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{{Otheruses4|the modern state}}
Moldova {{Audio-IPA|en-us-Moldova.ogg|/mɒlˈdoʊvə/}}, officially the
Republic of Moldova (
Republica Moldova) is a
landlockedA landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land. As of 2008, there are 44 landlocked countries in the world. Of the major landmasses that have more than one country, only North America does not have a landlocked country....
country in
Eastern EuropeEastern Europe is a region lying in the Eastern part of Europe. The term is highly context-dependent and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
, located between
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
to the west and
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
to the north, east and south.
In antiquity, the territory of the present day country was part of
DaciaIn ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land in East-Central Europe inhabited by the Dacians. Ancient Greeks called the same people "Getae"...
, then fell under the influence of the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
. In the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
, most of the present territory of Moldova was part of the Principality of Moldavia. In 1812, the eastern part of this principality was
annexedBessarabia was an oblast and later a guberniya in the Russian Empire. It was the part of the Ottoman-vassal Principality of Moldavia annexed by Russia by the Treaty of Bucharest following the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812...
by the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
and became known as
BessarabiaBessarabia is a historical term for the geographic entity in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west...
. Between 1856 and 1878, two southern counties were returned to Moldavia, which in 1859 united with
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
to form modern Romania.
Upon the dissolution of the Russian Empire in 1917, an autonomous, then independent
Moldavian Democratic RepublicThe Moldavian Democratic Republic , a.k.a. Moldavian Republic, was the state proclaimed on December 15 , 1917 by Sfatul Ţării of Bessarabia, elected in October-November 1917 in the wake of the February Revolution and disintegration of the political power in the Russian Empire.Sfatul Ţării was its...
was formed, which
joinedOn , Bessarabia proclaimed union with the Kingdom of Romania.-Governorate of Bessarabia:The 1812 Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empires provided for the Russian annexation the eastern half of the territory of the Principality of Moldavia, including Khotyn and Budjak...
Greater RomaniaThe Greater Romania generally refers to the territory of Romania in the years between the First World War and the Second World War , the largest geographical extent of Romania up to that time and its largest peacetime extent ever ; more precisely, it refers to the territory of the Kingdom of...
in 1918. In 1940, Bessarabia was occupied by the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, and was split between the
Ukrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the founders of the Soviet Union constituent republic that made up the former Soviet Union from its formation in 1922 to its abolition in 1991.-Name:...
and the newly created
Moldavian SSRThe Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic : Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ or Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească; Moldavskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika), commonly abbreviated to Moldavian SSR or MSSR, was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union...
. After changing hands in 1941 and 1944 during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the territory of the modern country was subsumed by the Soviet Union until its independence on August 27, 1991. Moldova was admitted to the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
in March 1992.
In September 1990, a breakaway government was formed in
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
, the strip of Moldova on the east bank of the river
DniesterThe Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe.-Geography:The Dniester rises in Ukraine, near the city of Drohobych, close to the border with Poland, and flows toward the Black Sea. Its course marks part of the border of Ukraine and Moldova, after which it flows through Moldova for , separating the...
. After a brief
war in 1992The War of Transnistria involved armed clashes on a limited scale that broke out between Transnistrian Republican Guard, militia and Cossack units, supported by the Russian 14th army and Moldovan policemen and troops as early as November 1990 at Dubăsari...
, it became
de facto independent, although no UN member has recognized its independence.
The country is a parliamentary democracy with a president as
head of stateHead of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state...
and a prime minister as
head of governmentHead of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled Prime Minister, President of the Government, Premier, etc...
. Moldova is a member state of the United Nations,
Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration, having been founded in 1949. It has a particular emphasis on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
,
WTOThe World Trade Organization is an international organization designed by its founders to supervise and liberalize international capital trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, replacing the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade , which...
, OSCE,
GUAMGuam is an island in the western Pacific Ocean and is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. The island's capital is Hagåtña...
,
CIS{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Infobox Geopolitical organisation|native_name = Commonwealth of Independent States...
,
BSECOn 25 June 1992, the Heads of State and Government of eleven countries signed in Istanbul the Summit Declaration and the Bosporus Statement giving birth to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation ...
and other
international organizationAn intergovernmental organization, sometimes rendered as an international governmental organization and both abbreviated as IGO, is an organization comprised primarily of sovereign states , or of other intergovernmental organization...
s. Moldova currently aspires to join the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
, and has implemented the first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the
European Neighbourhood PolicyThe European Neighbourhood is the region beyond the frontier of the European Union. It comprises primarily developing countries, who seek one day to become either member states of the European Union itself, or more closely integrated with the economy of the European Union.The European Union offers...
(ENP).
Geography
{{Main|Geography of Moldova}}
The biggest part of the nation lies between two rivers, the
DniesterThe Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe.-Geography:The Dniester rises in Ukraine, near the city of Drohobych, close to the border with Poland, and flows toward the Black Sea. Its course marks part of the border of Ukraine and Moldova, after which it flows through Moldova for , separating the...
and the
PrutThe Pruth, or Prut, is a 953 km long river in Eastern Europe. It was known in antiquity as Pyretus or Porata or Gerasius. It originates on the eastern slope of Mount Hoverla, in the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. It flows southeast to join the Danube river near Reni, east of Galaţi.Between 1918...
. The western border of Moldova is formed by the Prut river, which joins the
DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
before flowing into the
Black Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
. Moldova has access to the Danube for only about {{convert|480|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, and
GiurgiuleştiGiurgiuleşti is a commune in the Cahul district of Moldova, consisting of one village. The locality if the southernmost of Moldova, at the confluence of the river Prut with the Danube, on the border with Romania and Ukraine. Moldova has access to the Danube for only about 480 metres, and...
is the only Moldovan port on the Danube. In the east, the Dniester is the main river, flowing through the country from north to south, receiving the waters of
RăutRăut, also referred to as Reut is a river in Moldova, a right tributary of Dniester. Răut, generally navigable until 18-19th century, is navigable today only by small recreational boats....
,
Bâc-Arts and entertainment:*Battersea Arts Centre, London, UK*Benedicta Arts Center, St. Joseph, Minnesota*Big Apple Chorus, New York based barbershop chorus*Big Apple Channel, New York City Web Channel www.BigAppleChannel.com-Companies:...
, Ichel, Botna. Ialpug flows into one of the Danube limans, while Cogâlnic into the
Black Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
chain of limans.
The country is
landlockedA landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land. As of 2008, there are 44 landlocked countries in the world. Of the major landmasses that have more than one country, only North America does not have a landlocked country....
, even though it is very close to the Black Sea. While most of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed {{convert|430|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} — the highest point being the
Bălăneşti HillDealul Bălăneşti is the highest geographical point in the Republic of Moldova, with an altitude of 430 m.-External links:*...
. Moldova's hills are part of the
Moldavian PlateauThe Moldavian Plateau is a geographic area spanning northeast Romania, most of Moldova , and most of the Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine.-Limits:The Moldavian Plateau is bounded :...
, which geologically originate from the
Carpathian MountainsThe Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the largest mountain range in Europe...
. Its subdivisions in Moldova include
Dniester HillsDniester Hills , also known as Northern Moldavian Plateau is a geographic area that comprises most of the northern Moldova, and parts of the Chernivtsi Oblast of Ukraine...
(Northern Moldavian Hills and Dniester-Rāut Ridge), Moldavian Plain (Middle Prut Valley and
Bălţi SteppeBălţi Steppe , also Beltsy Steppe is a hilly area with few trees , dominated by agriculturally cultivated land, and occasionally by grasses and shrubs, in the northern part of Moldova...
), and
Central Moldavian PlateauThe Central Moldavian Plateau , or Codru Massif is a geographic area in Moldova. It is the central and SE part of the Moldavian Plateau...
(Ciuluc-Soloneţ Hills, Corneşti Hills (Codri Massive) - Codri, meaning "forests" -, Lower Dniester Hills, Lower Prut Valley, and Tigheci Hills). In the south, the country has a small
flatlandFlatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions is an 1884 satirical novella by the English schoolmaster Edwin Abbott Abbott. Writing pseudonymously as "a square" , Abbott used the fictional two-dimensional world of Flatland to offer pointed observations on the social hierarchy of Victorian culture...
, the Bugeac Plain. The territory of Moldova east of the river Dniester is split between parts of the Podolian Plateau, and parts of the
Eurasian SteppeThe Eurasian Steppe is the term often used to describe the vast steppe ecoregion of Eurasia stretching from the western borders of the steppes of Hungary to the eastern border of the steppes of Mongolia, for roughly 5000 km...
.
The country's main cities are the capital
ChişinăuChişinău , is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc. The city is the most economically prosperous locality in Moldova, and its largest transportation hub...
, in the center of the country,
TiraspolTiraspol is the second largest city in Moldova and is the capital and administrative centre of the de facto independent Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic . The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River...
(in the eastern region of
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
),
BălţiBalti can refer to:* Balti language, a language spoken in Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir* Balti people, Muslims of Ladakhi/Tibetan origin from Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir...
(in the north) and
TighinaBender, also known as Tighina is a city within the internationally recognized borders of Moldova under de facto control of the unrecognized PMR since 1992...
(in the south-east).
Etymology
{{Main|Name of Moldova}}
The name of Moldova is derived from the name of the
Moldova RiverThe Moldova River is a river of Romania, in the historical region of Moldavia. The river rises from the Obcina Feredeu Mountains of Bukovina in Suceava County and joins the Siret River near the city of Roman in Neamţ County....
; the valley of this river was a political center when the Principality of Moldavia was founded in 1359. The origin of the name of the river is still not completely clarified. There is an account (a legend) of prince
DragoşDragoş was a Maramureş Voivode ruling over the lands of what was to become Moldavia . He left Maramureş by orders from the Hungarian King Louis I, in order to establish a defense line against the Golden Horde. He was succeeded by his son, Sas...
's naming the river after hunting an
aurochsThe aurochs or urus was a type of wild cattle, the ancestor of domestic cattle. It inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627....
: After the chase, his exhausted hound
Molda drowned in the river. The dog's name would have been given to the river, and extended to the Principality, according to
Dimitrie CantemirDimitrie Cantemir was twice Prince of Moldavia . He was also a prolific man of letters – philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer....
and
Grigore UrecheGrigore Ureche was a Moldavian chronicler who wrote on Moldavian history in his Letopiseţul Ţării Moldovei , covering the period from 1359 to 1594....
.
History
{{Main|History of Moldova}}
In
AntiquityClassical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
Moldova's territory was inhabited by Dacian tribes. Between the 1st and 7th centuries CE, the south was intermittently under the
RomanThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean. The term is used to describe the Roman state during and after the time of the first emperor,...
, then
Byzantine EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
s. Due to its strategic location on a route between
AsiaAsia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.6% of the earth's total surface area and with approximately 4 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population.Asia is traditionally defined as part of the...
and
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
, the territory of modern Moldova was invaded many times in late antiquity and
early Middle AgesThe Early Middle Ages, or Dark Ages, is a period in the history of Europe following the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It lasted from about AD 500 to 1000. The period featured raiding, migration, and conquest by Huns, Germanic peoples, Arabs, Vikings, Hungarians and others. There was frequent...
, including by
GothsThe Goths were a heterogeneous East Germanic tribe. The historian Jordanes claimed that the Goths arrived from semi-legendary Scandza, believed to be somewhere in modern Götaland , and that a Gothic population had crossed the Baltic Sea before the 2nd century, lending their name to the region of...
,
HunsThe Huns were a group of nomadic pastoral people who, appearing from beyond the Volga, migrated into Europe c.AD 370 and built up an enormous empire in Europe. They were possibly the descendants of the Xiongnu who had been northern neighbours of China three hundred years before and may be the first...
