|
Country
|
Moldova | 
Costa Rica |
|
Leader
|
President: Nicolae Timofti
|
President: Laura Chinchilla
|
|
Population
|
3,656,843
| 4,636,348
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
69.510 years
| 77.890 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Chisinau (Kishinev)
| San Jose
|
|
Largest city
|
| Chisinau (population: 635,994) | San Jose (population: 335,007) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.719
| 0.847
|
| GDP per capita |
$3,400 US
| $12,100 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99.1%
| 94.9%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2.9
| 5.1
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
21.8%
| 36.8%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
6.700%
| 6.500%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished
| Abolished
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic
| democratic republic
|
|
Independence date
|
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
| 15 September 1821 (from Spain)
|
| Religions |
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
| Roman Catholic 76.3%, Evangelical 13.7%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.3%, other Protestant 0.7%, other 4.8%, none 3.2%
|
| Languages |
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
| Spanish (official), English
|
| Exports |
foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
| bananas, pineapples, coffee, melons, ornamental plants, sugar; seafood; electronic components, medical equipment
|
| External Debt |
$5,200,000,000 $
| $10,050,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 10.326 (2008 est.), 12.177 (2007), 13.131 (2006), 12.6 (2005), 12.33 (2004)
| Costa Rican colones (CRC) per US dollar - 529.62 (2008 est.), 519.53 (2007), 511.3 (2006), 477.79 (2005), 437.91 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.400%
| 0.600%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
1
| 0
|
| Location |
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
| Central America, bordering both the Caribbean Sea and the North Pacific Ocean, between Nicaragua and Panama
|
| Area |
33,851 km sq
| 51,100 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 1,290 km
|
| Climate |
moderate winters, warm summers
| tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
|
|
|
|
