Moldova

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THE MOLDOVA COAT OF ARMS
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Moldova - Location Map (2013) - MDA - UNOCHA.svg
Location of Moldova within the continent of Europe
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Map of Moldova
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Flag Description of Moldova:The Moldova flag was officially adopted on May 12, 1990.

Once part of Romania, Moldova's flag reflects that association, as the two countries use almost identical shades of red, yellow and blue in their national flags. The centered Moldova shield's main feature is a golden eagle holding an Orthodox Christian cross in its beak. The olive branch is said to symbolize peace.

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Official name Republica Moldova (Republic of Moldova)
Form of government unitary parliamentary republic with a single legislative body (Parliament [101])
Head of state President: Nicolae Timofti
Head of government Prime Minister: Iurie Leancă
Capital Chișinău
Official language See footnote 1.
Official religion none
Monetary unit Moldovan leu (plural lei)2
Population (2013 est.) 3,910,000COLLAPSE
Total area (sq mi) 13,067
Total area (sq km) 33,843
Urban-rural population

Urban: (2012) 41.7%
Rural: (2012) 58.3%

Life expectancy at birth

Male: (2011) 66.8 years
Female: (2011) 74.9 years

Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate

Male: not available
Female: not available

GNI per capita (U.S.$) (2013) 2,460

1Moldovan, a form of Romanian, is the state (official) language per article 13 of the constitution.

2The Transdniestrian ruble is the official currency of Transdniestria.

Background of Moldova

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 separatist region of Transnistria, composed of a Slavic majority population (mostly Ukrainians and Russians), but with a sizeable ethnic Moldovan minority. 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 and, by doing so, put into place a permanent government. Four Moldovan opposition parties formed a new coalition, the Alliance for European Integration (AEI), iterations of which have acted as Moldova's governing coalitions since. Moldova experienced significant political uncertainty between 2009 and early 2012, holding three general elections and numerous presidential ballots in parliament, all of which failed to secure a president. Following November 2010 parliamentary elections, a reconstituted AEI-coalition consisting of three of the four original AEI parties formed a government, and in March 2012 was finally able to elect an independent as president. As of late May 2013, the ruling coalition - comprised of two of the original AEI parties and a splinter group from a third - is called the Pro-European Coalition. In November 2013, the Moldovan Government initialed an Association Agreement with the European Union (EU), advancing the coalition's policy priority of EU integration.

Moldova, country lying in the northeastern corner of the Balkan region of Europe. Formerly known as Bessarabia, this region was an integral part of the Romanian principality of Moldavia until 1812, when it was ceded to Russia by its suzerain, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Bessarabia remained a province of the Russian Empire until after World War I, when it became a part of Greater Romania, and it reverted to Russian control in 1940–41 and again after World War II, when it was joined to a strip of formerly Ukrainian territory, the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, on the left bank of the Dniester River (Moldovan: Nistru) to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic. Upon the collapse of the Soviet Union in August 1991, this republic declared its independence and took the name Moldova. It became a member of the United Nations in 1992. The capital city is Chișinău.

Since its independence in 1991, Moldova has been beset with an array of challenges stemming from four problematic situations. First, the country has sought to establish a viable state where no tradition of self-government and sovereignty had existed before. Second, without a local political tradition, it was difficult for Moldova to agree on a constitution and to find political leaders untainted by association with the highly centralized, authoritarian Soviet Union. Third, the transition from a controlled economy to a free market economy has been rocky. A largely agricultural economy based on state and collective farms had been developed under Soviet rule. When many of these farms were broken up and turned over to individuals after independence, considerable dislocation, loss of productivity, and allegations of corruption resulted. Finally, the economic transition was further impeded by the fact that much of Moldovan industry was located in the separatist region of Transdniestria, which had proclaimed independence from Moldova in 1990, resulting in a brief civil war. Although a cease-fire was declared in 1992, relations remained tense between Moldova and Transdniestria, and Russian troops are still present in the security zone. Transdniestria is also the source of much of Moldova’s electricity, which has been cut off at various times. Thus, Moldova’s road to nationhood has remained bumpy—from the first efforts at nation-building to the country’s pursuit of peace and prosperity in the 21st century.

Geography of Moldova

The Land

Moldova is bounded by Ukraine to the north, east, and south and by Romania to the west. The bulk of the republic lies between the great meandering Prut and Dniester rivers.

Relief

Moldova lies to the east of the great arc of the Carpathian Mountains. It is underlain mostly by deep sedimentary rocks covering the southwestern portion of the ancient structural block known as the Russian, or East European, Plain. Harder crystalline rocks outcrop only in the north. Its surface is a hilly plain, with an average elevation of 482 feet (147 metres), cut by a deep network of river valleys, ravines, and gullies.