,
AvarsThe Eurasian Avars, sometimes referred to as the European Avars, or Ancient Avars, were a highly organized and powerful confederation of a mixed ethnic background, thought to be closely related to the Mongols, Bulgars, Khazars and other Oghur Turkic peoples of the time...
, Magyars,
PechenegsThe Pechenegs or Patzinaks were a semi-nomadic Turkic people of the Central Asian steppes speaking the Pecheneg language which belonged to the Turkic language family.-Origins and area:...
,
CumansCumans were a nomadic Turkic people who inhabited a shifting area north of the Black Sea known as Cumania along the Volga River. They eventually settled to the west of the Black Sea, influencing the politics of Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Moldavia, and Wallachia...
, and the
MongolsThe Mongol invasions of Europe, under the leadership of Subutai, centered on the destruction of East Slavic principalities, such as Kiev and Vladimir...
.
Tatar invasionsThe Mongol invasion of Europe from the east took place over the course of three centuries, from the Middle Ages to the early modern period.The terms Tatars or Tartars are applied to nomadic Turkic peoples who, themselves, were conquered by Mongols and incorporated into their horde...
continued after the establishment of the Principality of Moldavia in 1359, bounded by the
Carpathian mountainsThe Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the largest mountain range in Europe...
in the west, Dniester river in the east, and
DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
and
Black Seaur a loser!The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. The Bosporus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects it to...
in the south. Its territory comprised the present-day territory of the Republic of Moldova, the eastern eight of the 41
counties of RomaniaThe judeţe are administrative units of Romania.The earliest organization into "judeţe" was in the 15th century and each judeţ was ruled by a "jude", a person who had administrative and judicial functions...
, and the
Chernivtsi oblastChernivtsi Oblast , is an oblast in western Ukraine, bordering on Romania and Moldova. It has a large variety of landforms: the Carpathian Mountains and picturesque hills at the foot of the mountains gradually change to a broad partly forested plain situated between the Dniester and Prut rivers....
and
BudjakBudjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast of Ukraine. Lying along the Black Sea between the Danube and Dniester rivers this multiethnic region was the southern part of Bessarabia...
region of Ukraine. Like the present-day republic, it is known to the locals as
Moldova. In 1538, the principality became a
tributaryA tribute is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance...
to the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
, but it retained internal and partial external autonomy.
In 1812, according to the
Treaty of BucharestThe Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, was signed on May 28, 1812 in Bucharest at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812. Under its terms, the Prut River became the border between the two empires, thus leaving Bessarabia under Russian rule. Also, Russia...
between the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
(of which
MoldaviaMoldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
was a
vassalA vassal in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of medieval Europe, is one who enters into mutual obligations with a monarch, usually of military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain guarantees, which came to include the terrain held as a fief. By...
) and the
Russian EmpireThe Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia, and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, the former ceded the eastern half of the territory of the Principality of Moldavia, along
KhotynKhotyn is a city in Chernivtsi Oblast of western Ukraine, and is the administrative center of the Khotynskyi Raion within the oblast, and is located south-west of Kamianets-Podilskyi. According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, it has a population of 11,124...
and old Bessarabia (modern
BudjakBudjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast of Ukraine. Lying along the Black Sea between the Danube and Dniester rivers this multiethnic region was the southern part of Bessarabia...
), despite numerous protests by Moldavians.
At first, the Russians used the name "'
OblastOblast is a type of administrative division in Slavic countries, including some countries of the former Soviet Union. The word "oblast" is a loanword in English, but it is nevertheless often translated as "area", "zone", "province", or "region"...
' of Moldavia and Bessarabia", allowing a large degree of autonomy, but later (in 1828) suspended the self-administration and called it
GuberniyaA guberniya was a major administrative subdivision of Imperial Russia, usually translated as government, governorate, or province. A guberniya was ruled by a governor , a word borrowed from Latin , in turn from Greek...
of
BessarabiaBessarabia is a historical term for the geographic entity in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west...
, or simply Bessarabia, starting a process of
RussificationRussification is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute by non-Russian communities...
. The Tsarist policy in Bessarabia was in part aimed at ethnic assimilation of the Romanian element by forbidding after the 1860s
educationEducation in its broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual...
and
religious massThe Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in many Lutheran Churches, and in a small amount of High Church Methodist parishes...
in
RomanianRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
; the effect was an extremely low
literacy rateIn economics, the literacy rate is the proportion of the population over age fifteen that can read and write.-See also:*Literacy*List of countries by literacy rate...
(in 1897 approx. 18% for males, approx. 4% for females). The western part of Moldavia (which is not a part of present-day Moldova) remained an autonomous principality, and in 1859, united with
WallachiaWallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
to form the
Kingdom of RomaniaThe Kingdom of Romania was the old Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
. The
Treaty of Paris (1856)The Treaty of Paris of 1856 settled the Crimean War between Russia and an alliance of the Ottoman Empire, the Kingdom of Sardinia, France, and the United Kingdom. The treaty, signed on March 30 1856 at the Congress of Paris, made the Black Sea neutral territory, closing it to all warships, and...
saw three counties of Bessarabia -
CahulCahul County was a county of Bessarabia. In the middle ages, its territory belonged to the Fălciu County, but after the annexation of Bessarabia by the Russian Empire in 1812 it became a county by itself....
, Bolgrad and Ismail - returned to Moldavia, but the Treaty of Berlin (1878) saw the Kingdom of Romania returning them to the Russian Empire. Over the 19th century, the Russian authorities encouraged colonization of parts of the region by
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
,
LipovansLipovans or Lippovans are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin, who settled in Moldavia, in the Danube Delta, in Tulcea county, in the Dobrogea region of eastern Romania, and in the southwestern part of Odessa Oblast , in Chernivtsi Oblast in Ukraine, as well as in two villages in...
, Cossacks,
BulgariansThe Bessarabian Bulgarians are a Bulgarian minority group of the historical region of Bessarabia, inhabiting parts of present-day Ukraine and Moldova.- Location and number :-Modern Ukraine:...
, Germans,
GagauzesThe Gagauz people are a small Turkic ethnic group living mostly in southern Moldova , southwestern Ukraine and north-eastern Bulgaria . Unlike most other Turkic peoples, the Gagauz are predominantly Orthodox Christians...
, and allowed the settlement of more
Jews-Early history:Jews are mentioned from very early in the Principality of Moldavia, but they did not represent a significant number. They main activity in Moldavia was commerce, but they could not compete with Greeks and Armenians, which had the knowledge of the Levantine commerce and relationships...
; the proportion of the Moldovan population decreased from around 86% in 1816 to around 52% in 1905.
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
brought in a rise in political and cultural (ethnic) awareness among the locals, as 300,000 Bessarabians were drafted into the Russian Army formed in 1917; within bigger units several "Moldavian Soldiers' Committees" were formed. Following the
Russian Revolution of 1917The Russian Revolution is the collective term for the series of revolutions in Russia in 1917, which destroyed the Tsarist autocracy and led to the creation of the Soviet Union. In the first revolution of February 1917 the Czar was deposed and replaced by a Provisional government...
, a Bessarabian parliament,
Sfatul ŢăriiSfatul Ţării was in 1917-1918 the National Assembly of the Governorate of Bessarabia of the disintegrating Russian Empire, which proclaimed the independent Moldavian Democratic Republic in December 1917, and then union with Romania in April 1918.-Russian participation in World War I:In August...
, which was
elected in October-November 1917A parliamentary election for the Moldovan Parliament , took place in Moldova in November 1917.-Context:On , the Soldiers' council proclaimed the autonomy of Bessarabia, and summoned for the election of a representative body , called Sfatul Ţării.- Results :Of the 150 Diet members of Sfatul Ţării,...
and opened on {{OldStyleDate|December 3|1917|November 21}}, proclaimed the
Moldavian Democratic RepublicThe Moldavian Democratic Republic , a.k.a. Moldavian Republic, was the state proclaimed on December 15 , 1917 by Sfatul Ţării of Bessarabia, elected in October-November 1917 in the wake of the February Revolution and disintegration of the political power in the Russian Empire.Sfatul Ţării was its...
({{OldStyleDate|December 15|1917|December 2}}) within a federal Russian state, and formed its
governmentPantelimon Erhan Cabinet was the Cabinet of Moldova .It was the first cabinet of the Moldavian Democratic Republic.- Membership of the Cabinet :...
({{OldStyleDate|December 21|1917|December 8}}). Bessarabia proclaimed
independenceIndependence is the self-government of a nation, country, or state by its residents and population, or some portion thereof, generally exercising sovereignty....
from
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
({{OldStyleDate|February 6|1918|January 24}}), and, on {{OldStyleDate|April 9|1918|March 27}}, in presence of the Romanian army that entered the region to counter a
BolshevikThe Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903...
coup attempt in early January, Sfatul Ţării decided with 86 votes for, 3 against and 36 abstaining, to
unite with the Kingdom of RomaniaOn , Bessarabia proclaimed union with the Kingdom of Romania.-Governorate of Bessarabia:The 1812 Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empires provided for the Russian annexation the eastern half of the territory of the Principality of Moldavia, including Khotyn and Budjak...
, conditional upon the fulfilment of the agrarian reform, local autonomy, and respect for universal human rights. The conditions were dropped after
BukovinaBukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains...
and
TransylvaniaTransylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term frequently encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
also joined the Kingdom of Romania. This union was recognized by the Principal
Allied PowersThe Entente powers were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. The key members of the Entente were the United Kingdom, France, and the Russian Empire. New Zealand, Belgium, Serbia, Canada, Australia, Italy, Romania and the United States were also drawn into the war...
in the
Treaty of Paris (1920)The 1920 Treaty of Paris was an act signed by Romania and the principal Allied Powers of the time whose purpose was the recognition of Romanian sovereignty over Bessarabia...
. The newly Communist Russia, however, did not recognize the Romanian rule over Bessarabia. Furthermore, the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, considered the region to be Soviet territory under Romanian occupation.
After the failure of the
Tatarbunary UprisingThe Tatarbunary Uprising was a Bolshevik-inspired peasants' revolt that took place in September 15-18, 1924, in and around the town of Tatarbunary in Budjak , then part of Romania, and now part of Odessa Oblast, Ukraine...
in 1924, the neighboring region of
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
, part of the
Ukrainian SSRThe Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the founders of the Soviet Union constituent republic that made up the former Soviet Union from its formation in 1922 to its abolition in 1991.-Name:...
at the time, was formed into the
Moldavian ASSRThe Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic , shortened to Moldavian ASSR or, less frequently, Moldovan ASSR, was an autonomous republic of the Ukrainian SSR between 12 October 1924 and 2 August 1940, encompassing modern Transnistria The Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic...
. In August 1939, the
Molotov-Ribbentrop PactThe Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, colloquially named after the Soviet foreign minister Vyacheslav Molotov and the German foreign minister Joachim von Ribbentrop, was an agreement officially titled the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and signed in...
and its secret additional protocol were signed, by which
Nazi GermanyNazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany between 1933 and 1945, while it was led by Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Worker's Party . The name Third Reich refers to the state as the successor to the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages and the German...
recognized Bessarabia as being within the Soviet sphere of influence, which led the latter to actively revive its claim to the region. Although USSR and Romania subscribed to the principle of non-violent resolution of territorial disputes in the Kellogg-Briand Treaty of 1928 and the Treaty of London of July 1933, on June 28, 1940, after issuing an ultimatum to Romania, the Soviet Union, with the moral support of the Nazi Germany, occupied Bessarabia and northern part of Bukovina, establishing the
Moldavian SSRThe Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic : Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ or Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească; Moldavskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika), commonly abbreviated to Moldavian SSR or MSSR, was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union...
, comprising about 70% of Bessarabia, and 50% of the now-disbanded Moldavian ASSR.
