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Communications

Broadcast media (Radio) [time series]

broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA radios: NA

Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]

577,000 telephones; 134 telephones/1,000 persons; telecommunication system not well developed; 215,000 unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991) local: NA intercity: NA international: international connections to the other former Soviet republics by land line and microwave radio relay through Ukraine, and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; 1 EUTELSAT and 1 INTELSAT earth station

Broadcast media (Television) [time series]

broadcast stations: NA televisions: NA

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military expenditures (Defense expenditures) [time series]

$NA, 2% of GDP (1994) MONACO

Manpower availability [time series]

males age 15-49 1,116,912; males fit for military service 881,642; males reach military age (18) annually 35,447 (1995 est.)

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for about 40% of GDP; Moldova's principal economic activity; products are vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, meat, milk, tobacco

Budget [time series]

revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA note: budget deficit for 1993 approximately 6% of GDP

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

the leu (plural lei) was introduced in late 1993

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: joint EC-US loan (1993), $127 million; IMF STF credit (1993), $64 million; IMF stand-by loan (1993), $72 million; US commitments (1992-93), $61 million in humanitarian aid, $11 million in technical assistance; World Bank loan (1993), $60 million; Russia (1993), 50 billion ruble credit; Romania (1993), 20 billion lei credit

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 3,000,000 kW production: 8.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 1,830 kWh (1994)

Exchange rates [time series]

lei per US$1 - 4.277 (22 December 1994)

Exports [time series]

$144 million to outside the FSU countries (1994); over 70% of exports go to FSU countries commodities: foodstuffs, wine, tobacco, textiles and footwear, machinery, chemicals (1991) partners: Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Romania, Germany

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$300 million (as of 11 December 1994)

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit cultivator of opium poppy and cannabis; mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe

Imports [time series]

$174 million from outside the FSU countries (1994); over 70% of imports are from FSU countries commodities: oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, foodstuffs, automobiles, and other consumer durables partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate -30% (1994 est.)

Industries [time series]

key products are canned food, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, refined sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

7.6% per month (1994)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GDP - purchasing power parity - $11.9 billion (1994 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$2,670 (1994 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

-30% (1994 est.)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, Moldova's economy is primarily based on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, and energy shortages have contributed to sharp production declines since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. The Moldovan government is making steady progress on an ambitious economic reform agenda, and the IMF has called Moldova a model for the region. As part of its reform efforts, Chisinau has introduced a stable currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises and backed their steady privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. Chisinau appears strongly committed to continuing these reforms in 1995. Meanwhile, privatization of medium and large enterprises got underway in mid-1994 and is expected to pick up speed in 1995. To improve its precarious energy situation, Chisinau reached an agreement with Moscow in December 1994 on gas deliveries for 1995. Gazprom, Russia's national gas company, has agreed to reduce prices for natural gas deliveries to Moldova from the world market price of $80/thousand cubic meters (tcm) to $58/tcm in return for part ownership of the Moldovan pipeline system.

Unemployment rate [time series]

1% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 33,700 sq km land area: 33,700 sq km comparative area: slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii

Climate [time series]

moderate winters, warm summers

Coastline [time series]

0 km (landlocked)

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods natural hazards: NA international agreements: signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

certain territory of Moldova and Ukraine - including Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina - are considered by Bucharest as historically a part of Romania; this territory was incorporated into the former Soviet Union following the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1940

Irrigated land [time series]

2,920 sq km (1990)

Land boundaries [time series]

total 1,389 km, Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 50% permanent crops: 13% meadows and pastures: 9% forest and woodland: 0% other: 28%

Location [time series]

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Map references [time series]

Commonwealth of Independent States - European States

Maritime claims [time series]

none; landlocked

Natural resources [time series]

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum

Note [time series]

landlocked

Terrain [time series]

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

previously divided into 40 rayons; new districts possible under new constitution in 1994

Capital [time series]

Chisinau

Constitution [time series]

new constitution adopted NA July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae TAU chancery: Suites 329, 333, 1511 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20005 telephone: [1] (202) 783-3012