The uplands of the centre of the republic, the Codri Hills, lie at an average elevation of about 1,150 to 1,300 feet (350 to 400 metres), and the highest point, Mount Bălănești, in the west, reaches 1,407 feet (429 metres). These uplands are interlaced by deep, flat valleys, ravines, and landslide-scoured depressions separated by sharp ridges. Steep forested slopes account for much of the terrain. The Dniester uplands, their eastern slopes forming the high right bank of the Dniester River, border the central uplands on the east and northeast.

The northern landscape of Moldova is characterized by the level plain of the Bălți steppe (500 to 650 feet [150 to 200 metres] in elevation) and also by uplands averaging twice this elevation, culminating in Vysokaya Hill (1,053 feet [321 metres]). The northern uplands include the strikingly eroded Medobory-Toltry limestone ridges, which border the Prut River.

In the south, the extensive Bugeac Plain is broken by numerous ravines and gullies, while, in the east, left-bank Moldova includes spurs of the Volyn-Podolsk Upland cut into by tributaries of the Dniester.

Drainage

Moldova has a well-developed network of rivers and streams, all draining south to the Black Sea, but only about one-tenth of these exceed 6 miles (10 km) in length, and even fewer exceed 60 miles (100 km). In fact, many of these are small, shallow streams that dry up during the summer. The Dniester, the rapidly flowing main artery, is navigable almost throughout the republic; the river becomes swollen by spring snowmelt from the Carpathians and by heavy summer rains. It does not freeze over during warmer winters. The other, smaller, main artery, the Prut, is a tributary of the Danube River, which it joins at the extreme southern tip of the country. The Ialpug, Cogâlnic, and other small southern rivers drain largely into the Danubian estuary in nearby Ukraine. Underground water, extensively used for the republic’s water supply, includes more than 2,000 natural springs. The terrain favours construction of reservoirs.

Soils

The soils of Moldova are varied and highly fertile, with chernozem—rich black soils—covering three-fourths of the republic. The best-developed chernozem, fostering the growth of grain, tobacco, and sugar beets, is found in the north and in the low-lying parts of the central and Dniester uplands, as well as in the left-bank regions. Soil quality diminishes southward, but grapes and sunflowers still can be grown. Brown and gray forest soils characterize the uplands: two-fifths are covered by forests, the rest by orchards, vineyards, and fields of grain. Alluvial soils characterize the floodplains, while the lower reaches of the Prut and southern river valleys have saline and marshland soils. In general, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides during the Soviet period has resulted in significant contamination of the soil and groundwater.

Climate

Moldova’s climate—warm and moderately continental—is characterized by a lengthy frost-free period, a comparatively mild winter, considerable temperature fluctuations, and, in the south, extended droughts. The average annual temperature is in the mid-40s F (about 8 °C) in the north and the low 50s F (about 10 °C) in the south, but the July averages rise to the upper 60s and low 70s F (about 19 and 23 °C), respectively, and the mercury seldom drops below the low 20s F (about −3 °C) in January. Extreme lows near −30 °F (about −36 °C) in the north and excessive highs near 100 °F (about 41 °C) in the south have been recorded. Moldova receives highly variable amounts of precipitation—usually averaging about 20 inches (500 mm) annually, with totals a little lower in the south—but these figures conceal variations that may double the quantity in some years and result in prolonged dry spells in others. Most precipitation occurs as rain in the warmer months, and heavy summer showers, coupled with the irregular terrain, cause erosion problems and river silting. Winter snow cover is thin. Winds tend to come from either the northwest or the southeast.

Plant and animal life

Northern and central Moldova is a forest zone, while a steppe belt crosses the south. There are more than 1,500 species of plants in the republic, with scenic expanses of forest, covering about 1,150 square miles (3,000 square km), of particular importance, especially in the central Codri Hills region. The most common trees are hornbeam and oak, followed by a rich variety including linden, maple, wild pear, and wild cherry. Beech forests are found at the sources of the Ikel and Bâc rivers. At the beginning of the 19th century, forests covered about one-third of the country; however, a large increase in population severely reduced the forested areas. The extensive deforestation in the 19th century has also resulted in soil erosion, wind damage, a drop in the water table, flooding, and loss of fauna. Well aware of the raft of problems caused by the loss of so much of Moldova’s woodlands, authorities and scientists have lobbied for increased afforestation plans, and large-scale reforestation projects have been carried out in the republic since the early 1990s. The state’s plans have met resistance from peasants who are fearful that their agricultural and grazing lands will be converted into less profitable forests, however.

Moldova’s steppes originally were grass-covered, but most of them are now cultivated. Lush meadows and reed growths occur in the floodplains of the Dniester and portions of the Prut, while salt-marsh grasslands flourish in the saline valleys of the Cogâlnic, Ialpug, Botna, and lower Prut.

The animal life of Moldova is rich, despite the republic’s small size. Mammals include wild boar, wolves, badgers, wildcats, ermines, martins, and polecats. Roe deer, hare, foxes, and muskrat are of commercial importance. Siberian stags, fallow deer, and spotted deer also were successively introduced and are now prevalent.