This event led to a major political shift in Romania, which denounced its alliance with France and Britain, and drew the country closer to Nazi Germany and eventually the establishment of
pro-FascistThe National Legionary State was the Romanian government from September 6, 1940 to January 23, 1941. It was a single-party regime dictatorship dominated by the overtly fascist Iron Guard in uneasy conjunction with the head of government and Conducător Ion Antonescu, the leader of the Romanian...
regimes. By participating in the 1941
Axis invasion of the Soviet UnionOperation Barbarossa was the code name for Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a 2,900 km front...
, Romania seized the lost territories of Bessarabia, and northern Bukovina, but its military regime also continued the war further into Soviet territory. In
occupied TransnistriaTransnistria, during World War II, was a region of the USSR, occupied by Romania, during the maximum eastward expansion of the Axis Powers, from August 19 1941 to January 29 1944...
, Romanian forces, working with the Germans, deported or exterminated ca. 300,000 Jews, including 147,000 from Bessarabia and Bukovina (of the latter, approximately 90,000 perished). The Soviet Army re-captured the region in February-August 1944, and re-established the
Moldavian SSRThe Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic : Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ or Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească; Moldavskaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respublika), commonly abbreviated to Moldavian SSR or MSSR, was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union...
. Around 150,000 Moldovan soldiers perished during WWII, including ca. 50,000 in the Romanian Army (including POWs), and ca. 100,000 in the Soviet Army.
During the Stalinist period (1940-1941, 1944-1953), deportations of locals to the northern
UralsThe Ural Mountains are a mountain range that runs roughly north-south through western Russia. They are usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia....
, to
SiberiaSiberia , is the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving as the massive central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, having served in the same capacity previously for the USSR from its beginning, and the Russian Empire beginning in the...
, and northern
KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country situated in Eurasia that is ranked as the ninth largest country in the world. It is also the world's largest landlocked country. Its territory of 2,727,300 km² is greater than Western Europe...
occurred regularly, with the largest ones on 12–13 June 1941, and 5-6 July 1949, accounting from MSSR alone for 18,392 and 35,796 deportees respectively. Other forms of Soviet persecution of the population included 32,433 political arrests, followed by
GulagThe Gulag or GULAG was the government agency that administered the penal labor camps of the Soviet Union. The term is infamous for its association with remote places where prisoners were kept and sometimes disappeared...
or (in 8,360 cases) execution, collectivization, destruction of private economy, and infrastructure (mostly during the 1941 retreat). In 1946, as a result of a severe drought combined with excessive delivery quota obligations and requisitions imposed by the Soviet government, the southwestern part of the USSR suffered from widespread famine. In 1946-1947, at least 216,000 deaths and about 350,000 cases of
dystrophyDystrophy is any condition of abnormal development, often denoting the degeneration of muscles.-Types:* Muscular dystrophy* Duchenne muscular dystrophy* Becker's muscular dystrophy* Reflex sympathetic dystrophy* Retinal dystrophy* Conal dystrophy...
were accounted by historians in the Moldavian SSR alone. Similar events occurred in 1930s in the Moldavian ASSR. In 1944-53, there were several anti-Soviet resistance groups in Moldova; however the
NKVDThe People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including...
and later
MGBThe Ministry of State Security was the name of a Soviet secret police agency from 1946 to 1953...
managed to eventually arrest, execute or deport their members.
The postwar period saw a wide scale migration of ethnic
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
,
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
, and other ethnic groups into the new Soviet republic, especially into urbanized areas, partly to compensate the demographic loss caused by the emigration of 1940 and 1944. The Soviet government conducted a campaign to promote a Moldovan ethnic identity, different from that of the Romanians, based on a theory developed during the existence of the Moldavian ASSR (1924-1940). Official Soviet policy asserted that the language spoken by Moldovans was distinct from the
Romanian languageRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
(see
MoldovenismMoldovenism is a term used to refer to the political view that Moldovans are an ethnicity separate from Romanians, primarily by critics of such views...
). To distinguish the two, during the Soviet period,
MoldovanMoldovan , written in the Latin script, is one of the names of the official language of the Republic of Moldova. The language spoken in Moldova is identical to Romanian, sharing the same literary standard,...
was written in the Cyrillic alphabet, in contrast with Romanian, which since 1860 was written in the
Latin alphabetThe Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most widely used alphabetic writing system in the world today. It evolved from the western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, and was initially developed by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language.During the...
. Not all things under the Soviets were however negative, and after the death of Stalin political persecutions changed in character from mass to individual. Moreover, in the 1970s and 1980s, the Moldavian SSR received substantial allocations from the budget of the USSR to develop industrial and scientific facilities as well as housing. In 1971, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a decision "About the measures for further development of the city of
KishinevChişinău , is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc. The city is the most economically prosperous locality in Moldova, and its largest transportation hub...
" (modern Chişinău), that allotted more than one billion
Soviet rubleThe Soviet ruble or rouble was the currency of the Soviet Union. One ruble is divided into 100 kopeks, ....
s from the USSR budget for building projects; subsequent decisions also directed substantial funding and brought qualified specialists from other parts of the USSR to develop Moldova's industry. But all independent organizations were severely reprimanded, the
National Patriotic FrontThe National Patriotic Front was a clandestine political party in the Moldovan SSR.- Activity :Between 1969 and 1971, the National Patriotic Front of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina was established by several young intellectuals in Chişinău, totalling over 100 members, vowing to fight for the...
leaders being sentenced in 1972 to long prison terms.
In the new political conditions created after 1985 by the
glasnostwas the policy of maximal publicity, openness, and transparency in the activities of all government institutions in the Soviet Union, together with freedom of information, introduced by Mikhail Gorbachev in the second half of 1980s....
policy introduced by
Mikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev was the second-to-last General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, serving from 1985 until 1991, and the last head of state of the USSR, serving from 1988 until its collapse in 1991...
, in 1986, to support
perestroikais the Russian term for the political and economic reforms introduced in June 1987 by the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev...
(restructuring), a Democratic Movement of Moldova ({{lang-ro|Mişcarea Democratică din Moldova}}) was formed, which in 1989 became known as the
Popular Front of MoldovaThe Popular Front of Moldova was a political movement in the Moldavian SSR, one of the 15 union republics of the former Soviet Union, and in the newly-independent Republic of Moldova. Formally, the Front existed from 1989 to 1992...
(FPM; {{lang-ro|Frontul Popular din Moldova}}), whose ideology was based on
romantic nationalismRomantic nationalism is the form of nationalism in which the state derives its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs...
. Along with several other Soviet republics, from 1988 onwards, Moldova started to move towards
independenceThe Independence of Moldova was officially recognized on March 2, 1992 when Moldova gained membership of the United Nations.- The overall context :...
. On August 27, 1989, the FPM organized a mass demonstration in
ChişinăuChişinău , is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc. The city is the most economically prosperous locality in Moldova, and its largest transportation hub...
, that became known as the Great National Assembly ({{lang-ro|Marea Adunare Naţională}}), which pressured the authorities of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic to adopt a language law on August 31, 1989 that proclaimed the
Moldovan languageMoldovan , written in the Latin script, is one of the names of the official language of the Republic of Moldova. The language spoken in Moldova is identical to Romanian, sharing the same literary standard,...
written in the Latin script to be the state language of the MSSR. Its identity with the
Romanian languageRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
was also established.
The
first democratic electionsA parliamentary election took place in Moldova in February-March 1990.- Results :Elections to the Moldovan Supreme Soviet were held in February-March 1990; while the Communist Party of Moldova was the only one registered for this contest, opposition candidates were allowed to run as individuals....
for the local parliament were held in February and March 1990.
Mircea SnegurMircea Ion Snegur was the first President of Moldova 1990-1997. Before that he was Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet 1989-1990 and Chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 27 April to 3 September 1990...
was elected as
Speaker of the Parliament- Moldavian Democratic Republic :- Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic :-List of Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR :The Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR were:...
, and
Mircea DrucMircea Druc is a Moldovan and Romanian politician who served as Prime Minister of Moldova between 26 May 1990 and 22 May 1991....
as
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of Moldova is Moldova's head of government. The prime minister was formally appointed by the President and exercises executive power along with the cabinet subject to parliamentary support.-Moldavian Democratic Republic :...
. On June 23, 1990, the Parliament adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the "Soviet Socialist Republic Moldova", which, among other things, stipulated the supremacy of Moldovan laws over those of the Soviet Union. After the failure of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, on August 27, 1991, Moldova declared its independence. On December 21 of the same year Moldova, along with most of the former Soviet republics, signed the constitutive act that formed the post-Soviet
Commonwealth of Independent States{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Redirect|CIS}}{{Infobox Geopolitical organisation|native_name = Commonwealth of Independent States...
(CIS). Declaring itself a neutral state, it did not join the military branch of the CIS. Three months later, on March 2, 1992, the country gained formal recognition as an independent state at the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
. In 1994, Moldova became a member of
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
's
Partnership for PeacePartnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union; 23 States are members...
program and also a member of the
Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration, having been founded in 1949. It has a particular emphasis on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
on June 29, 1995.
In the region east of the
DniesterThe Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe.-Geography:The Dniester rises in Ukraine, near the city of Drohobych, close to the border with Poland, and flows toward the Black Sea. Its course marks part of the border of Ukraine and Moldova, after which it flows through Moldova for , separating the...
river,
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
, which includes a large proportion of predominantly
RussophoneA Russophone is literally a speaker of the Russian language either natively or by preference. At the same time the term is used in a more specialized meaning to describe the category of people whose cultural background is associated with Russian language regardless of ethnic and territorial...
ethnic
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
and
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
(51%, as of 1989, with ethnic
MoldovansMoldovans or Moldavians are the native population of the medieval Principality of Moldavia, which nowadays corresponds to 8 north-eastern counties of Romania , the Republic of Moldova, and small parts of Ukraine...
forming a 40% plurality), and where the headquarters and many units of the Soviet 14th Guards Army were stationed, an independent "Transdnestrian Moldovan Republic" (TMR) was proclaimed on August 16, 1990, with its capital in
TiraspolTiraspol is the second largest city in Moldova and is the capital and administrative centre of the de facto independent Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic . The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River...
. The motives behind this move were fear of the rise of nationalism in Moldova and the country's expected reunification with
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
upon secession from the USSR. In the winter of 1991-1992 clashes occurred between Transnistrian forces,
supported by elements of the 14th ArmyThe involvement of the Soviet 14th Guards Army in the War of Transnistria was extensive and contributed to the outcome, which left the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic with de facto independence from the Republic of Moldova.-Background:...
, and the Moldovan police. Between March 2 and July 26, 1992, the conflict escalated into a
military engagementThe War of Transnistria involved armed clashes on a limited scale that broke out between Transnistrian Republican Guard, militia and Cossack units, supported by the Russian 14th army and Moldovan policemen and troops as early as November 1990 at Dubăsari...
.
On January 2, 1992, Moldova introduced a
market economyA market economy is economy based on the division of labor in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system set by supply and demand....
, liberalizing prices, which resulted in huge
inflationIn economics, inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.When the price level rises, each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services; consequently, inflation is also an erosion in the purchasing power of money – a loss of real...
. From 1992 to 2001, the young country suffered a serious economic crisis, leaving most of the population below the poverty line. In 1993, a national currency, the
Moldovan leuThe leu is the currency of Moldova. Like the Romanian leu, the Moldovan leu is subdivided into 100 bani...
, was introduced to replace the
temporary cuponThe cupon was the temporary currency of Moldova between 1992 and 1993. It replaced the Soviet ruble at par and was replaced by the leu at a rate of 1 leu = 1000 cupon. Notes issued included 50, 200, 1000, and 5000 cupon. No coins were issued....
