Care & Community - MOLDOVA Country Facts

Moldova

Population: 4.3 million (UN, 2005) Capital: Chisinau. Area: 33,800 sq km (13,050 sq miles) Major languages: Moldovan, Russian. MajorReligion: Christianity Life expectancy: 64 years (men), 71 years (women) Monetary unit: 1 leu = 100 bani. Main exports: Foodstuffs, animal and vegetable products, textiles. GNI per capita: US $880 (World Bank, 2006) International dialing code: +373

Geography

Moldova is in Eastern Europe and is landlocked by Romania to the West and the Ukraine to the East and South. The terrain is fairly flat and well suited to agriculture, as is the temperate climate of moderate winters and warm summers. Natural resources include lignite, phosphorites, gypsum and limestone.

People

Two thirds of Moldavans are of Romanian descent. However, there is an ongoing dispute over the distinction between Moldovans and Romanians - one group argue that Moldovans constitute an ethnic group separate from the Romanian ethnos, while the other group claims that Moldovans are a subgroup of the Romanian ethnos. A recent census concluded that the population of Moldova is divided as follows: 75.8% Moldovan, 8.4% Ukrainian, 5.9% Russian, 4.4% Gagauz, 2.2% Romanian, 1.9% Bulgarian and 1.4% undeclared or unclassified. 98% of the population is Eastern Orthodox Christian, and the other 2% are Jewish, Baptist or other. The standard Moldovan language is considered by most linguists to be identical to standard Romanian, which is an eastern Romance language. Colloquial spoken 'Moldovan' differs from Romanian because it has a distinct Russian influence. Native Russian is spoken by a significant minority of the population. Moldovan culture has the same roots as Romanian culture, and has been influenced by Roman colonization, the Byzantine Empire, neighboring Slavic and Magyar populations, Ottoman Turks, Slavic and Russian culture and most recently Western Europe, especially France (French influence can be seen in literature and art).

Brief History

The history of Moldova is short since it has only existed as an independent republic since the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Previously, the land now recognized as Moldova was divided into two separate regions, Bessarabia and Transnistria. Bessarabia had a predominantly Romanian population, while Transnistria had a Slavic population of Ukranians and Russians. This territory, which spans roughly from the Carpathain Mountains to the Dneister river, suffered numerous wars between the 16th and 19th centuries caused by disputes between the dominant powers, mainly Russia and the Ottoman Empire. In 1812, the Treaty of Bucharest granted control of Bessarabia (eastern Moldova) to the Russians, and Transnistria (western Moldova) to the Ottoman Empire. Following years of instability, unaccepted declarations of independence and Soviet rule, Moldova finally joined the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1991, and became a member of the United Nations in 1992. This move towards stability came just one year after the declaration by the region of Trans-Dniester of its independence from Moldova, which has resulted in years of fighting which continues today. Recently Moldova has suffered from the cutting off of their gas supply by Russian gas supplier Gazprom, when they refused to pay double the previous price for gas.

Politics

Moldova is a parliamentary democracy. The current president of Moldova is Vladimir Voronin who is head of the communist party, He was voted in for a second term in April 2005. Vornonin first took office in 2001, ending a decade of rule under the post-Soviet reformist government. Voronin has promised to resolve the Trans-Dniester issue and improve living standards and media freedom.

Economics

Moldova is the poorest country in Europe in terms of GDP per capita. It has no major mineral deposits but instead relies heavily on agricultural exports while having to import petroleum, coal and natural gas from Russia, as well as steel, machinery and automobiles. Despite converting to a market economy and launching an ambitious privatization programme, Moldova largely remains industrially undeveloped. Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors.