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 breakaway region of Transnistria, composed of a Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians), but with a sizable ethnic Moldovan minority. Europe's poorest economy, 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. Four Moldovan opposition parties then formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), iterations of which acted as Moldova's governing coalitions over the next several years. In May 2013, two of the original AEI parties and a splinter group from a third re-formed a ruling coalition called the Pro-European Coalition. The Moldovan Government in summer 2014 signed and ratified an Association Agreement with the EU, advancing the Coalition's policy priority of EU integration. Following the country's most recent legislative election in November 2014, the three pro-European parties that entered Parliament won a total of 55 of the body's 101 seats. Infighting among coalition members led to prolonged legislative gridlock and political instability, as well as the collapse of two governments, all ruled by pro-European coalitions centered around the Liberal Democratic Party (PLDM) and the Democratic Party (PDM). A political impasse ended in January 2016 when a new parliamentary majority led by PDM, joined by defectors from the Communists and PLDM, supported Pavel FILIP as prime minister.
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
47 00 N, 29 00 E
Europe
total: 33,851 sq km
land: 32,891 sq km
water: 960 sq km
slightly larger than Maryland
total: 1,885 km
border countries (2): Romania 683 km, Ukraine 1,202 km
0 km (landlocked)
none (landlocked)
moderate winters, warm summers
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
mean elevation: 139 m
elevation extremes: lowest point: Dniester (Nistru) 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land
agricultural land: 74.9%
arable land 55.1%; permanent crops 9.1%; permanent pasture 10.7%
forest: 11.9%
other: 13.2% (2011 est.)
2,283 sq km (2012)
landslides
heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods
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
landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone
3,510,485 (July 2016 est.)
noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan
Moldovan 75.8%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.9%, Gagauz 4.4%, Romanian 2.2%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1%, unspecified 0.4% (2004 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region
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% (2004 est.)
note: represents language usually spoken
Orthodox 93.3%, Baptist 1%, other Christian 1.2%, other 0.9%, atheist 0.4%, none 1%, unspecified 2.2% (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 18.03% (male 326,244/female 306,543)
15-24 years: 12.87% (male 233,694/female 218,189)
25-54 years: 43.55% (male 768,933/female 760,002)
55-64 years: 13.36% (male 214,852/female 254,224)
65 years and over: 12.19% (male 165,811/female 261,993) (2016 est.)
total dependency ratio: 34.6%
youth dependency ratio: 21.2%
elderly dependency ratio: 13.4%
potential support ratio: 7.5% (2015 est.)
total: 36.3 years
male: 34.5 years
female: 38.3 years (2016 est.)
-1.04% (2016 est.)
11.8 births/1,000 population (2016 est.)
12.6 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.)
-9.5 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.)
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
urban population: 45% of total population (2015)
rate of urbanization: -0.73% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
CHISINAU (capital) 725,000 (2015)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.85 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.62 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
total number: 72,364
percentage: 16% (2009 est.)
23 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)
total: 12.3 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 14.1 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 10.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.)
total population: 70.7 years
male: 66.9 years
female: 74.8 years (2016 est.)
1.56 children born/woman (2016 est.)
67.8% (2005)
10.3% of GDP (2014)
2.98 physicians/1,000 population (2013)
6.2 beds/1,000 population (2012)
improved:
urban: 96.9% of population
rural: 81.4% of population
total: 88.4% of population
unimproved:
urban: 3.1% of population
rural: 18.6% of population
total: 11.6% of population (2015 est.)
improved:
urban: 87.8% of population
rural: 67.1% of population
total: 76.4% of population
unimproved:
urban: 12.2% of population
rural: 32.9% of population
total: 23.6% of population (2015 est.)
0.64% (2015 est.)
18,000 (2015 est.)
800 (2015 est.)
15.7% (2014)
2.2% (2012)
7.5% of GDP (2014)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.4%
male: 99.7%
female: 99.1% (2015 est.)
total: 12 years
male: 12 years
female: 12 years (2013)
24 (2013 est.)
total: 9.8%
male: 9.6%
female: 10.2% (2014 est.)