. The economic fortunes of Moldova began to change in 2001; and until 2008 the country has seen a steady annual growth of between 5% and 10%. The early 2000s also saw a considerable growth of emigration of Moldovans looking for work (mostly illegally) in
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
(especially
MoscowMoscow is the capital and the largest city of Russia. It is also the largest metropolitan area in Europe, and ranks among the largest urban areas in the world. Moscow is a major political, economic, cultural, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the world, a...
region),
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
,
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
,
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
,
TurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey
, is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in Western Asia and Thrace in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe...
, and other countries; remittances from Moldovans abroad account for almost 38% of Moldova's GDP, the second-highest percentage in the world.
The
1994 parliamentary electionsAn early parliamentary election took place in Moldova on February 27, 1994.- Background :Beginning with 1994, the Parliament functions on a permanent basis, with the quality of parliamentarian being incompatible with any other remunerated office, except for teaching and scientific activities...
saw the Democratic Agrarian Party of Moldova gain a majority of the seats, setting a turning point in Moldovan politics. With the nationalist Popular Front now a parliamentary minority, new measures aiming to moderate the ethnic tensions in the country could be adopted. Plans for a union with Romania were abandoned, and the new
ConstitutionThe Republic of Moldova Constitution of 1994 is the country's supreme law of the country since August 27, 1994.- History :It was adopted on July 29, 1994 by the Moldovan Parliament and published in Monitorul Oficial al R. Moldova, N1, July 18, 1994....
gave autonomy to the breakaway Transnistria and
GagauziaGagauzia , formally known as the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Găgăuzia , is an autonomous region of...
. On December 23, 1994, the Parliament of Moldova adopted a "Law on the Special Legal Status of Gagauzia", and in 1995 the latter was constituted.
After winning the
1996 presidential electionsMoldovan presidential elections took place in 1996.-References:*Charles King. The Moldovans: Romania, Russia and the Politics of Culture, Hoover Institution Press, 2000, ISBN 0-8179-9792-X. p. 158...
, on January 15, 1997,
Petru LucinschiPetru Chiril Lucinschi was Moldova's second president .- Biography :Petru Chiril Lucinschi was born on January 27, 1940 in Rădulenii Vechi village, Soroca County , Romania...
, the former First Secretary of the
Moldavian Communist PartyThe Communist Party of Moldova was one of the fourteen republic-level parties that formed the Communist Party of the Soviet Union until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Indeed, the PCM was the republic-level chapter of the CPSU in the Moldavian SSR from 1940 to 1991...
in 1989-91, became the country's second president (1997-2001), succeeding Mircea Snegur (1991-1996). In 2000, the
ConstitutionThe Republic of Moldova Constitution of 1994 is the country's supreme law of the country since August 27, 1994.- History :It was adopted on July 29, 1994 by the Moldovan Parliament and published in Monitorul Oficial al R. Moldova, N1, July 18, 1994....
was amended, transforming Moldova into a
parliamentary republicA parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a type of republic which operates under a parliamentary system of government .- The Power of Parliament :In contrast to republics operating...
, with the president being chosen through
indirect electionIndirect election is a process in which voters in an election don't actually choose between candidates for an office but rather elect persons who will then make the choice. It is one of the oldest form of elections and is still used today for many upper houses and presidents...
rather than direct popular vote.
Winning 49.9% of the voteMoldovan early parliamentary elections took place on February 25, 2001. Turnout was 67.52 percent.-Election outcome:The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova won the election. Vladimir Voronin was elected president shortly thereafter by the newly elected parliament-Sources:*...
, the
Party of Communists of the Republic of MoldovaThe Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova is a communist political party in Moldova, led by Vladimir Voronin...
(reinstituted in 1993 after being outlawed in 1991), gained 71 of the 101 MPs, and on April 4, 2001, elected
Vladimir VoroninVladimir Nicolaevici Voronin is a Moldovan politician. He was the President of Moldova from 2001 until 2009 and has been the First Secretary of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova since 1994...
as the country's third president (re-elected in 2005). The country became the first post-Soviet state where a non-reformed Communist Party returned to power. New governments were formed by
Vasile TarlevVasile Petru Tarlev is a Moldovan politician, and was Prime Minister of Moldova from 2001 until 2008.- Biography :He studied engineering and became a member of assorted economic councils...
(April 19, 2001 - March 31, 2008), and
Zinaida GreceanîiZinaida Greceanîi or Zinaida Grecianii is a Moldovan politician. She is a member of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova and was the Prime Minister of Moldova between 31 March 2008 and 14 September 2009...
(March 31, 2008 - September 14, 2009). In 2001-2003
relations between Moldova and RussiaRelations with Russia, either as Russian Empire, Russian Federation or Russian SFSR in the USSR context were always of primary importance for Moldova...
improved, but then temporarily deteriorated in 2003-2006, in the wake of the failure of the
Kozak memorandumThe Kozak Memorandum, officially Russian Draft Memorandum on the Basic Principles of the State Structure of a United State in Moldova, was a 2003 proposal aimed at a final settlement of relations between Moldova and Transnistria...
, culminating in the
2006 wine exports crisisThe 2006 Russian import ban of Moldovan and Georgian wines began in late March 2006 and created a diplomatic conflict between the Republic of Moldova and Georgia on the one hand and Russia on the other...
.
Following the April 2009 parliamentary elections, the Communist Party won 49.48% of the votes, followed by the
Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party of Moldova is a centre-right liberal, conservative liberal and classical liberal political party in the Republic of Moldova. The Liberal Party was called the Party of Reform and had a Christian-Democrat electoral platform until April 2005.The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu...
with 13.14% of the votes, the
Liberal Democratic PartyThe Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova is a centre-right Liberal conservative and Christian democratic political party in Moldova with a modern European popular doctrine....
with 12.43%, and the
Alliance "Moldova Noastră"The Party Alliance Our Moldova is a liberal political party in Moldova. It labels itself as a social liberal party and is led by Serafim Urechean, former mayor of Chişinău.- History :...
with 9.77%. The opposition leaders have protested against the outcome calling it fraudulent and demanded a repeated election. On April 6, 2009, several NGOs and opposition parties organized a peaceful protest in Chişinău, gathering a crowd of about 15,000 with the help of social network sites such as
TwitterTwitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author's subscribers who are known as followers...
and
FacebookFacebook is a global social networking website that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and...
. Anti-communist and pro-Romanian slogans were widely used. The demonstration had spun out of control on April 7 and escalated into a
riotThe 2009 civil unrest in Moldova began on April 7, 2009, in major cities of Moldova after the results of the 2009 Moldovan parliamentary election were announced...
when a part of the crowd attacked the presidential offices and broke into the parliament building, looting and setting several floors on fire. Police had regained control on the night of April 7-8, detaining several hundred protesters. Numerous detainees reported beatings by the police when released. Three young people have died during the day the riot took place. The opposition blamed police abuse for these deaths, while the government claimed they were either unrelated to the protests, or accidents. Government officials, including President Vladimir Voronin, have called the protests a
coup d'étatA coup d'état , or coup for short, is the sudden unconstitutional deposition of a legitimate government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another, either civil or military...
attempt and have accused Romania of organizing it. Opposition accused the government of organizing the riots by introducing
provocateursTraditionally, an agent provocateur is a person employed by the police or other entity to act undercover to entice or provoke another person to commit an illegal act...
among the protesters.
After the
parliament failed to elect a new presidentAn indirect presidential election was held in Moldova following the parliamentary election held in April 2009. The incumbent president, Vladimir Voronin, is term-limited and was elected to become speaker of the Parliament of Moldova in early May 2009; the ruling Party of Communists of the Republic...
, it was dissolved and
snap general electionsAn early parliamentary election took place in Moldova on 29 July 2009.- Pre-election developments :The country's parliament, elected months earlier, was dissolved by president Vladimir Voronin on 15 June 2009, after it had twice failed to elect a new president.Before the dissolution of the...
were held on July 29, 2009, with the Communists again attaining a substantial, although weakened, plurality both in popular vote and in parliamentary seats: 48 of the 101 seats for the
Party of CommunistsThe Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova is a communist political party in Moldova, led by Vladimir Voronin...
, 18 seats for the
Liberal Democratic PartyThe Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova is a centre-right Liberal conservative and Christian democratic political party in Moldova with a modern European popular doctrine....
, 15 seats for the
Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party of Moldova is a centre-right liberal, conservative liberal and classical liberal political party in the Republic of Moldova. The Liberal Party was called the Party of Reform and had a Christian-Democrat electoral platform until April 2005.The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu...
, 13 seats for the
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party of Moldova is a social democratic and centrist political party in Moldova.At the last legislative elections, 6 March 2005, the party was part of the Electoral Bloc Democratic Moldova , that won 28.4 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 101 seats. Inside the Bloc the party won 8...
, and 7 seats for the
Our Moldova AllianceThe Party Alliance Our Moldova is a liberal political party in Moldova. It labels itself as a social liberal party and is led by Serafim Urechean, former mayor of Chişinău.- History :...
. In August, the latter four parties formed an
allianceThe Alliance for European Integration is the ruling coalition in Moldova after the July 2009 election.- The overall context :After April 2009 election and the civil unrest, the climate in Moldova became very polarized. The parliament failed to elect a new president. For this reason, the parliament...
and approved the
Vlad Filat CabinetThe Vlad Filat Cabinet is the current Cabinet of Moldova .Moldova's Parliament, with 53 votes of the majority Alliance for European Integration , gave a vote of confidence to the new government headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Filat, at a plenary meeting on September 25, 2009.The Cabinet consists...
in parliament on 25 September 2009. After Voronin's resignation on September 11, 2009, the Parliament has 2 months at its disposal to elect a new president.
Speaker of the Moldovan Parliament- Moldavian Democratic Republic :- Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic :-List of Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR :The Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR were:...
,
Mihai GhimpuMihai Ghimpu Mihai Ghimpu Mihai Ghimpu (born 19 November 1951, Coloniţa, Republic of Moldova, is a Moldovan politician. He is the current Speaker of Parliament since 28 August 2009 and became Acting President as a result of Vladimir Voronin’s resignation on 11 September 2009....
, is the current
acting President of MoldovaThe Acting President of Moldova is a temporary post provided by the Constitution of Moldova. Acting President is a person who fulfills the duties of President of Moldova when cases of incapacity and vacancy occur.- Interim Office :...
.
{{Political History of Moldova}}
Government and politics
{{Main|Politics of Moldova}} {{Politics of Moldova}}
Moldova is a
unitaryA unitary state is a sovereign state governed as one single unit in which the central government is supreme and any administrative divisions exercise only powers that the central government chooses to delegate...
parliamentaryA parliamentary system is a system of government where in the ministers of the executive branch are drawn from the legislature, and are accountable to that body, such that the executive and legislative branches are intertwined...
representativeElectoral democracies require a majority of the votes cast. Many representative democracies are constitutional republics in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law".- Criticisms :...
democraticDemocracy is a system of government in which either the actual governing is carried out by the people governed , or the power to do so is granted by them...
republicA republic is a form of government in which the head of state is not a monarch and the people have an impact on its government. The word 'republic' is derived from the Latin phrase res publica which can be translated as "a public affair".Both modern and ancient republics vary widely in their...
. The
1994 Constitution of MoldovaThe Republic of Moldova Constitution of 1994 is the country's supreme law of the country since August 27, 1994.- History :It was adopted on July 29, 1994 by the Moldovan Parliament and published in Monitorul Oficial al R. Moldova, N1, July 18, 1994....
sets the framework for the government of the country. A parliamentary majority of at least two thirds is required to amend the
Constitution of MoldovaThe Constitution of the Republic of Moldova is that country's supreme law.The Constitution of Moldova was adopted on July 29, 1994 and published in Monitorul Oficial al R. Moldova, N1, July 18, 1994.- Constitutions of Moldova :...
, which cannot be revised in time of war or national emergency. Amendments to the Constitution affecting the state's sovereignty, independence, or unity can only be made after a majority of voters support the proposal in a referendum. Furthermore, no revision can be made to limit the fundamental rights of people enumerated in the Constitution.