There are many species of birds, both resident and migratory. The marshy lower reaches of Moldova’s rivers provide sanctuary for wild geese, migratory ducks, and herons, while white-tailed sea eagles are found in the floodplain forests. The wood lark, jay, song thrush, blackbird, hawk, and long-eared owl frequent the republic’s forests. Plentiful fish supplies include carp (raised in artificial reservoirs), perch, bream, ruff, and pike.


Demography of Moldova

The People

  • Ethnic groups

About three-fourths of Moldova’s population consists of ethnic Moldovans. There are smaller populations of Ukrainians, Russians, Gagauz, Roma (Gypsies), and Bulgarians. The Ukrainian population of Moldova, the largest minority group, is divided between those who are native to the country (their ancestors having farmed for centuries in what is now Moldova) and those who migrated to Moldova during the periods of Russian and Soviet control. The former group makes up the majority of Ukrainians in Moldova.

Moldova’s Russian population arrived during the periods of Russian imperial and Soviet rule, usually as civil servants and labourers. The Gagauz, a mainly rural people, have lived on the Bugeac Plain since the late 18th century. The country’s ethnic Bulgarians also are mainly rural and inhabit the southern districts, where they settled at the end of the 18th century. Only a small percentage of Moldovan citizens identify themselves as Roma.

  • Languages

Moldovan is designated as the country’s official language in the constitution. During the Russian imperial and Soviet periods, the Moldavian language (as it was then called) was written in the Cyrillic alphabet. Soviet scholars, mainly for political reasons, insisted that this language was an independent Romance language that was distinct from Daco-Romanian (see Romanian). In fact, Daco-Romanian and Moldovan are virtually identical, and differences between the two are confined to phonetics and vocabulary. In 1989 the script of the Moldovan language was changed to the Latin alphabet; thereupon began a heated debate over whether the language should be called Romanian or Moldovan. By the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, there was general agreement from both sides that Moldovan and Romanian were in fact the same language. Nevertheless, Moldovan pride in the Moldovan language is reflected in the country’s national anthem, “Limba Noastra” (“Our Language”), and the national motto, Limba Noastra-i o Comoara (“Our Language is a Treasure”).

Some of Moldova’s ethnic communities have preserved their respective languages, but not without accommodations brought about by urbanization. Those who have been drawn to the cities, especially ethnic Moldovans, often have accepted Russian as a second language. Few, however, have abandoned their native language, and bilingualism has become the norm. The Moldovan state acknowledges and protects the right to preserve, develop, and use Romanian, Russian, Ukrainian, and any other languages spoken within the country’s borders. Gagauz is the official language in the autonomous area of Gagauz, but Moldovan, Romanian, and Russian are spoken there as well. Although the Gagauz language is Turkic in origin, it was traditionally written with the Cyrillic alphabet; however, since 1989 the Gagauz have developed a Latin script.

  • Religion

During the period of Soviet rule, the influence of churches in Moldovan public life was limited by the religious policy imposed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU): separation of church and state, exclusion of the churches from education, and subjection of the faithful to atheistic propaganda. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, all churches have undergone a revival and have striven to regain their former prominence. The overwhelming majority of ethnic Moldovans, Russians, Gagauz, and Ukrainians are Eastern Orthodox Christians. There are also other Christians and smaller Muslim and Jewish communities. The Jewish community is overwhelmingly urban and began to enter present-day Moldova in substantial numbers after 1800, but its numbers have been greatly reduced by wars, the Holocaust, and emigration (since the creation of the Moldovan republic, there has been considerable emigration of Jews to Russia, Ukraine, and Israel). About one-fifth of Moldova’s residents consider themselves nonreligious.

  • Settlement patterns

Economic policies imposed during the Soviet era brought significant changes to both the countryside and cities. The pace of urbanization was dramatic, in part because Moldova was the least urban of all the Soviet republics. Industrialization spurred the growth of large and small cities in every part of the republic, but nowhere more so than in the capital, Chișinău, the economic, administrative, and cultural centre of the republic. The collectivization of agriculture during the Soviet period concentrated population in large villages, most of which have between 1,000 and 5,000 inhabitants. As villages assumed new economic and administrative functions, they became more modern in level of comfort and in the public services they could provide.

After independence the population of Moldova became even more urban as the movement from the countryside to the cities became continuous. At that time ethnic Moldovans were relative newcomers to the cities, and in the early 21st century they accounted for only about one-third of all urban inhabitants. The majority of the remainder of ethnic Moldovans reside in the rural areas in the centre and north of the republic. A majority of the Ukrainian population lives in urban centres, with approximately one-fourth of them living in the eastern section of the breakaway region of Moldova known as Transdniestria (Transnistria; Pridnestrovie), which is located on the east bank of the Dniester River. Russians constitute about one-fourth of Moldova’s urban population, but thousands of them have resettled in Transdniestria.