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
parliamentary republic
name: Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)
note: pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov)
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
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)
27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
history: previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994
amendments: proposed by voter petition (at least 200,000 eligible voters), by 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, a Moldovan Constitutional Court decision allowed for direct presidential elections, reversing a constitutional amendment allowing Parliament to select the president (2016)
civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Igor DODON (since 23 December 2016)
head of government: Prime Minister Pavel FILIP (since 20 January 2016)
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 13 November 2016 (next to be held in fall 2020); 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: Igor DODON elected president; percent of vote - Igor DODON (Socialist Party) 52.2%, Maia SANDU (Action and Solidarity Party) 47.8%; Pavel FILIP (Democratic Party) designated prime minister; Parliament vote - 57 of 101
description: unicameral Parliament (101 seats; members directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 4-year terms)
elections: last held on 30 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2018)
election results: percent of vote by party - PSRM 20.5%, PLDM 20.2%, PCRM 17.5%, PDM 15.8%, PL 9.7%, other 16.3%; seats by party - PSRM 25, PLDM 23, PCRM 21, PDM 19, PL 13
highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of a 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 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
represented in Parliament:
Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]
Democratic Party of Moldova or PDM [Marian LUPU]
Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova or PLDM [Valeriu STRELET, acting]
Liberal Party or PL [Mihai GHIMPU]
Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PSRM [Zinaida GRECEANII, acting]
not represented in Parliament:
Action and Solidarity Party or PAS [Maia SANDU]
Anti-Mafia Movement or MPA [Sergiu MOCANU]
Centrist Union of Moldova or UCM [Mihai PETRACHE]
Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]
Conservative Party or PC [Natalia NIRCA]
Democracy at Home Party or PPDA [Vasile COSTIUC]
Democratic Action Party or PAD [Mihai GODEA]
Dignity and Truth Platform or PDA [Andrei NASTASE]
Ecologist Green Party or PVE [Anatolie PROHNITCHI]
European People’s Party of Moldova or EPPM [Iurie LEANCA]
Popular Democratic Party of Moldova or PPDM [Valeriu PASAT]
Labor Party or PM [Marcel DARIE]
Liberal Reformers Party or PLR [Ion HADARCA]
“Motherland” Party or PP [Emilian CIOBU]
National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]
Our Home Moldova or PCNM [Grigore PETRENCO]
Our Party or PN [Renato USATII]
People’s Party of Moldova or PPRM [Alexandru OLEINIC]
Progressive Society Party or PSP [Oleg MATVEI]
Regions Party of Moldova or PRM [Alexandr KALININ]
“Right” Party or PD [Ana GUTU]
Russian-Slavean Party of Moldova or PRSM [Oleg TOPOLNITKI]
Shor Party or PS [Ilan SHOR]
Social Democratic Party or PSD [Victor SELIN]
Social-Political Movement “New Force” or MFN [Valeriu PLESCA]
Socialist People’s Party of Moldova or PPSM [Victor STEPANIUC]
United Moldova Party or PMUEM [Vladimir TURCAN]
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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
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Veaceslav PITUSCAN (since 26 August 2015)
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204
chief of mission: Ambassador James D. PETTIT (since 29 January 2015)
embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300
FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044
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
aurochs (a type of wild cattle); national colors: blue, yellow, red
name: "Limba noastra" (Our Language)
lyrics/music: Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA
note: adopted 1994
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, and tobacco. Moldova also dep
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 $5 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result
The government's stated goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2014 due to increased agriculture production, to economic policies adopted by the Moldovan government
Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to corruption, political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, higher fuel prices, Russian political and economic pressure, and unresolved separatism in Moldova
$18.54 billion (2016 est.)
$18.18 billion (2015 est.)
$18.26 billion (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
$6.65 billion (2015 est.)
2% (2016 est.)
-0.5% (2015 est.)
4.8% (2014 est.)
$5,200 (2016 est.)
$5,100 (2015 est.)
$5,100 (2014 est.)
note: data are in 2016 dollars
18.2% of GDP (2016 est.)
18% of GDP (2015 est.)
22.3% of GDP (2014 est.)
household consumption: 89.5%
government consumption: 20.6%
investment in fixed capital: 23.7%
investment in inventories: 1.3%
exports of goods and services: 43%
imports of goods and services: -78.1% (2016 est.)
agriculture: 14.1%
industry: 21.2%
services: 64.7% (2016 est.)
vegetables, fruits, grapes, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, tobacco; beef, milk; wine
sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles
3.5% (2016 est.)
1.253 million (2016 est.)
agriculture: 30.5%
industry: 12.2%
services: 57.3% (2014 est.)
6.3% (2016 est.)
