the president, approved through a vote of confidence in Parliament
- elections/appointments:
- president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term);
- election last held on 15 November 2020 (next to be held in fall 2024);
- 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 for his/her proposed work program from the Parliament
- election results:
- Maia SANDU elected president;
- percent of vote - Maia SANDU (PAS) 57.8%, Igor DODON (PSRM) 42.2%;
- Ion CHICU designated prime minister;
- Parliament vote - 62 of 101
Legislative branch
- description:
- unicameral Parliament (101 seats; 51 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 50 members directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote; all members serve 4-year terms
- elections:
- last held on 24 February 2019 (next scheduled for February 2023)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - PSRM 31.2%, ACUM (PPDA + PAS) 26.8%, PDM 23.6%, PS 8.3%, other 10.1%;
- seats by party - PSRM 35, ACUM (PPDA + PAS) 26, PDM 30, PS 7, independent 3;
- composition - men 78, women 23, percent of women 22.8%
Judicial branch
- highest courts:
- Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief judge, 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 the president upon the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistracy, an 11-member body of judicial officials;
- all judges serve 4-year renewable terms;
- Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy for 6-year terms;
- court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year term
- subordinate courts:
- Courts of Appeal;
- Court of Business Audit;
- municipal courts
Political parties and leaders
- represented in Parliament:
- Action and Solidarity Party or PAS [Maia SANDU]; Democratic Party of Moldova or PDM [Vladimir PLAHOTNIUC]; Dignity and Truth Platform or PPDA [Andrei NASTASE]; NOW Platform or ACUM (PPDA + PAS); Shor Party or PS [Ilan SHOR]; Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PSRM [Zinaida GRECEANII]; not represented in Parliament, participated in recent elections (2014-2019):; Anti-Mafia Movement or MPA [Sergiu MOCANU]; Centrist Union of Moldova or UCM [Mihai PETRACHE]; Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Victor CIOBANU]; Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]; Conservative Party or PC [Natalia NIRCA]; Democracy at Home Party or PDA [Vasile COSTIUC]; Democratic Action Party or PAD [Mihai GODEA]; Ecologist Green Party or PVE [Anatolie PROHNITCHI]; European People’s Party of Moldova or EPPM [Iurie LEANCA]; Law and Justice Party or PLD [Nicolae ALEXEI]; Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova or PLDM [Tudor DELIU]; Liberal Party or PL [Dorin CHIRTOACA]; "Motherland" Party or PP [Sergiu BIRIUCOV]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]; Our Home Moldova or PCNM [Grigore PETRENCO]; Our Party or PN [Renato USATII]; Party of National Unity [Anatol SALARU]; People’s Party of Moldova or PPRM [Alexandru OLEINIC]; Regions Party of Moldova or PRM [Alexandr KALININ]; Socialist People’s Party of Moldova or PPSM [Victor STEPANIUC]
International organization participation
BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, 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 Eugen CARAS (since 17 July 2020)
- chancery:
- 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 667-1130
- FAX:
- [1] (202) 667-1204
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Dereck J. HOGAN (since 15 October 2018)
- telephone:
- [373] (22) 40-8300
- embassy:
- 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
- mailing address:
- use embassy street address
- FAX:
- [373] (22) 23-3044
Flag description
- three equal vertical bands of Prussian blue (hoist side), chrome yellow, and vermilion red;
- emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of dark gold (brown) 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 displays a mirrored image of the 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
National anthem
- name:
- "Limba noastra" (Our Language)
- lyrics/music:
- Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA
note: adopted 1994
Economy
Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe.
34 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2017 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP · (2017 est.)
Economic overview
Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe. With a moderate climate and productive farmland, Moldova's economy relies heavily on its agriculture sector, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, wheat, and tobacco. Moldova also depends on annual remittances of about $1.2 billion - almost 15% of GDP - from the roughly one million Moldovans working in Europe, Israel, Russia, and elsewhere.
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 more than $6 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result of unreimbursed natural gas consumption in the breakaway region of Transnistria.
Moldova and Romania inaugurated the Ungheni-Iasi natural gas interconnector project in August 2014. The 43-kilometer pipeline between Moldova and Romania, allows for both the import and export of natural gas. Several technical and regulatory delays kept gas from flowing into Moldova until March 2015.