The country's central legislative body is the unicameral Moldovan Parliament (
{{lang|ro|Parlament}}), which has 101 seats, and whose members are elected by popular vote on
party listsProportional representation , sometimes referred to as full representation, is a category of electoral formula aimed at securing a close match between the percentage of votes that groups of candidates obtain in elections and the percentage of seats they receive...
every four years.
The
head of stateHead of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state...
is the President of Moldova, who is elected by Moldovan Parliament, requiring the support of three fifths of the deputies (at least 61 votes). The president of Moldova has been elected by the parliament since 2001, a change designed to decrease executive authority in favor of the legislature. The president appoints a prime minister who functions as the
head of governmentHead of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled Prime Minister, President of the Government, Premier, etc...
, and who in turn assembles a
cabinetThe role of Cabinet of Moldova is "to carry out the domestic and foreign policy of the State and to apply general control over the work of public administration," according to Constitution of Moldova .-The structure of the Cabinet:...
, both subject to parliamentary approval.
The
ConstitutionThe Republic of Moldova Constitution of 1994 is the country's supreme law of the country since August 27, 1994.- History :It was adopted on July 29, 1994 by the Moldovan Parliament and published in Monitorul Oficial al R. Moldova, N1, July 18, 1994....
also establishes an
independentIndependence of the judiciary is the principle that the judiciary should be politically insulated from the legislative and the executive power...
Constitutional CourtThe Constitutional Court of Moldova represent the sole body of constitutional jurisdiction in the Republic of Moldova, autonomous and independent from the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
, composed of six judges (two appointed by the President, two by Parliament, and two by the Supreme Council of
MagistratureA magistrate is a judicial officer; in ancient Rome, the word magistratus denoted one of the highest government officers with judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a magistrate has limited law enforcement and administration authority...
), serving six-year terms, during which they are irremovable and not subordinate to any power. The Court is invested with the power of
judicial reviewJudicial review is the doctrine in democratic theory under which legislative and executive action is subject to invalidation by the judiciary. Specific courts with judicial review power must annul the acts of the state when it finds them incompatible with a higher authority, such as the terms of a...
over all acts of the parliament, over presidential decrees, and over international treaties, signed by the country.
The
1998 parliamentary electionsA parliamentary election took place in Moldova on March 22, 1998.- Results :At the legislative elections on March 22, 1998, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, which was re-legalized in 1994 after being banned in 1991, gained 40 of the 101 places in the Moldovan Parliament,Seats...
,
2001 parliamentary electionsMoldovan early parliamentary elections took place on February 25, 2001. Turnout was 67.52 percent.-Election outcome:The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova won the election. Vladimir Voronin was elected president shortly thereafter by the newly elected parliament-Sources:*...
, 2005 parliamentary elections, April 2009 parliamentary elections, and
July 2009 parliamentary electionsAn early parliamentary election took place in Moldova on 29 July 2009.- Pre-election developments :The country's parliament, elected months earlier, was dissolved by president Vladimir Voronin on 15 June 2009, after it had twice failed to elect a new president.Before the dissolution of the...
were won by the
Party of Communists of the Republic of MoldovaThe Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova is a communist political party in Moldova, led by Vladimir Voronin...
, which held a majority of seats.
After 2005 parliamentary elections, other parties represented in the Parliament were the
Our Moldova AllianceThe Party Alliance Our Moldova is a liberal political party in Moldova. It labels itself as a social liberal party and is led by Serafim Urechean, former mayor of Chişinău.- History :...
(13 seats), the
Democratic Party (Moldova)The Democratic Party of Moldova is a social democratic and centrist political party in Moldova.At the last legislative elections, 6 March 2005, the party was part of the Electoral Bloc Democratic Moldova , that won 28.4 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 101 seats. Inside the Bloc the party won 8...
(11 seats), the
Christian-Democratic People's PartyThe Christian Democratic People's Party is a Christian democratic political party in Moldova. In the last legislative elections on March 6, 2005, the party won 9.1% of the popular vote and 11 out of 101 seats. Led by Iurie Roşca, the CDPP and the liberal PNL are the only major political parties in...
(7 seats), with 15 unaffiliated members of parliament. At the April 2009 parliamentary elections, the Party of Communists won these as well, claiming 60 seats. The PCRM majority makes Moldova one of only three countries with democratically elected
CommunistCommunism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general. Karl Marx posited that communism would be the final stage in human...
leaders, the other two being
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
and
NepalNepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia and the world's youngest republic. It is bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. Opposition is represented by the
Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party of Moldova is a centre-right liberal, conservative liberal and classical liberal political party in the Republic of Moldova. The Liberal Party was called the Party of Reform and had a Christian-Democrat electoral platform until April 2005.The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu...
(PL, 15 seats),
Liberal Democratic Party of MoldovaThe Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova is a centre-right Liberal conservative and Christian democratic political party in Moldova with a modern European popular doctrine....
(PLDM, 15 seats) and
Party Alliance Our MoldovaThe Party Alliance Our Moldova is a liberal political party in Moldova. It labels itself as a social liberal party and is led by Serafim Urechean, former mayor of Chişinău.- History :...
(AMN, 11 seats).
On August 8, 2009, four Moldovan parties –
Liberal Democratic PartyThe Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova is a centre-right Liberal conservative and Christian democratic political party in Moldova with a modern European popular doctrine....
,
Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party of Moldova is a centre-right liberal, conservative liberal and classical liberal political party in the Republic of Moldova. The Liberal Party was called the Party of Reform and had a Christian-Democrat electoral platform until April 2005.The president of the party is Mihai Ghimpu...
,
Democratic PartyThe Democratic Party of Moldova is a social democratic and centrist political party in Moldova.At the last legislative elections, 6 March 2005, the party was part of the Electoral Bloc Democratic Moldova , that won 28.4 % of the popular vote and 34 out of 101 seats. Inside the Bloc the party won 8...
, and
Our Moldova AllianceThe Party Alliance Our Moldova is a liberal political party in Moldova. It labels itself as a social liberal party and is led by Serafim Urechean, former mayor of Chişinău.- History :...
– agreed to create a governing coalition that will push the
Communist partyThe Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova is a communist political party in Moldova, led by Vladimir Voronin...
into opposition. The name of the coalition is
Alliance For European IntegrationThe Alliance for European Integration is the ruling coalition in Moldova after the July 2009 election.- The overall context :After April 2009 election and the civil unrest, the climate in Moldova became very polarized. The parliament failed to elect a new president. For this reason, the parliament...
. On August 28, 2009, Moldova's pro-Western coalition has chosen a new
parliament speaker- Moldavian Democratic Republic :- Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic :-List of Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR :The Presidents of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Moldavian SSR were:...
(namely
Mihai GhimpuMihai Ghimpu Mihai Ghimpu Mihai Ghimpu (born 19 November 1951, Coloniţa, Republic of Moldova, is a Moldovan politician. He is the current Speaker of Parliament since 28 August 2009 and became Acting President as a result of Vladimir Voronin’s resignation on 11 September 2009....
) in a vote that was boycotted by Communist legislators.
Vladimir VoroninVladimir Nicolaevici Voronin is a Moldovan politician. He was the President of Moldova from 2001 until 2009 and has been the First Secretary of the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova since 1994...
, who held the President of Moldova post since 2001, eventually quit power on September 11, 2009. The new premier of Moldova,
Vlad FilatVladimir Filat is a Moldovan politician. He has been the Prime Minister of Moldova since September 25, 2009.- Education and Career :...
, said that his first official visit as premier will be made to
BrusselsBrussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the de facto capital city of the European Union and the largest urban area in Belgium...
, adding that the agenda of the first official meetings will include visits to
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
BerlinBerlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. With a population of 3.4 million within its city limits, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city and the eighth most populous urban area in the European Union...
,
BucharestBucharest is the capital city, industrial and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River....
, and
KievKiev or Kyiv , is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300...
.
{{Alliance and Communists after July 2009 polls in Moldova}}
Foreign relations
{{Main|Foreign Relations of Moldova|Moldova and the European Union}}
After achieving independence from the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, Moldova established relations with other European countries. A course for
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
integration and neutrality define the country's foreign policy guidelines. In 1995 the country became the first post-Soviet state admitted to the
Council of EuropeThe Council of Europe is the oldest international organisation working towards European integration, having been founded in 1949. It has a particular emphasis on legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation...
. In addition to its participation in
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
's
Partnership for PeacePartnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union; 23 States are members...
program, Moldova is also a member state of the
United NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
, the OSCE, the
North Atlantic Cooperation CouncilThe North Atlantic Cooperation Council was a NATO organisation founded in December 1991 and was the precursor to the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council. It initially brought together NATO and nine central and eastern European nations in a consultative forum...
, the
World Trade OrganizationThe World Trade Organization is an international organization designed by its founders to supervise and liberalize international capital trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakesh Agreement, replacing the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade , which...
, the
International Monetary FundThe International Monetary Fund is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by following the macroeconomic policies of its member countries, in particular those with an impact on exchange rates and the balance of payments...
, the
World BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides leveraged loans to poorer countries for capital programs, tied to neoliberal market restructurings...
, the Francophonie and the
European Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentFounded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia...
.
In 2005, Moldova and the EU established an action plan that sought to improve the collaboration between the two neighboring structures. In June 2007, the Vice President of the Moldovan Parliament
Iurie RoşcaIurie Roşca is a Moldovan politician who has served as president of the Christian-Democratic People's Party since 1994.In 1984 he graduated from the journalism faculty of the State University of Moldova...
signed a bilateral agreement with the
International Parliament for Safety and PeaceThe International Parliament for Safety and Peace , also known as International States Parliament, is an international organization based in Palermo, Sicily, Italy whose stated intention is the promotion of world safety and peace...
, an intergovernmental organization for the promotion of world peace, based in Italy.{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}} After the
War of TransnistriaThe War of Transnistria involved armed clashes on a limited scale that broke out between Transnistrian Republican Guard, militia and Cossack units, supported by the Russian 14th army and Moldovan policemen and troops as early as November 1990 at Dubăsari...
, Moldova had sought a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
region by working with
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
,
UkraineUkraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east; Belarus to the north; Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary to the west; Romania and Moldova to the southwest; and the Black Sea and Sea of Azov to the south. The city of Kiev is both the capital and the largest city of...
, and
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, calling for international mediation, and cooperating with the OSCE and UN fact-finding and observer missions. The
foreign ministerA minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign nation. The ministry for foreign affairs is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government ; it is often granted to...
of Moldova,
Andrei StratanAndrei Stratan is a Moldovan politician.He was the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration in Vasile Tarlev Cabinet and Zinaida Greceanîi Cabinet.-External links:*...
, had repeatedly stated that the Russian troops stationed in the breakaway region are there against the will of the Moldovan Government and called on them to leave "completely and unconditionally."
Military
{{Main|Military of Moldova}}
The Moldovan armed forces consist of the
Ground ForcesThe Moldovan Ground Forces is the land armed forces branch of the Moldovan Armed Forces.-History:At the beginning of 1994, the Moldovan army consisted of 9,800 men organized into three motor rifle brigades, one artillery brigade, and one reconnaissance/assault battalion...
and Air and Air Defense Forces. Moldova has accepted all relevant arms control obligations of the former
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
. On October 30, 1992, Moldova ratified the
Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in EuropeThe original Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe was negotiated and concluded during the last years of the Cold War and established comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment in Europe and mandated the destruction of excess weaponry...
, which establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military equipment and provides for the destruction of weapons in excess of those limits. It acceded to the provisions of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in October 1994 in Washington, DC. It does not have nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons. Moldova joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's
Partnership for PeacePartnership for Peace is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Soviet Union; 23 States are members...
on March 16, 1994.