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Mircea SNEGUR (since 3 September 1990); election last held 8 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1996); results - Mircea SNEGUR ran unopposed and won 98.17% of vote; note - President SNEGUR was named executive president by the Supreme Soviet on 3 September 1990 and was confirmed by popular election on 8 December 1991 head of government: Prime Minister Andrei SANGHELI (since 1 July 1992; reappointed 5 April 1994 after elections for new legislature); First Deputy Prime Minister Ion GUTU (since NA) cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president on recommendation of the prime minister

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[1] (202) 783-3342

Diplomatic representation in the US (FAX) [time series]

[373] (2) 23-30-44

Flag [time series]

same color scheme as Romania - 3 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

Independence [time series]

27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Judicial branch [time series]

Supreme Court

Legal system [time series]

based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts; does not accept compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and OSCE documents

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

BSEC, CE (guest), CIS, EBRD, ECE, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WTO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: Republic of Moldova conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: none former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia

National holiday [time series]

Independence Day, 27 August 1991

Political parties (Other political or pressure groups) [time series]

United Council of Labor Collectives (UCLC), Igor SMIRNOV, chairman; Congress of Intellectuals, Alexandru MOSANU; The Ecology Movement of Moldova (EMM), G. MALARCHUK, chairman; The Christian Democratic League of Women of Moldova (CDLWM), L. LARI, chairman; National Christian Party of Moldova (NCPM), D. TODIKE, M. BARAGA, V. NIKU, leaders; The Peoples Movement Gagauz Khalky (GKh), S. GULGAR, leader; The Democratic Party of Gagauzia (DPG), G. SAVOSTIN, chairman; The Alliance of Working People of Moldova (AWPM), G. POLOGOV, president; Christian Alliance for Greater Romania; Stefan the Great Movement; Liberal Convention of Moldova; Association of Victims of Repression; Christian Democratic Youth League

Legislative branch (Parliament) [time series]

elections last held 27 February 1994 (next to be held NA 1999); results - percent by party NA; seats - (104 total) Agrarian-Democratic Party 56, Socialist/Yedinstvo Bloc 28, Peasants and Intellectual Bloc 11, Christian Democratic Popular Front 9

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

Christian Democratic Popular Front (formerly Moldovan Popular Front), Iurie ROSCA, chairman; Yedinstvo Intermovement, Vladimir SOLONARI, chairman; Social Democratic Party, Oazu NANTOI, chairman, two other chairmen; Agrarian-Democratic Party, Dumitru MOTPAN, chairman; Democratic Party, Gheorghe GHIMPU, chairman; Democratic Labor Party, Alexandru ARSENI, chairman; Reform Party, Anatol SELARU; Republican Party, Victor PUSCAS; Socialist Party, Valeriu SENIC, cochairman; Communist Party, Vladimir VORONIN, cochairman; Peasants and Intellectuals Bloc

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Government type (Type) [time series]

republic

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

chief of mission: Ambassador Mary C. PENDLETON embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevich #103, Chisinau mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72

People

Age structure [time series]

0-14 years: 27% (female 588,155; male 609,372) 15-64 years: 64% (female 1,487,170; male 1,386,293) 65 years and over: 9% (female 258,958; male 159,709) (July 1995 est.)

Birth rate [time series]

15.93 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate [time series]

10.05 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

Moldavian/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Gagauz 3.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, other 1.7% (1989 figures) note: internal disputes with ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the Dniester region and Gagauz Turks in the south

Infant mortality rate [time series]

29.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Labor force [time series]

2.03 million (January 1994) by occupation: agriculture 34.4%, industry 20.1%, other 45.5% (1985 figures)

Languages [time series]

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

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 68.22 years male: 64.81 years female: 71.8 years (1995 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1989) total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan

Net migration rate [time series]

-2.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Population [time series]

4,489,657 (July 1995 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

0.36% (1995 est.)

Religions [time series]

Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) note: the large majority of churchgoers are ethnic Moldavian

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.16 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Transportation

Airports [time series]

total: 26 with paved runways over 3,047 m: 1 with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 with paved runways under 914 m: 3 with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 2 with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 5 with unpaved runways under 914 m: 8

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 20,000 km paved or graveled: 13,900 km unpaved: earth 6,100 km (1990)

Pipelines [time series]

natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports [time series]

none

Railways (Railroads) [time series]

total: 1,150 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 1,150 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)