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 Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, 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, following the opposition's gain of a narrow majority in July parliamentary elections and the Communist Party's (PCRM) subsequent inability to attract the three-fifths of parliamentary votes required to elect a president. Moldova's four opposition parties formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), which will act as Moldova's governing coalition until new parliamentary elections can be held, possibly in summer 2010. Moldova experienced significant political uncertainty in 2009, holding two general elections (in April and July) and four presidential ballots in parliament, all of which failed to secure a president.

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

slightly larger than Maryland

moderate winters, warm summers

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods

landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

4,320,748 (July 2010 est.)

11.12 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

10.78 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.28 children born/woman (2010 est.)

fewer than 100 (2007 est.)

Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)

Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)

Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiu), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)

27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

adopted 29 July 1994; effective 27 August 1994; note - replaced 1979 Soviet constitution

based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members elected on an at-large basis by popular vote to serve four-year terms)

Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)

BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

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; similar color scheme to the flag of Romania - with whom 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

Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite recent progress from its small economic base. It enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import almost all of its energy supplies. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy was underscored at the end of 2005, when a Russian-owned electrical station in Moldova's separatist Transnistria region cut off power to Moldova and Russia's Gazprom cut off natural gas in disputes over pricing. In January 2009, gas supplies were cut during a dispute between Russia and Ukraine. Russia's decision to ban Moldovan wine and agricultural products, coupled with its decision to double the price Moldova paid for Russian natural gas, slowed GDP growth in 2006-07. However, in 2008 growth exceeded 7%, boosted by Russia's partial removal of the bans, solid fixed capital investment, and strong domestic demand driven by remittances from abroad. The country reversed course again in 2009, due to the onset of the global financial crisis and poor economic conditions in Moldova's main foreign markets, which dramatically decreased remittances. GDP fell about 8% in 2009. Unemployment almost doubled and inflation disappeared - at 0%, a record low. Moldova's IMF agreement expired in May 2009. In fall 2009, the IMF allocated $186 million to Moldova to cover its immediate budgetary needs, and the government signed an new agreement with the IMF in January 2010 for a program worth $574 million. Economic reforms have been slow because of corruption and strong political forces backing government controls. Nevertheless, the government's primary goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. The granting of EU trade preferences and increased exports to Russia will encourage higher growth rates, but the agreements are unlikely to serve as a panacea, given the extent to which export success depends on higher quality standards and other factors. The economy is making a modest recovery in 2010 but remains vulnerable to political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors as well as the presence of an illegal separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region.

$9.956 billion (2009 est.)

$10.79 billion (2008 est.)

$10.06 billion (2007 est.)

$5.403 billion (2009 est.)

1.283 million (2009 est.)

22.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

25.5% of GDP (2009 est.)

18.7% of GDP (2008 est.)

21.06% (31 December 2008)

18.83% (31 December 2007)

$1.116 billion (31 December 2008)

$965 million (31 December 2007)

$1.928 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.449 billion (31 December 2007)

$2.406 billion (31 December 2008)

$1.896 billion (31 December 2007)

$573.9 million (2004)

vegetables, fruits, grapes, grain, sugar beets,sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk; wine

sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles

3.617 billion kWh (2007 est.)

4.37 billion kWh (2007 est.)

240 million kWh (2007 est.)

2.931 billion kWh (2007 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

19,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

36 bbl/day (2007 est.)

14,230 bbl/day (2007 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

50 million cu m (2007 est.)

2.52 billion cu m (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$439.3 million (2009 est.)

-$987.4 million (2008 est.)

$1.329 billion (2009 est.)

$1.646 billion (2008 est.)

foodstuffs, textiles, machinery

Russia 23.77%, Italy 14.11%, Romania 12.74%, Germany 6.92%, Turkey 6.08%, Belarus 5.38% (2009)

$3.273 billion (2009 est.)

$4.866 billion (2008 est.)

mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles

Ukraine 19.9%, Romania 15.1%, Russia 14.52%, Germany 8.69%, Italy 5.7%, Belarus 4.38% (2009)

$1.48 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$1.672 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$3.97 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$4.125 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$NA (31 December 2009)

$1.813 billion (2008)

Moldovan lei (MDL) per US dollar - 11.105 (2009), 10.326 (2008), 12.177 (2007), 13.131 (2006), 12.6 (2005)

1.115 million (2008)

2.423 million (2008)

state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 television and 2 radio stations; a total of nearly 40 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation; Russian and Romanian channels also are available (2007)

424 km (on Dniester and Prut rivers) (2008)

National Army: Joint Operations Command (includes land forces, air and air defense, and special forces units), Logistics Command (2010)

18 years of age for compulsory military service; 17 years of age for voluntary service; male registration required at age 16; 12-month service obligation (2009)

0.4% of GDP (2005 est.)

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 OSCE supervision

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