Moldova is committed to a number of international and regional control of arms regimes such as the UN Firearms Protocol, Stability Pact Regional Implementation Plan, the UN Programme of Action (PoA) and the OSCE Documents on Stockpiles of Conventional Ammunition.
Administrative divisions
{{Main|Administrative divisions of Moldova|List of cities in Moldova|List of localities in Moldova}}
Moldova is divided into thirty-two districts (
raioane, singular
raionA raion is a type of administrative unit of some post-Soviet states. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is almost always translated as "district"...
); three municipalities (
BălţiBalti can refer to:* Balti language, a language spoken in Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir* Balti people, Muslims of Ladakhi/Tibetan origin from Baltistan in Pakistan and Ladakh in Kashmir...
,
ChişinăuChişinău , is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc. The city is the most economically prosperous locality in Moldova, and its largest transportation hub...
, Bender); and two autonomous regions (
GăgăuziaGagauzia , formally known as the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Găgăuzia , is an autonomous region of...
and
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
). The cities of
ComratComrat is a city in Moldova and the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia. It is located at , in the south of the country, on the Ialpug River. In 2004, Comrat's population was 23,429, of which the vast majority are Gagauzians.The name is of Turkic and Nogai origin...
and
TiraspolTiraspol is the second largest city in Moldova and is the capital and administrative centre of the de facto independent Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic . The city is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River...
, the administrative seats of the two autonomous territories also have
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
status. There are 32 districts.
{{Districts of Moldova, Municipalities, and autonomous regions}}
The final status of Transnistria is still
disputedThe disputed status of Transnistria arose because of the Transnistrian unilateral declaration of independence on September 2, 1990 from the Moldavian SSR, while still part of the Soviet Union...
, as the central government does not control that territory.
Moldova has 65 cities (towns), including the 5 with municipality status, and 917 communes. Some other 699 villages are too small to have a separate administration, and are administratively part of either cities (40 of them) or communes (659). This makes for a total of 1,681 localities of Moldova, all but two of which are inhabited.
{{Largest cities in Moldova and their population}}
Economy
{{Main|Economy of Moldova}}
Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major
mineralA mineral is a naturally occurring solid formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition, a highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. A rock, by comparison, is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids, and need not have a specific...
deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on
agricultureAgriculture is the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and...
, featuring fruits, vegetables,
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
, and
tobaccoTobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as an organic pesticide, and in the form of nicotine tartrate it is used in some medicines. In consumption it most commonly appears in the forms of smoking, chewing, snuffing, or...
. The economy contracted dramatically following the fall of the Soviet Union. Currently, Moldova is the poorest country in Europe.
Energy
Moldova must import all of its supplies of
petroleumPetroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid found in rock formations in the Earth consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights, plus other organic compounds.The term "petroleum" was first used in the treatise De Natura Fossilium, published in...
,
coalCoal is a readily combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock normally occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
, and
natural gasNatural gas is a gas consisting primarily of methane. It is found associated with fossil fuels, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is created by methanogenic organisms in marshes, bogs, and landfills...
, largely from
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Moldova is a partner country of the EU
INOGATEINOGATE is an international energy co-operation programme between the European Union , Turkey and countries of the NIS, with the exceptions of the Baltic States and the Russian Federation. Formally it describes itself as supporting "international cooperation between the European Union, the...
energy programme, which has four key topics: enhancing
energy securityAccess to cheap energy has become essential to the functioning of modern economies. However, the uneven distribution of energy supplies among countries has led to significant vulnerabilities...
,
convergenceTechnological convergence is the tendency for different technological systems to evolve towards performing similar tasks.Convergence can refer to previously separate technologies such as voice , data and video that now share resources and interact with each other, synergistically creating new...
of member state
energy marketEnergy markets are those commodities markets that deal specifically with the trade and supply of energy. Energy market may refer to an electricity market, but can also refer to other sources of energy...
s on the basis of EU internal energy market principles,
supporting
sustainable energySustainable energy is the provision of energy such that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. A broader interpretation may allow inclusion of fossil fuels and nuclear fission as transitional sources while technology develops,...
development, and attracting
investmentInvestment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in business management, finance and economics, related to saving or deferring consumption. Investing is the active redirection of resources: from being consumed today, to creating benefits in the future; the use of assets to...
for energy projects of common and regional interest.
Economic reforms
After the break up of the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
in 1991, energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines. As part of an ambitious economic liberalization effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, liberalized all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land
privatizationPrivatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector...
, removed export controls, and liberalized interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the
World BankThe World Bank is an international financial institution that provides leveraged loans to poorer countries for capital programs, tied to neoliberal market restructurings...
and the
IMFThe International Monetary Fund is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by following the macroeconomic policies of its member countries, in particular those with an impact on exchange rates and the balance of payments...
to promote growth. Recent trends indicate that the Communist government intends to reverse some of these policies, and recollectivise land while placing more restrictions on private business. The economy returned to positive growth, of 2.1% in 2000 and 6.1% in 2001. Growth remained strong in 2007 (6%), in part because of the reforms and because of starting from a small base. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors.
Following the regional financial crisis in 1998, Moldova has made significant progress towards achieving and retaining macroeconomic and financial stabilization. It has, furthermore, implemented many structural and institutional reforms that are indispensable for the efficient functioning of a market economy. These efforts have helped maintain macroeconomic and financial stability under difficult external circumstances, enabled the resumption of economic growth and contributed to establishing an environment conducive to the economy’s further growth and development in the medium term. Despite these efforts, and despite the recent resumption of economic growth, Moldova still ranks low in terms of commonly used living standards and human development indicators in comparison with other transition economies. Although the economy experienced a constant economic growth after 2000: with 2.1%, 6.1%, 7.8% and 6.3% between 2000 and 2003 (with a forecast of 8% in 2004), one can observe that these latest developments hardly reach the level of 1994, with almost 40% of the
GDPThe gross domestic product or gross domestic income is a basic measure of a country's economic performance and is the market value of all final goods and services made within the borders of a country in a year...
registered in 1990. Thus, during the last decade little has been done to reduce the country’s vulnerability. After a severe economic decline, social and economic challenges, energy uprooted dependencies, Moldova continues to occupy one of the last places among European countries in income per capita.
In 2005 (
Human Development ReportThe Human Development Report is an annual milestone publication by the United Nations Development Programme .The report was first launched in 1990. Its goal was to place people at the centre of the development process in terms of economic debate, policy and advocacy...
2008), the registered GDP per capita US $ 2,100
PPPThe purchasing power parity theory uses the long-term equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their purchasing power...
, which is 4.5 times lower than the world average (US $ 9,543). Moreover, GDP per capita is under the average of its statistical region (US $ 9,527 PPP). In 2005, about 20.8% of the population were under the absolute poverty line and registered an income lower than US $ 2.15 (PPP) per day. Moldova is classified as medium in human development and is at the 111th spot in the list of 177 countries. The value of the
Human Development IndexThe Human Development Index is an index used to rank countries by level of "human development", which usually also implies whether a country is developed, developing, or underdeveloped.-Summary:...
(0.708) is below the world average. Moldova remains the poorest country in Europe in terms of official (i.e. excluding the black and grey economy) per capita which currently stands at $1,808.729
The GDP in 2007 constituted $4,104 mln. That constituted a growth of 3% from 2006.
Wine industry
{{Main|Moldovan wine|Moldovan wine producers}}
Moldova is known for its wines. For many years
viticultureViticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
and
winemakingWinemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
in Moldova were the general occupation of the population. Evidence of this is present in historical memorials and documents, folklore, and the Moldovan spoken language.
The country has a well established
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
industry. It has a vineyard area of {{convert|147000|ha}}, of which {{convert|102500|ha|abbr=on}} are used for commercial production. Most of the country's wine production is made for export. Many families have their own recipes and strands of
grapeA grape is the non-climacteric fruit, botanically a true berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, and grape seed oil...
s that have been passed down through the generations.
Agriculture
{{Main|Agriculture of Moldova}}
Moldova's
rich soil-Locations:* Black Earth, Wisconsin, a village* Black Earth , Wisconsin* Central Black Earth Region, of Central Russia-Soil science:* Translation of Russian Chernozem, a humus-rich soil...
and
temperateIn geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally mild, rather than extreme hot or cold. But in continental areas, such as central North America the variations between summer...
continental climateContinental climate is a climate that is characterized by winter temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of snow cover each year, and relatively moderate precipitation occurring mostly in summer, although east coast areas may show an even distribution of precipitation.Regions containing...
(with warm summers and mild winters) have made the country one of the most productive agricultural regions since ancient times, and a major supplier of agricultural products in southeastern Europe. In agriculture, the economic reform started with the land cadastre reform.
Transport
{{Main|Transport in Moldova|Rail transport in Moldova}}
The main means of transportation in Moldova were railroads {{convert|1138|km|mi|abbr=on}} and a highway system ({{convert|12730|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=s}} overall, including {{convert|10937|km|mi|0|abbr=on|disp=s}} of paved surfaces). The sole international air gateway of Moldova is
Chişinău International AirportChişinău International Airport is the main international airport in Moldova, located southeast of the capital city, Chişinău.-History:First scheduled flights to Chişinău started on 24 June 1926, on the route Bucharest – Galaţi – Chişinău and Iaşi...
. The
GiurgiuleştiGiurgiuleşti is a commune in the Cahul district of Moldova, consisting of one village. The locality if the southernmost of Moldova, at the confluence of the river Prut with the Danube, on the border with Romania and Ukraine. Moldova has access to the Danube for only about 480 metres, and...
terminal on the
DanubeThe Danube is the longest river in the European Union and Europe's second longest river after the Volga.The river originates in the Black Forest in Germany as the much smaller Brigach and Breg rivers which join at the German town Donaueschingen, after which it is known as the Danube and flows...
is compatible with small seagoing vessels. Shipping on the lower
PrutThe Pruth, or Prut, is a 953 km long river in Eastern Europe. It was known in antiquity as Pyretus or Porata or Gerasius. It originates on the eastern slope of Mount Hoverla, in the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine. It flows southeast to join the Danube river near Reni, east of Galaţi.Between 1918...
and Nistru rivers plays only a modest role in the country's transportation system.
Telecommunications
{{Main|Telecommunications in Moldova}}
The first million of mobile telephone users was registered in September 2005. The number of mobile telephone users in Moldova increased by 47.3 % in the first quarter of 2008 against the last year and exceeded 2 mln 88.6 thousand.
At the end of 2008 there were 1,151,000 Internet users in Moldova with overall Internet penetration of 30,1%. {{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}
In September 2009, Moldova was the first country in the world to launch high-definition voice services (HD voice) for mobile phones, and the first country in Europe to launch 14,4 Mbps mobile broadband at a national scale, with over 40% population coverage.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}
Cultural and ethnic composition
The last reference data is that of the
2004 Moldovan CensusThe 2004 Republic of Moldova Census was carried between October 5 and October 12, 2004. The breakaway Transnistria failed to come into an agreement with the central government in Chişinău, and carried out its own census during between November 11 and November 18, 2004...
(areas controlled by the central government), and the
2004 Census in TransnistriaThe 2004 Census in Transnistria was organized by Transnistria at roughly the same time that Moldova held its own census which Transnistria refused to participate in out of principle and deference to its September 2, 1990 Declaration of Independence....
(areas controlled by the breakaway authorities, including
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
, Bender/Tighina, and four neighboring communes):
| Self-identification | Moldovan
census | % Core
Moldova | Transnistrian
census | % Transnistria
+ Bender | Total | % |
|---|
MoldovansMoldovans or Moldavians are the native population of the medieval Principality of Moldavia, which nowadays corresponds to 8 north-eastern counties of Romania , the Republic of Moldova, and small parts of Ukraine...