  • Demographic trends

During the 1960s the population of the republic grew rapidly; however, starting in 1970 it increased at a steady but slower rate. Since independence, though, Moldova’s population has decreased, largely owing to the emigration of Moldovans seeking economic opportunities elsewhere and to the virtual end of immigration from Russia and Ukraine, which had contributed to earlier population growth. Moreover, a sharp decline in the standard of living and in the quality and availability of public health and medical facilities in the early 1990s lowered life expectancy. Infant mortality and insufficient health care, especially in rural areas, were serious problems. The number of stillbirths and infant deaths, which had fallen significantly from the early 1970s to the early 1980s, rose in the late 1980s and remained high throughout the early 2000s. Although Moldova’s birth rate remains low compared with the world average, it is higher than that of nearby Romania, Ukraine, and Russia.


Economy of Moldova

During the communist era a diversified industry was established in Moldova, agriculture was modernized, and transport and the building industry were overhauled. Following independence, the government began the gradual transformation from a command (centrally planned) to a market economy, establishing a program to privatize many state enterprises primarily through distribution of ownership vouchers to the public. The transition has been slow and uneven because of corruption, lack of foreign investment, and other economic pressures. In the early 21st century Moldova was among the poorest countries in Europe.

  • Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

More than half of the country’s land is arable, and most of that land is used to grow temporary crops (those that are sown and harvested during the same agricultural year). About one-tenth of the land is used to cultivate permanent crops (those that are planted once but will not be replanted after each annual harvest). Agriculture has been highly mechanized, and almost all agricultural jobs are performed by machines. Virtually all landowners have access to electricity, and chemical pesticides and mineral fertilizers are widely used. Most Moldovan farmers dedicate large shares of land for export crops.

There was no large-scale private farming during the Soviet period, but collective farmers did have small plots for their own use. Private land ownership, consisting primarily of small holdings, was initiated in 1990. The amount of privately owned land grew slowly at first but proliferated after the advent of a government program of large-scale privatization in 1995. Conversely, collective farms (engaged mainly in cultivation of grain crops and mixed farming) and state farms (usually specializing in the cultivation and processing of a particular crop) began to diminish in importance. By the early 21st century, those who tended to privately owned farms outnumbered those who worked on collective and state farms 10 to 1.

Since 1940 the area used for vegetables, orchards, berries, and vineyards has undergone significant expansion. Viticulture, fruit and vegetable growing, and other specialized farming activities are particularly important, constituting about one-fourth of the commodity output of arable farming. Grapes are Moldova’s most important industrial crop, with the largest vineyards found in the southern and central regions. Most orchards are situated in northern and southeastern Moldova. Sunflower seeds, another significant crop, are grown throughout the republic, though the southeastern regions have the largest plantations. Sugar beets, a relatively new crop in Moldova, are cultivated in the north. Moldova also is a major tobacco grower. Vegetables are grown mainly in the southeast. The chief grain crops are winter wheat and corn (maize). Wheat is used for the republic’s own needs, and corn is exported as a seed crop. Most of the grain is grown in the north. Sheep and cattle breeding also are important, as is pig farming.

High rates of deforestation have greatly affected Moldova’s forestry sector. About two-thirds of the country’s forests are designated for wood supply, while the rest is protected in national nature reserves. Still, there is a shortage of forest resources, and Moldova has to import some wood from Russia. Wood in Moldova is mainly used for energy—more than one-half of the timber felled from the country’s forests is used for fuel. The remainder of the wood supply is used for construction, the production of furniture and other consumer goods, and packaging. All forests are owned by the state.

The main types of fish found in Moldova’s lakes and rivers are bream, carp, roach, catfish, pike, and perch. The country’s fish production decreased in the mid-1990s; thereafter, most fish-processing companies were privatized, and the amount of fish imported greatly exceeded the local catch. Dozens of foreign-owned companies are active in the importing, processing, and canning of fish. After 1991 aquaculture was largely privatized, with pond ownership being transferred to local municipal authorities, who began leasing the ponds for private fish farming.

  • Resources and power

Moldova’s greatest resources are its fertile soil and its climate, both of which contribute to the agricultural potential of the country. Other natural resources include limited quantities of lignite, found in the southern part of the country, and phosphorite and gypsum, which are found throughout Moldova. Deposits of natural gas also have been discovered in the southern part of the country.

Thermoelectric power plants are located in Chișinău, Băīți, and Tiraspol, and there are hydroelectric stations in Dubăsari and Camenca (Kamenka), on the Dniester River. The republic provides electricity to the southern regions of Ukraine and also to Bulgaria through a transmission line.

  • Manufacturing

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Moldova lost a large part of its manufacturing sector. This was due in part to the economic shock of the transition to a market economy and Moldova’s separation from the integrated economy of the Soviet Union and Soviet bloc. Moreover, the bulk of the country’s industry is located in the breakaway region of Transdniestria, though, owing to Transdniestria’s isolation from the rest of the country, manufacturing in the region has failed to live up to its potential.

The industrial sector of Moldova’s economy is concentrated mainly on food processing, with the machine-building, power-engineering, consumer-goods, and building-materials industries still undergoing development.

