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| Introduction | Moldova |
| Background: | Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of 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. |
| People | Moldova |
| Population: | 4,446,455 (July 2004 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 20.6% (male 466,485; female 449,645) 15-64 years: 69.1% (male 1,478,220; female 1,595,695) 65 years and over: 10.3% (male 169,026; female 287,384) (2004 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 32.1 years male: 29.9 years female: 34.3 years (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.18% (2004 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 14.81 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Death rate: | 12.76 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -0.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | 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 (2004 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 41 deaths/1,000 live births female: 37.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 43.96 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 65.03 years male: 60.88 years female: 69.39 years (2004 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.78 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.2% (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 5,500 (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | less than 300 (2001 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan |
| Ethnic groups: | Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.) note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region |
| Religions: | Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000) |
| Languages: | Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.1% male: 99.6% female: 98.7% (2003 est.) |
| Government | Moldova |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia local short form: none |
| Government type: | republic |
| Capital: | Chisinau |
| Administrative divisions: | 32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala) : counties: 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 : territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului : autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia |
| Independence: | 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
| National holiday: | Independence Day, 27 August (1991) |
| Constitution: | new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979 |
| Legal system: | based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents |
| Suffrage: | 18 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001) elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 4 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note - presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct, popular elections; Parliament's failure to choose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections in February 2001; prime minister designated by the president, upon consultation with Parliament; note - 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 elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101 cabinet: selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), First Deputy Prime Minister Vasile IOVV (since 29 January 2002); Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry TODOROGLO (since 19 April 2001) |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance (now Our Moldova Alliance) 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis Alliance (now Our Moldova Alliance) 19, PPCD 11 |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Democratic Modova Bloc [Serafim URECHEANU] includes: Democratic Party [Dumitru DIACOV], Our Moldova Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS, Serafim URECHEANU], Social Liberal Party [Oleg SEREBRIAN]; Communist Party of Moldova or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GUUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Mihail MANOLI FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Heather M. HODGES embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [373] (22) 408-300 FAX: [373] (22) 23-30-44 |
| Flag description: | 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 |
| Communications | Moldova |
| Telephones - main lines in use: | 706,900 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular: | 338,200 (2002) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau; some effort to modernize 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 |
| Radio broadcast stations: | AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998) |
| Radios: | 3.22 million (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations: | 1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995) |
| Televisions: | 1.26 million (1997) |
| Internet country code: | .md |
| Internet hosts: | 11,984 (2003) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): | 2 (1999) |
| Internet users: | 150,000 (2002) |
| Transportation | Moldova |
| Railways: | total: 1,138 km broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
| Highways: | total: 12,657 km paved: 11,012 km unpaved: 1,645 km (1999) |
| Waterways: | 424 km (2004) |
| Pipelines: | gas 606 km (2004) |
| Ports and harbors: | none |
| Airports: | 24 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways: | total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways: | total: 18 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 11 (2003 est.) |
| Military | Moldova |
| Military branches: | National Army: Ground Forces, Air Force |
| Military manpower - military age and obligation: | 18 years of age for compulsory military service; national service obligation - 12 months (2004) |
| Military manpower - availability: | males age 15-49: 1,186,818 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service: | males age 15-49: 942,071 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: | males: 44,466 (2004 est.) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure: | $9.5 million (FY03) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP: | 0.4% (FY02) |
| Transnational Issues | Moldova |
| Disputes - international: | difficulties with the Transnistria region complicate controlling border crossing and customs regimes with Ukraine, despite concordance on 2003 delimitation and customs protocols and OSCE assistance |
| Refugees and internally displaced persons: | IDPs: 1,000 (internal secessionist uprising in Transdniestrian region in 1991) (2004) |
| 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 |
| This page was last updated on 16 December, 2004 |
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