1 |
2,564,849 |
75.81% |
177,382 |
31.94% |
2,742,231 |
69.62% |
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
|
282,406 |
8.35% |
160,069 |
28.82% |
442,475 |
11.23% |
RussiansThe Russian people are an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
|
201,218 |
5.95% |
168,678 |
30.37% |
369,896 |
9.39% |
GagauzThe Gagauz people are a small Turkic ethnic group living mostly in southern Moldova , southwestern Ukraine and north-eastern Bulgaria . Unlike most other Turkic peoples, the Gagauz are predominantly Orthodox Christians...
|
147,500 |
4.36% |
4,096 |
0.74% |
151,596 |
3.85% |
RomaniansThe Romanians are a nation and ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian ; they are the majority inhabitants of România.In one prominent interpretation of the census results in Moldova, Moldovans are counted as Romanians, which would...
1 |
73,276 |
2.17% |
253 |
0.05% |
73,529 |
1.87% |
| Bulgarians The Bulgarians are a South Slavic people, generally associated with the Republic of Bulgaria and the Bulgarian language. Emigration has resulted in Bulgarian minorities or immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-Ethnogenesis:...
|
65,662 |
1.94% |
13,858 |
2.50% |
79,520 |
2.02% |
| Roma Roma may refer to:*People** the Romani people ** Roma, a subgroup of the Romani people*Sports** A.S. Roma, an Italian football team** Virtus Roma, Basketball team** Roma Esporte Apucarana, a Brazilian football team...
|
12,271 |
0.36% |
507 |
0.09% |
12,778 |
0.32% |
| Jews2 |
3,608 |
0.11% |
1,259 |
0.23% |
4,867 |
0.12% |
| Poles The Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
|
2,383 |
0.07% |
1,791 |
0.32% |
4,174 |
0.11% |
| Others/undeclared |
30,159 |
0.89% |
27,454 |
4.94% |
57,613 |
1.46% |
| TOTAL |
{{nbsp|2}}3,383,332 |
{{nbsp|2}}100% |
{{nbsp|2}}555,347 |
{{nbsp|2}}100% |
{{nbsp|2}}3,938,679 |
{{nbsp|2}}100% |
1There is an
ongoing controversyA controversy exists over the national identity and name of the native language of the main ethnic group in the Republic of Moldova. The issue more frequently disputed is whether Moldovans constitute a subgroup of Romanians or a separate ethnic group...
over whether Romanians and Moldovans are the same ethnic group, namely whether Moldovans' self-identification constitutes an ethnic group distinct and apart from Romanians or a subset. At the census, citizens could declare only one nationality. Consequently, one could not declare oneself both Moldovan and Romanian.
2The Jewish minority was more numerous in the past (225,637
Jews-Early history:Jews are mentioned from very early in the Principality of Moldavia, but they did not represent a significant number. They main activity in Moldavia was commerce, but they could not compete with Greeks and Armenians, which had the knowledge of the Levantine commerce and relationships...
in Bessarabia in 1897, or 11.65% of the population).
Languages
{{Main|Languages of Moldova|Moldovan language|Romanian language}}
The
Constitution of 1994The Republic of Moldova Constitution of 1994 is the country's supreme law of the country since August 27, 1994.- History :It was adopted on July 29, 1994 by the Moldovan Parliament and published in Monitorul Oficial al R. Moldova, N1, July 18, 1994....
states that "the national language of the Republic of Moldova is
MoldovanMoldovan , written in the Latin script, is one of the names of the official language of the Republic of Moldova. The language spoken in Moldova is identical to Romanian, sharing the same literary standard,...
, and its writing is based on the
Latin alphabetThe Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most widely used alphabetic writing system in the world today. It evolved from the western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, and was initially developed by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language.During the...
," while the 1991
Declaration of IndependenceThe Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Moldova was a document adopted by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova following the Collapse of the Soviet Union....
names the official language
RomanianRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
. The 1989 State Language Law speaks of a Moldo-Romanian linguistic identity.
There is a political controversy over the name of the main ethnicity of the Republic of Moldova. During 2003-2009, the Communist government adopted a national political conception which states that one of the priorities of the national politics of the Republic of Moldova is the insurance of the existence of a
Moldovan languageMoldovan , written in the Latin script, is one of the names of the official language of the Republic of Moldova. The language spoken in Moldova is identical to Romanian, sharing the same literary standard,...
. Scholars agree that Moldovan and Romanian are the same language, with glottonym "Moldovan" used in certain political contexts. This view is shared also by some Moldovan politicians. However, in Brussels on September 29, the Prime-Minister of Moldova
Vlad FilatVladimir Filat is a Moldovan politician. He has been the Prime Minister of Moldova since September 25, 2009.- Education and Career :...
became the first Moldovan leader in a decade to publicly announce abroad that his language is "Romanian".
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
is provided with the status of a "language of interethnic communication" (alongside the official language), and in practice remains widely used on all levels of the society and the state. The above-mentioned national political conception also states that Russian-Moldovan bilingualism is characteristic for Moldova.
GagauzThe Gagauz language is a Turkic language, spoken by the Gagauz people, and the official language of Gagauzia, Republic of Moldova. It is spoken by approximately 150,000 people. There are two dialects, Bulgar Gagauzi and Maritime Gagauzi. This is a different language from Balkan Gagauz Turkish...
and
UkrainianUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses the Cyrillic alphabet....
have significant regional speaker populations and are granted official status together with Russian in
GagauziaGagauzia , formally known as the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Găgăuzia , is an autonomous region of...
and
TransnistriaTransnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester or Transdniestria is a disputed region in Eastern Europe, located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine...
respectively.
| Population of Moldova |
Moldovan (Romanian)Romanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
|
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
|
UkrainianUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses the Cyrillic alphabet....
|
GagauzThe Gagauz language is a Turkic language, spoken by the Gagauz people, and the official language of Gagauzia, Republic of Moldova. It is spoken by approximately 150,000 people. There are two dialects, Bulgar Gagauzi and Maritime Gagauzi. This is a different language from Balkan Gagauz Turkish...
|
BulgarianBulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian demonstrates several linguistic innovations that set it apart from all other Slavic languages except the Macedonian language, such as the elimination of case declension, the development of a suffixed definite...
|
Other languages,
non-declared |
| by native language |
2,588,355
76.51% |
380,796
11.26% |
186,394
5.51% |
137,774
4.07% |
54,401
1.61% |
35,612
1.04% |
| by language of first use |
2,543,354
75.17% |
540,990
15.99% |
130,114
3.85% |
104,890
3.10% |
38,565
1.14% |
25,419
0.75% |
Religion
{{Main|Religion in Moldova}}
For the 2004 census,
Eastern Orthodox ChristiansThe Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members...
, who make up 93.3% of Moldova's population, were not required to declare the particular of the two main churches they belong to. The
Moldovan Orthodox ChurchThe Moldovan Orthodox Church is an autonomous church under the Church of Russia, whose canonic territory covers the Republic of Moldova....
, autonomous and subordinated to the
Russian Orthodox ChurchThe Russian Orthodox Church ; or The Moscow Patriarchate , also known...
, and the Orthodox Church of Bessarabia, autonomous and subordinated to the
Romanian Orthodox ChurchThe Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
, both claim to be the national church of the country. 2% of the population is Protestant, 1.2% belongs to other religions, 0.9% is non-religious, 0.4% is atheist, and 2.2% did not answer the religion question at the census.
Education in Moldova
{{Main|Education in Moldova}}
In Moldova, there are 16 state and 15 private institutions of
higher educationHigher education refers to a level of education that is provided by universities, vocational universities, community colleges, liberal arts colleges, institutes of technology and other collegiate level institutions, such as vocational schools, trade schools and career colleges, that award academic...
, with a total of 126,100
studentThe word student is etymologically derived through Middle English from the Latin second-type conjugation verb studēre, meaning "to direct one's zeal at"; hence a student could be described as "one who directs zeal at a subject"...
s, including 104,300 in the state institutions, and 21,700 in the private ones. The number of students per 10,000 inhabitants in Moldova has been constantly growing since the collapse of the
Soviet UnionThe Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. The name is a translation of the , tr. Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated СССР, SSSR. The common short name is Soviet Union, from , Sovetskiy Soyuz...
, reaching 217 in 2000-2001, and 351 in 2005-2006.
The
National Library of MoldovaThe National Library of Moldova is on 31-August-1989 Street in Chişinău. It was founded on August 22, 1832. The Director General is currently Alexe Rău.The architect of it was A. Ambartumian...
was founded in 1832. The
Moldova State UniversityThe Moldova State University is a university located in Chişinău, Moldova. It was founded in 1946 and is organized into 11 faculties.-Organization:...
and the
Academy of Sciences of MoldovaThe Academy of Sciences of Moldova , established in 1946, is the main scientific organization of the Republic of Moldova and coordinates research in all areas of science and technology....
, the main scientific organizations of Moldova, were established in 1946.
Crime
{{Main|Crime in Moldova}}
The CIA World Factbook lists widespread crime and underground economic activity among major crime issues in Moldova.
Health
The birth rate is at one and a half children per woman. Public expenditure on health was 4.2 of the GDP and private expediture on health 3.2 %. There are about 264 physicians per 100,000 people. Health expenditure was 138 US$ (PPP) per capita in 2004.
Culture
{{Main|Culture of Moldova}}
Located geographically at the crossroads of Latin, Slavic and other cultures, Moldova has enriched its own culture adopting and maintaining some of the traditions of its neighbors and of other influence sources.
The country's cultural heritage was marked by numerous churches and monasteries build by the Moldavian ruler Stephen the Great in the 15th century, by the works of the later renaissance Metropolitans
VarlaamVarlaam is a variant of Barlaam. It may also refer to several villages in the Balkans in Southeastern Europe:*Greece:**Varlaam , a village in the southern Ioannina in Epirus*Romania:** Varlaam, a village in Gura Teghii Commune, Buzău County...
and
DosofteiDimitrie Barilă, better known under his monastical name Dosoftei , was a Moldavian Metropolitan, scholar, poet and translator....
, and those of scholars such as
Grigore UrecheGrigore Ureche was a Moldavian chronicler who wrote on Moldavian history in his Letopiseţul Ţării Moldovei , covering the period from 1359 to 1594....
,
Miron CostinMiron Costin was a Moldavian political figure and chronicler. His main work, Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei [de la Aron Vodă încoace] was meant to extend Grigore Ureche's narrative, covering events from 1594 to 1660...
,
Nicolae MilescuNicolae Milescu or Neculai Milescu , also known as Spătarul Milescu-Cârnu - Chancellor Milescu the Snub-nosed , was a Moldavian writer, traveler, geographer, and diplomat...
,
Dimitrie CantemirDimitrie Cantemir was twice Prince of Moldavia . He was also a prolific man of letters – philosopher, historian, composer, musicologist, linguist, ethnographer, and geographer....
,
Ion NeculceIon Neculce was a Moldavian chronicler. His main work, Letopiseţul Ţărâi Moldovei [de la Dabija Vodă până la a doua domnie a lui Constantin Mavrocordat] was meant to extend Ion Neculce's narrative, covering events from 1661 to 1743.-Life:Ion Neculce...
. In the 19th century, Moldavians from the territories of the medieval Principality of Moldavia, then split between
AustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.3 million people in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west...
, Russia, and an Ottoman-vassal
MoldaviaMoldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
(after 1859,
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
), made the largest contribution to the formation of the modern
Romanian cultureRomania's culture is the product of its geographical position and of its distinct historical evolution. It is fundamentally defined as the meeting point of three regions: Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans, but cannot be truly included in any of them. The Romanian identity formed on a...
. Among these were many Bessarabians, such as Alexandru Donici,
Alexandru HâjdeuAlexandru Hâjdeu was a Russian writer of Romanian origin, who lived in Bessarabia. He was the father of Romanian writer and philologist Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu....