The food industry has numerous branches; sugar refining, wine making, canning, and oil pressing, as well as the production of essential oils, are especially significant. Moldova is an important exporter of wine, champagne, and brandy. For local needs the republic has flour and other mills and well-developed meat, dairy, and confectionery industries.

Machine building, established in the mid-1950s and centred on Chișinău, Bălți, Tiraspol, and Tighina, has remained important. Tractors made in Moldova are specially equipped for use in orchards and vineyards. Light industry includes the production of furs at Bălți, garments and knitwear at Chișinău and Tiraspol, footwear at Chișinău, and silk fabrics at Tighina. Building materials produced in Moldova include brick, limestone, tile, cement, slate, and concrete blocks. Râbnița is the leading centre of this industry.

  • Finance

The National Bank of Moldova began issuing its own currency, the Moldovan leu, in 1993. By the mid-1990s Moldova had stabilized the leu, brought inflation under control, and balanced the national budget. Transdniestria has its own currency, the ruble, and its own central bank.

  • Services

The services sector accounts for about one-third of Moldova’s gross domestic product. Most of the retail sector is located in the capital. Tourism (especially rural tourism) has grown since the 1990s. Local culture in Moldovan villages, traditional festivals, and the country’s many monasteries are of particular interest to international visitors; however, owing to its lack of hotels and its poor transportation infrastructure, the country is not always able to adequately accommodate visitors.

  • Labour and taxation

The pressures of inflation and the economic downturn that followed independence resulted in widespread unemployment and underemployment. As a result, average Moldovans have had to struggle to provide for their families. In many parts of the country, especially in the rural areas, the necessities of life are procured by barter rather than by purchase. Individual farmers tend to deliver their own goods to food stores.

A taxation system was created in Moldova in 1992 to facilitate the transition from a planned economy to a market economy. It was reformed in 1996 to improve the collection process. There are two levels of tax collection in Moldova—national and local. National taxes include an income tax, a value-added tax (VAT), excise taxes, property taxes, and customs and road duties. Local taxes are collected on land, property, and use of natural resources.

  • Trade

Prior to 1991 Moldova traded almost exclusively within the Soviet Union. Today the states of the former Soviet Union remain important markets for Moldova, whose main trading partners are Russia, Ukraine, Romania, and Belarus, as well as Germany and Italy. Foodstuffs, beverages (notably wine), and tobacco products make up the bulk of Moldova’s exports, followed by apparel and agricultural goods. Moldova’s main imports are mineral products (notably petroleum products), machinery, chemical products, and textiles for reexport.

  • Transportation and telecommunications

Railway and motor transport are the basis of the republic’s transport system. The railway network includes two main lines—one linking Tiraspol, Chișinău, and Ungheni and the other linking Tiraspol and Reni. Incoming freight includes coal, petroleum products, iron and nonferrous metals, timber, mineral fertilizers, and machines and equipment. Motor transport generally carries freight inside Moldova, over a road network that is nearly all paved but generally needing repair. River transport is of local importance, and air transportation links Moldova with other countries. The republic’s main airport is in Chișinău.

Telecommunications are regulated by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The industry was privatized in 1997; nevertheless, Moldova has one of the lowest numbers of cellular phone and Internet users of all the former countries of the Soviet Union.


Government and Society of Moldova

Constitutional framework

A new constitution, which replaced the 1978 document that had provided for a Soviet-style government structure, was approved by the Moldovan parliament in July 1994 and promulgated on August 27 of that year. Describing the republic as a “sovereign, independent” state in which “justice and political pluralism” are guaranteed, this constitution formally established a unicameral parliament whose members are directly elected to four-year terms. By secret ballot they elect the president, who serves as the head of state, to a four-year term.The president shares executive power with the Council of Ministers (cabinet), which is led by the prime minister, who is designated by the president (after consultation with the parliamentary majority) and approved by the parliament. The council is responsible for implementing the domestic and foreign policy of the state.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Gagauz in the south and Russians east of the Dniester River declared their own independent republics. The Moldovan government addressed the desires of the Gagauz in January 1995 by establishing an autonomous administrative region known as Găgăuzia. Its capital is in Comrat, where a governor (bașkan), an executive committee, and a legislature sit (foreign policy, defense, and monetary issues in Găgăuzia are still under the control of the Moldovan government). Neither the Moldovan government nor the international community has recognized the independent republic of Transdniestria (Pridnestrovie; Transnistria), whose name is derived from its location beyond (on the eastern side of) the Dniester River. Under Transdniestria’s constitution its president also serves as prime minister, and there is a unicameral legislature. The self-proclaimed republic also has its own flag and anthem. In response to the region’s aspirations, the 1994 Moldovan constitution had authorized “special status” for the semiautonomous territory of Transdniestria, as it had for Găgăuzia. This offer was rejected by Transdniestria’s government, and an overwhelming majority of Transdniestrian residents voted for independence in a 2006 referendum (though the subsequent declaration of independence was not recognized elsewhere).