5.2% (2015 est.)
20.8% (2013 est.)
lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 26% (2010 est.)
28.5 (2013)
33.2 (2003)
revenues: $2.297 billion
expenditures: $2.456 billion
note: National Public Budget (2016 est.)
34.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
-2.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
44.8% of GDP (2016 est.)
calendar year
7.4% (2016 est.)
9.7% (2015 est.)
19.5% (31 December 2015)
6.5% (31 December 2014)
note: this is the basic rate on short-term operations
15% (31 December 2016 est.)
14.2% (31 December 2015 est.)
$1.095 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.188 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$3.402 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$4.685 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$2.003 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$2.162 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$9.723 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$50.47 million (31 December 2014 est.)
$51.46 million (31 December 2012 est.)
-$189 million (2016 est.)
-$304 million (2015 est.)
$1.45 billion (2016 est.)
$1.507 billion (2015 est.)
foodstuffs, textiles, machinery
Romania 23.1%, Italy 10.2%, Turkey 9.4%, Russia 8%, Germany 6.6%, Belarus 6.4% (2015)
$3.45 billion (2016 est.)
$3.595 billion (2015 est.)
mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles
Russia 22.7%, Romania 18.1%, Ukraine 11.5%, Germany 7%, Italy 4.8%, Turkey 4.4% (2015)
$1.85 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$1.757 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$6.362 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
$6.207 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
$3.647 billion (31 December 2014 est.)
$3.615 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
$108.2 million (31 December 2012)
$88.42 million (31 December 2011)
Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar -
20.4 (2016 est.)
19.83 (2015 est.)
19.83 (2014 est.)
14.036 (2013 est.)
12.11 (2012 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2016)
4.3 billion kWh (2014 est.)
4.305 billion kWh (2014 est.)
0 kWh (2014 est.)
731 million kWh (2014 est.)
500,000 kW
note: excludes Transnistria (2014 est.)
96.4% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
3.6% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
0% of total installed capacity (2013 est.)
0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
20 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
354.3 bbl/day (2013 est.)
17,000 bbl/day (2014 est.)
586.1 bbl/day (2013 est.)
16,700 bbl/day (2013 est.)
0 cu m (2015 est.)
3.15 billion cu m
note: includes Transnistria; excluding Transnistria, consumption amounted to 2.92 billion cu m in 2015 (2014 est.)
0 cu m (2013 est.)
3.15 billion cu m
note: includes Transnistria; excluding Transnistria, imports amounted to 2.92 billion cu m in 2015 (2014 est.)
0 cu m (1 January 2014 es)
9.3 million Mt (2013 est.)
total subscriptions: 1,202,466
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34 (July 2015 est.)
total: 3.713 million
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105 (July 2015 est.)
general assessment: the mobile market has extended the reach of service to outside the cities and across most of the country
domestic: competition among mobile telephone providers has spurred subscriptions; little interest in expanding fixed-line service; mobile-cellular teledensity exceeds 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) (2015)
state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 1 TV and 1 radio stations; a total of nearly 70 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation; Russian and Romanian channels also are available (2016)
.md
total: 1.768 million
percent of population: 49.8% (July 2015 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 3
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 12
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 1,005,942
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 489,630 mt-km (2015)
ER (2016)
7 (2013)
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2013)
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
gas 1,906 km (2013)
total: 1,171 km
broad gauge: 1,157 km 1.520-m gauge
standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2014)
total: 9,352 km
paved: 8,835 km
unpaved: 517 km (2012)
558 km (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut rivers) (2011)
total: 121
by type: bulk carrier 7, cargo 88, carrier 1, chemical tanker 3, passenger/cargo 7, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 11, specialized tanker 1
foreign-owned: 63 (Bulgaria 1, Denmark 1, Egypt 5, Greece 1, Israel 2, Lebanon 1, Pakistan 1, Romania 2, Russia 5, Syria 5, Turkey 18, UK 3, Ukraine 14, Yemen 4) (2010)
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 (2016)
18 years of age for compulsory or voluntary military service; male registration required at age 16; 1-year service obligation (2016)
0.3% of GDP (2016)
0.3% of GDP (2015)
0.3% of GDP (2014)
0.3% of GDP (2012)
0.3% of GDP (2011)
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 (country of origin): 6,779 applicants for forms of legal stay other than asylum (Ukraine) (2015)
stateless persons: 5,014 (2015)
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