,
Bogdan Petriceicu HasdeuBogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu was a Romanian writer and philologist, who pioneered many branches of Romanian philology and history...
,
Constantin StamatiConstantin Stamati was a Moldavian Romanian-language writer and translator.He settled in Chişinău, Bessarabia after the 1812 partition of Moldavia at the end of the Russo-Turkish War, but made his literary debut in Iaşi.Stamati became a civil servant and official translator under the first...
,
Constantin Stamati-CiureaConstantin Stamati-Ciurea was a Moldovan writer and translator. The son of Constantin Stamati, he followed in his father's footsteps as an author of prose, plays, and translations. He served as diplomat at Russia's embassies in Paris, Berlin, and London.-References:...
, Costache Negruzzi,
Alecu RussoAlecu Russo , was a Moldavian Romanian writer, literary critic and publicist....
,
Constantin StereConstantin G. Stere or Constantin Sterea was a Romanian writer, jurist, politician, ideologue of the Poporanist trend, and, in March 1906, co-founder Constantin G. Stere or Constantin Sterea (Romanian; , Konstantin Yegorovich Stere or Константин Георгиевич Стере, Konstantin Georgiyevich Stere;...
.
Mihai EminescuMihai Eminescu was a Romantic poet, novelist and journalist, often regarded as the most famous and influential Romanian poet. Eminescu was an active member of the Junimea literary society and he worked as an editor for the newspaper Timpul , the official newspaper of the Conservative Party...
, a late
RomanticRomanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution...
poet, and
Ion CreangăIon Creangă was a Moldavian-born Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher...
, a writer, are the most influential
Romanian languageRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
artists, considered national writers both in Romania and Moldova.
Ethnic Moldovans, 78.3% of the population, are
RomanianRomanian or Daco-Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova. It has official status in Romania, Republic of Moldova, and the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina in Serbia...
-speakers and share the Romanian culture. Their culture has been also influenced (through Eastern Orthodoxy) by the
ByzantineThe word Byzantine may refer to:Topics directly related to the Byzantine Empire* A citizen of The Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
culture.
The country has also important minority ethnic communities.
GagauzThe Gagauz people are a small Turkic ethnic group living mostly in southern Moldova , southwestern Ukraine and north-eastern Bulgaria . Unlike most other Turkic peoples, the Gagauz are predominantly Orthodox Christians...
, 4.4% of the population, are the only
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
TurkicThe Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern, central and western Eurasia. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
people.
GreeksThe Greeks , also known as Hellenes, are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighbouring regions, who can also be found in diaspora communities around the world....
,
ArmeniansArmenians in Moldova are the ethnic Armenians that live in Moldova. They settled in the Principality of Moldavia since the Late Middle Ages, and were well-known as a merchant community. They prospered, and built a number of Armenian churches. Since the 18th century, however, their numbers decreased...
,
PolesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
,
Jews-Early history:Jews are mentioned from very early in the Principality of Moldavia, but they did not represent a significant number. They main activity in Moldavia was commerce, but they could not compete with Greeks and Armenians, which had the knowledge of the Levantine commerce and relationships...
,
UkrainiansUkrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly—citizens of Ukraine...
, although not numerous, were present since as early as 17th century, and had left cultural marks. The 19th century saw the arrival of many more Ukrainians and Jews from
PodoliaThe region of Podolia is an historical region in the west-central and south-west portions of present-day Ukraine, corresponding to Khmelnytskyi Oblast and Vinnytsia Oblast. Northern Transnistria, in Moldova is also a part of Podolia...
and
GaliciaGalicia is a historical region in East-Central Europe, currently divided between Poland and Ukraine, named after the Ukraіniаn city of Halych. The nucleus of historic Galicia is formed of three regions of western Ukraine: Lviv, Ternopil and Ivano-Frankivsk.-Tribal area:The region has a turbulent...
, as well as new communities, such as
LipovansLipovans or Lippovans are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin, who settled in Moldavia, in the Danube Delta, in Tulcea county, in the Dobrogea region of eastern Romania, and in the southwestern part of Odessa Oblast , in Chernivtsi Oblast in Ukraine, as well as in two villages in...
,
BulgariansThe Bessarabian Bulgarians are a Bulgarian minority group of the historical region of Bessarabia, inhabiting parts of present-day Ukraine and Moldova.- Location and number :-Modern Ukraine:...
and Germans.
In the second part of the 20th century, Moldova saw a massive Soviet immigration, which brought with it many elements of the Soviet culture. The country has now important Russian (6%) and Ukrainain (8.4%) populations. 50% of ethnic Ukrainians, 27% of Gagauzians, 35% of Bulgarians, and 54% of smaller ethnic groups speak
RussianRussian is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe...
as first language. In total, there are 541,000 people (or 16% of the population) in Moldova who use Russian as first language, including 130,000 ethnic Moldovans. By contrast, only 47,000 ethnic minorities use Romanian as first language.
Moldovan culture has certain influences from historic minority ethnic communities, and in turn has certain influences on the culture of the groups that emigrated, such as Bessarabian Germans and
Bessarabian Jews-Early history:Jews are mentioned from very early in the Principality of Moldavia, but they did not represent a significant number. They main activity in Moldavia was commerce, but they could not compete with Greeks and Armenians, which had the knowledge of the Levantine commerce and relationships...
.
Popular media
{{Main|Television in Moldova|Cinema of Moldova}}
In 1930, Radio Moldova, a local station of the
Romanian Radio Broadcasting CompanyThe Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company , informally referred to as Radio Romania , is the public radio broadcaster in Romania. It operates four national radio channels, and, under the Radio România Regional umbrella, eleven regional radio stations. The four national radio channels are: Radio...
, opened.
TelevisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
in Moldova was
introduced in 1956This is a list of when the first publicly announced television broadcasts occurred in the mentioned countries. Non-public field tests and closed circuit demonstrations are not included.
...
, within the framework of the Soviet television. Moldovan viewers can receive through cable a large number of
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n channels, a few
RomaniaRomania is a country located in Southeastern and Central Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea. Almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory...
n channels, several Russian language versions of international channels in addition to several local channels. One Russian and two local channels are aired.
Food and beverage
{{Main|Moldovan cuisine|Moldovan wine}}
Moldovan cuisine consists mainly of traditional European foods, such as
beefBeef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle . Beef is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of Australia, Europe and America, and is also important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia...
,
porkPork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig . The word pork often denotes specifically the fresh meat of the pig, but can be used as an all-inclusive term which includes cured, smoked, or processed meats It is one of the most-commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig...
,
potatoThe potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species. Potatoes are the world's fourth largest food...
es,
cabbageThe cabbage is a popular cultivar of the species Brassica oleracea Linne of the Family Brassicaceae , and is used as a leafy green vegetable...
, and a variety of
cerealCereals, grains or cereal grains, {as a collective} are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their fruit seeds - the endocarp, germ and bran...
s. Popular alcoholic beverages are
divinDivin is brandy from the Republic of Moldova produced in conformity with classic cognac production.-External links:*...
(Moldovan
brandyBrandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine, the wine having first been produced by fermenting grapes. Brandy generally contains 36%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
),
vodkaVodka is a clear distilled liquor composed of water and ethyl alcohol, made from a fermented substance of either grain, rye, wheat, potatoes, or sugar beet molasses; it also might contain trace amounts of other substances, either a flavour or unintended impurities...
, and especially local wines.
Music
{{Main|Music of Moldova}}
Moldova has produced artists with works that are recognized worldwide:
composerA composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of...
s (Gavriil Musicescu,
Ştefan NeagaŞtefan Neaga was a Moldavian composer. He was known in Russian as Степан Тимофеевич Няга.The Chişinău College of Music is named for him....
,
Eugen Doga-Biography:Eugen Doga was born on March 1, 1937, in in Mocra village, Rîbniţa district of Moldova. He made his debut in the composition art in 1963, with a string quartet, later becoming the author of many priceless musical compositions, film and theater soundtracks....
), sculptors (
Alexandru PlămădealăAlexandru Plamădeală was a Moldovan sculptor. He was the artist responsible for the creation of the monument of Stephen the Great in Chişinău .He died in Chişinău in 1940....
), and
architectAn architect is trained and licensed in planning and designing buildings, and participates in supervising the construction of a building. Etymologically, architect derives from the Latin architectus, itself derived from the Greek arkhitekton , i.e. chief builder...
s (
Alexey ShchusevAlexey Viktorovich Shchusev was an acclaimed Russian architect whose works may be regarded as a bridge connecting Revivalist architecture of Imperial Russia with Stalin's Empire Style....
).
In the field of popular music, Moldova has produced the boyband
O-ZoneO-Zone was a Moldovan pop music trio that gained global popularity for their song "Dragostea din tei." Its members were Dan Bălan, Radu Sîrbu, and Arsenie "Arsenium" Todiraş.-Music career:...
, who came to prominence in 2004, with their hit song
Dragostea Din Tei"Dragostea din tei" , also known as "The Numa Numa Song", is the most successful single by the Moldovan pop group O-Zone. It shot to the #1 spot on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it remained for 12 weeks between June and early September 2004. It reached number 1 in Germany and stayed there for 14...
, also known as "The Numa Numa Song".
See also
{{portal|Moldova|Flag of Moldova.svg}}
{{Main|Outline of Moldova}}
{{Moldova topics|state=expand}}
Government
General information
- Country information from the United States Department of State
The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, similar to foreign ministries, foreign offices, ministries of external relations, etc. in other countries...
- Travel information from the United States Department of State
- Portals to the World from the United States Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and holds the largest number of books. The head...
- Moldova at UCB Libraries GovPubs
- Digital Maps of Moldova - Fund of Cartography and Geodesy - orthophoto, etc.
- Moldova-Map.md - web-portal
International rankings
- Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann AG is a transnational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 106,083 workers...
: Bertelsmann Transformation Index 2006, ranked 75th out of 119 countries
- Reporters without borders
Reporters Without Borders, or RWB is a Paris-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985 by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud...
: Annual worldwide press freedom index (2005), ranked 74th out of 167 countries
- The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an English-language international daily newspaper published by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, in New York City, with Asian and European editions. As of 2007, it has a worldwide daily circulation of more than 2 million, with approximately 931,000...
: 2005 Index of Economic FreedomThe Index of Economic Freedom is a series of 10 economic measurements created by the Heritage Foundation and Wall Street Journal. Its stated objective is to measure the degree of economic freedom in the world's nations.- History :...
, ranked 77th out of 155 countries
- The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in an office in the City of Westminster, London. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843. While The Economist calls itself a...
: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, ranked 99th out of 111 countries
- Transparency International
Transparency International is an international non-governmental organization addressing corruption . This includes, but is not limited to, political corruption. It is widely known for producing its annual Corruptions Perceptions Index , a comparative listing of corruption worldwide. The...
: Corruption Perceptions Index 2005, ranked 88th out of 158 countries
- United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. The UNDP is an executive board within the United Nations General Assembly...
: Human Development Index 2005, ranked 116th out of 177 countries
- World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Geneva-based non-profit foundation best known for its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland which brings together top business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists to discuss the most pressing issues facing the world...
: Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, ranked 82nd out of 117 countries
- World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides leveraged loans to poorer countries for capital programs, tied to neoliberal market restructurings...
: Doing Business 2006, ranked 83rd out of 155
- World Bank: Ease of Starting a Business 2006, ranked 69th out of 155
- United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and the achieving of world peace...
Conference on Trade and Development: Foreign Direct Investment Performance Index 2004, ranked 35th out of 140
News media
Other
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{{Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)|state=collapsed}}
{{Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA)}}
{{Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)}}
{{Council of Europe}}
{{Latin Union}}
{{GUAM countries}}
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