Local government

Tiraspol1.jpg
Town hall, Tiraspol, Moldv.

Following Soviet rule, Moldova was reorganized into județ (counties), the municipality of Chișinău, and the autonomous region of Găgăuzia. In 2003 the country was restructured again, with previous divisions replaced by raione (districts), municipii (municipalities; including Chișinău), and Găgăuzia. At a more local level, Moldova is administered by elected town and village councils and mayors; their activities are coordinated by district councils, which also are elected.

Justice

The judicial system comprises the Supreme Court of Justice (with members appointed by the parliament), a Court of Appeal, and lower courts (whose members are appointed by the president). The Higher Magistrates’ Council nominates judges and oversees their transfer and promotion.

Political process

The Communist Party of Moldavia—until 1990 the only legal party—was dissolved in 1991 but was legalized as the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (Partidul Comuniștilor din Republica Moldova; PCRM) in 1994. Following independence a variety of political parties emerged, many of them later to divide or to merge with other parties or coalitions. Some of these parties are based on ethnicity (including the Gagauz People’s Party) and advocacy of independence or unification with either Romania or Russia. A national referendum on Moldova’s status as an independent country was held on March 6, 1994, with a large turnout of eligible voters. More than 95 percent voted in favour of continued independence. Moldovans aged 18 or older are eligible to vote in elections. In elections in the 1990s and early 2000s, about three-fifths of eligible voters cast ballots.

Health and welfare

Since the mid-1990s the quality and availability of health care in Moldova have improved. In 1991 the Moldovan government established social service programs to supplement the monthly income of the average citizen during the transition from a command to a market economy. These programs were designed to preserve and strengthen the social safety net put in place during the Soviet period. The Social Assistance Fund supplies the needy with medical payments and housing and food subsidies. The Social Security Fund provides pensions for workers, invalids, and soldiers, assists workers during illness or temporary disability, and aids the unemployed.

Education

Significant changes occurred in Moldovan society during the Soviet era. Illiteracy was eradicated, and, as in other Soviet republics, emphasis was placed on technical education in order to satisfy the steadily growing needs of agriculture and industry for specialists and a highly skilled workforce. Before 1940 the republic had only a few institutions of higher education and teacher-training colleges, as well as a theological seminary and an agricultural institute. Since then several institutions of higher education and numerous specialized middle schools have been established. Notable universities include the Moldovan State Agrarian University (founded in 1933 as an offshoot of the agriculture department of the University of Iași), the Moldova State University (1946), and the Technical University of Moldova (1964). They all provide instruction in Romanian and Russian, and since the early 1990s the Moldovan language has increasingly been introduced into the educational system. A vigorous program of Moldovan instruction in primary and secondary schools was implemented in 2000.

The Moldova Academy of Sciences, established in Chișinău in 1946, coordinates the activities of scientific institutions. In addition, dozens of research centres in the fields of viticulture, horticulture, beet growing, grain cultivation, and wine making have been set up, and Moldovan scientists have won international acclaim in these fields.

Culture Life of Moldova

The culture of Moldova has been influenced by its Romanian origin, the roots of which reach back to the second century C.E., the period of Roman colonization in Dacia. During the Soviet era, the state directed cultural and intellectual life, meaning the theatre, motion pictures, television, and printed matter were censored and closely scrutinized.

  • Architecture

Chişinău's city center, built in the nineteenth century by the Russians, features a neoclassical style of architecture. While there are numerous small one-story houses in the center, the outskirts are dominated by Soviet-style residential buildings. Small towns combine Soviet-style administration buildings and apartment blocks with typical Moldovan, Ukrainian, Gagauz, Bulgarian, or German houses, depending on their original inhabitants. Each house has a garden, a vineyard, and are surrounded by low metal ornamented bars.

  • Art

Sixteenth-century icons are the oldest examples of Moldovan graphic arts. Early twentieth century sculptor Alexandru Plămădeală and architect A. Şciusev contributed to the heritage of Bessarabian arts. Nineteenth and twentieth century Bessarabian painters worked on landscape paintings as well as Soviet realism. Since independence, artists including Valeriu Jabinski, Iuri Matei, Andrei Negur, and Gennadi Teciuc have appeared. Folk traditions, including ceramics and weaving, continue to be practiced in rural areas.

  • Cuisine and wine

The national dish is mamaliga, a hard corn porridge. It is poured onto a flat surface in the shape of a cake and is served with cheese, sour cream, or milk. Historically a peasant food, it was often used as a substitute for bread or even as a staple food in the poor rural areas. However, in the last decades it has emerged as an upscale dish available in the finest restaurants. Other main foods are a mixture of vegetables and meat (chicken, goose, duck, pork, and lamb), filled cabbage and grape leaves, and zama and Russian borsch soups. Plăcintă is a pastry filled with cheese, potatoes, or cabbage.