Romanian gas exports to Moldova are largely symbolic. In 2018, Moldova awarded a tender to Romanian Transgaz to construct a pipeline connecting Ungheni to Chisinau, bringing the gas to Moldovan population centers. Moldova also seeks to connect with the European power grid by 2022.
The government's stated goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2017, largely driven by increased consumption, increased revenue from agricultural exports, and improved tax collection. During fall 2014, Moldova signed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU (AA/DCFTA), connecting Moldovan products to the world’s largest market.
The EU AA/DCFTA has contributed to significant growth in Moldova’s exports to the EU. In 2017, the EU purchased over 65% of Moldova’s exports, a major change from 20 years previously when the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) received over 69% of Moldova’s exports. A $1 billion asset-stripping heist of Moldovan banks in late 2014 delivered a significant shock to the economy in 2015;
the subsequent bank bailout increased inflationary pressures and contributed to the depreciation of the leu and a minor recession. Moldova’s growth has also been hampered by endemic corruption, which limits business growth and deters foreign investment, and Russian restrictions on imports of Moldova’s agricultural products.
The government’s push to restore stability and implement meaningful reform led to the approval in 2016 of a $179 million three-year IMF program focused on improving the banking and fiscal environments, along with additional assistance programs from the EU, World Bank, and Romania.
Moldova received two IMF tranches in 2017, totaling over $42.5 million. Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to corruption, political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, energy import dependence, Russian political and economic pressure, heavy dependence on agricultural exports, and unresolved separatism in Moldova's Transnistria region.
Agriculture - products
- vegetables, fruits, grapes, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, tobacco;
- beef, milk;
- wine
Industries
- sugar processing, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery;
- foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines;
- hosiery, shoes, textiles
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$2.803 billion (31 December 2017 est.) · $2.206 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 18.49 (2017 est.) · 19.924 (2016 est.) · 19.924 (2015 est.) · 19.83 (2014 est.) · 14.036 (2013 est.)
Energy
24 fieldsElectrification% of population · (2020)
Installed generating capacity, 515,000 kW(2016 est.)
Communications
7 fieldsPer 100 inhabitants(2018–19 est.)
Telecommunication systems
- general assessment:
- the mobile market has extended the reach of services to outside the cities and across most of the country;
- endeavors to join the EU have promoted regulatory issues to be in line with EU principles and standards;
- LTE services available;
- market is competitive with 94 ISPs active;
- by mid-2019 fiber accounted for about 62% of all fixed broadband connections;
- most telecom revenue is from the mobile market (2020)
- domestic:
- competition among mobile telephone providers has spurred subscriptions;
- little interest in expanding fixed-line service 27 per 100;
- mobile-cellular teledensity sits at 89 per 100 persons (2019)
- international:
- country code - 373;
- service through Romania and Russia via landline;
- satellite earth stations - at least 3 - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide;
overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
Broadcast media
- state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 1 TV and 1 radio station;
- a total of nearly 70 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation;
- Russian and Romanian channels also are available (2019)
Transportation
10 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved left, unpaved right
Networkskm
National air transport system
- number of registered air carriers:
- 6 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21
- annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:
- 1,135,999 (2018)
- annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:
- 640,000 mt-km (2018)
Railways
- total:
- 1,171 km (2014)
- standard gauge:
- 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
- broad gauge:
- 1,157 km 1.520-m gauge (2014)
Merchant marine
- total:
- 142
- by type:
- bulk carrier 4, container ship 4, general cargo 98, oil tanker 8, other 28 (2019)
Military and Security
5 fieldsPersonnel strengthsone square, 100 people · (2019 est.)
Military and security forces
- National Army:
- Land Forces Command, Air Forces Command (includes air defense unit);
- Carabinieri Troops (a component of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that also has official status as a service of the Armed Forces during wartime) (2020)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
- the Moldovan military's inventory is limited and almost entirely comprised of older Russian and Soviet-era equipment;
- since 2000, it has received small amounts of donated material from other nations, including the US (2019 est.)
Military service age and obligation
- 18-27 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service;
- male registration required at age 16;
- 1-year service obligation (2019)
note: Moldova intends to abolish military conscription by 2021
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
- refugees (country of origin):
- 6,779 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015)
- stateless persons:
- 3,500 (2019)
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 2020. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/moldova/2020.