17 March 1861 (Kingdom of Italy proclaimed; Italy was not finally unified until 1870)
Religions
Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
Roman Catholic 90% (approximately; about one-third practicing), other 10% (includes mature Protestant and Jewish communities and a growing Muslim immigrant community)
Languages
Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Italian (official), German (parts of Trentino-Alto Adige region are predominantly German speaking), French (small French-speaking minority in Valle d'Aosta region), Slovene (Slovene-speaking minority in the Trieste-Gorizia area)
Exports
foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
engineering products, textiles and clothing, production machinery, motor vehicles, transport equipment, chemicals; food, beverages and tobacco; minerals, and nonferrous metals
External Debt
$5,200,000,000 $
$2,684,000,000,000 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)
euros (EUR) per US dollar - 0.6689 (2008 est.), 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.400%
1.800%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
1
28
Location
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Southern Europe, a peninsula extending into the central Mediterranean Sea, northeast of Tunisia
Area
33,851 km sq
301,340 km sq
Coastline
0 km
7,600 km
Climate
moderate winters, warm summers
predominantly Mediterranean; Alpine in far north; hot, dry in south