Moldova has a well established wine industry. The imprints of Vitis teutonica vine leaves near the Naslavcia village in the north of Moldova, prove that grapes have grown there approximately six to 25 million years ago. The size of the grape seed imprints found near the Varvarovca village and which date to 2800 B.C.E., prove that at that time the grapes were already cultivated. It has a vineyard area of 147,000 hectares (ha), of which 102,500 ha are in commercial production. Most of the country's wine production is for export. Many families have their own recipes and strands of grapes that have been passed on through generations.

  • Literature

Oral literature and folklore prevailed until the nineteenth century. The first Moldovan books (religious texts) appeared in the mid-seventeenth century. Prince Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723), one of the most important figures of Moldavian culture of the eighteenth century, wrote the first geographical, ethnographical and economic description of the country in Descriptio Moldaviae (Berlin, 1714).

Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu (1838—1907) was a Romanian writer and philologist, who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history. Hasdeu is considered to have been able to understand 26 languages (many of which he could converse in).

Mihai Eminescu (1850-89) was probably the best-known and most influential Romanian language late romantic poet.

Other prominent figures include author Ion Creangă (1837-1889), Vladimir Besleagă, Pavel Boţu, Aureliu Busuioc, Nicolae Dabija, Ion Druţă, Victor Teleuca and Grigore Vieru. In 1991, a total of 520 books were published in Moldova, of which 402 were in Romanian, 108 in Russian, eight in Gagauz, and two in Bulgarian.

  • Music

Moldovan music is closely related to that of Romania. Moldovan folk is known for swift, complex rhythms (a characteristic shared with many Eastern European traditions), musical improvisation, syncopation and much melodic ornamentation

During the Soviet era, Moldovan folk culture flourished, and was strongly promoted by the government. However, many elements were altered to obscure the shared history of Romania and Moldova, because the Soviet Union wanted to discourage secessionism. The Mioriţa is ancient ballad that is an important part of Moldovan folk culture.

  • Theatre

In the early 1990s, Moldova had 12 professional theaters. All performed in Romanian, except the A.P. Chekhov Russian Drama Theater in Chişinău, and the Russian Drama and Comedy Theater in Tiraspol, both of which performed solely in Russian, and the Licurici Republic Puppet Theater (in Chişinău), which performed in both Romanian and Russian. Although, among those controlled tendencies by Soviets, real artists in music formed real art-bands, such as "Ciocîrlia" led by Serghei Lunchevici (Loonkevich),and "Lăutarii" of Nicolae Botgros. Members of ethnic minorities manage a number of folklore groups and amateur theaters throughout the country.

  • Sport

(Soccer) has traditionally been Moldova's national sport, however, rugby union has risen to become a popular sport with the national team earning promotion to Division one of the European Nations Cup with some brilliant displays attracting many spectators to their matches.

History of Moldova

A historic passageway between Asia and S Europe, Moldova was often subject to invasion and warfare. It is historically part of a greater Moldavia, the main part of which was an independent principality in the 14th cent. and came under Ottoman Turkish rule in the 16th cent. It became a highly fortified Turkish border region and was a frequent target in Russo-Turkish wars. East Moldavia passed to Russia in 1791. Russia acquired further Moldavian territory in 1793 and especially in 1812, when the Russians received all of Bessarabia (the name for the area of Moldavia between the Prut and Dniester rivers). The rest of Moldavia remained with the Turks and later passed to Romania, which seized Bessarabia in 1918.

In 1924, the USSR, refusing to sanction the seizure, established the Moldavian ASSR in Ukraine, with Balta and then (1929) Tiraspol as the capital. Romania was forced to cede Bessarabia to the USSR in 1940. The predominantly Ukrainian districts in the south and around Khotin in the north were incorporated into Ukraine, as were parts of the Moldavian ASSR; the rest was merged with what remained of the Moldavian ASSR and made a constituent republic (the Moldavian SSR). Taken by Romania in 1941, the republic was reconquered by the USSR in 1944. In June, 1990, the Moldavian SSR adopted a measure calling for greater sovereignty within the USSR. In Aug., 1991, Moldova, which is the Romanian name of the region, was declared an independent republic; Mircea Snegur was elected president, and it reluctantly joined the Russian-dominated Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

With independence, a guerrilla war began that sought secession of the Trans-Dniester Region, where there were many ethnic Russians who feared a Moldovan merger with Romania. In 1992 a cease-fire went into effect that granted limited autonomy to the region, and Russian troops were stationed there. In 1995, in a move termed illegal by the central government, residents overwhelmingly voted for independence from Moldova. A peace accord was signed in 1997, giving the region more autonomy but agreeing that Moldova would remain a single state; relations between the region and central government are occasionally tense. Gagauzia, a region dominated by ethnic Turks, was granted limited autonomy in 1994, with the right to secede in the event Moldova should merge with Romania.

In the first post-Soviet parliamentary elections in Moldova (1994), Snegur's Agrarian Democratic Party (ADP), running on a centrist platform and in opposition to unification with Romania, won a majority. Intraparty conflicts led to a split in the ADP in mid-1995, when Snegur organized the new centrist Party of Revival and Harmony. The pro-Moscow faction remained within the ADP. A crisis was precipitated in Mar., 1996, when Snegur attempted to remove the defense minister. The largely ADP army resisted Snegur's order, and his actions were subsequently ruled unconstitutional.

Petru Lucinschi, a former Communist running as an independent, won a presidential runoff election against Snegur in Dec., 1996. A coalition of center-right parties formed a goverment following legislative elections in 1998, although Communists won the largest bloc of seats in parliament. In 1999, Russia agreed to withdraw its remaining troops from Moldova by 2001, but about 1,500 remain in the Trans-Dniester Region. The Communist party won nearly 50% of the vote and 71 parliamentary seats in the 2001 elections; subsequently, Vladimir Voronin, a Communist, was elected president. Although they came to power advocating closer relations with Russia (and provoked antigovernment demonstrations by attempting to require Russian in schools and make it a second official language), the Communists became somewhat more pro-Western during the subsequent four years.

A Russian-sponsored accord on the Trans-Dniester Region was rejected in Nov., 2003, after mass demonstrations against it by Moldovans; the agreement would have permitted Russian troops to stay in the region in a buffer zone until 2020. An attempt by Trans-Dniester to force the use of the Cyrillic alphabet in its Moldovan-language schools led to heightened tensions between the breakaway region and Moldova in 2004, and led to economic retaliation by Moldova.

In the 2005 parliamentary elections the Communists won 46% of the vote and 56 seats, and the new parliament reelected Voronin. In mid-2005 the parliament passed a law that offered Trans-Dniester a special regional status in exchange for an end to its separatist movement. Moldova secured some leverage over Trans-Dniester in Mar., 2006, when Ukraine, partly in response to European Union concerns about smuggling, began requiring that goods coming from Trans-Dniester clear Moldovan customs. Russia subsequently (Apr., 2006) imposed a ban on the importation of Moldovan wines, brandies, and meat, ostensibly for sanitary reasons.

In Sept., 2006, Trans-Dniester held a referendum in which voters called for the region's independence and union with Russia, but it had little effect on the stalemate concerning the region's status. After Moldova threatened (Nov., 2006) to link its trade dispute with Russia to Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization, Russia and Moldova reached an agreement under which the importation bans were lifted. In Apr., 2008, there were talks between the leaders of Moldova and Trans-Dniester following signs of an accommodation between Moldova and Russia over Moldovan ties with the West. Further talks have been held since then, but have produced no significant change in the situation.

In Apr., 2009, the Communists again won the parliamentary elections, with roughly half the vote and 60 seats. The opposition accused the government of fraud and demanded a recount or a re-vote, and protests in the capital turned violent, leading to the storming of government buildings. The president accused Romania fomenting the violence, which Romania angrily denied; Moldova also expelled the Romanian ambassador. After the violence, President Voronin, who had rejected a recount, called for one. The recount confirmed the results, but the opposition called the recount procedure too narrow and boycotted it. The Communists, however, lacked enough seats in parliament to elect a president, and after two unsuccessful votes, parliament was dissolved in June and new elections called for July.

Although the Communists won a plurality of the seats, three pro-European opposition parties combined won a majority. In September, Voronin, who had remained on as acting president, resigned, and Mihai Ghimpu, the parliamentary speaker elected by the pro-European coalition, became acting president. The governing coalition, however, also was unable to secure enough votes to elect a president. A Sept., 2010, referendum on electing the president by direct popular vote failed to secure a large enough turnout to be binding, and parliament was subsequently dissolved.

Elections in November again gave a majority to the pro-European coalition, but not enough to guarantee that they could elect a president. Marian Lupu was elected parliamentary speaker in Jan., 2011, and became acting president; subsequent attempts to elect a president were unsuccessful until Mar., 2012, when Nicolae Timofti, a senior judge, was narrowly elected to the office. Disagreements in the governing coalition led the government to lose a confidence vote in Mar., 2013, and the cabinet resigned. In April, Iurie Leanca, the foreign minister, became acting prime minister, and the following month he was chosen as prime minister. Russia banned Moldova's wine and spirites in Sept., 2013, saying they contained impurities, but the ban as seen as political one resulting from Russia's displeasure with Moldova's moves toward joining the European Union.

Moldova in 2006

Moldova Area: 33,843 sq km (13,067 sq mi) Population (2006 est.): 4,192,000 (including more than a quarter million persons working abroad and about 550,000 persons in Transnistria) Capital: Chisinau ...>>>Read On<<<

Disclaimer

This is not the official site of this country. Most of the information in this site were taken from the U.S. Department of State, The Central Intelligence Agency, The United Nations, [1],[2], [3], [4], [5],[6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14],[15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24],[25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30],[31], [32], [33], [34], and the [35].

Other sources of information will be mentioned as they are posted.