Moldova

Location

• Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
• landlocked; has many types of sedimentary rocks and minerals, including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Chisinau	635,994	Capital
Tiraspol	157,000
Bălţi	125,000
Bender	110,175
Rîbniţa	55,455
Cahul	34,492
Ungheni	34,422
Soroca	27,423
Orhei	24,918
Dubăsari	23,254

Size

• 13,067 square miles
• 33,843 square kilometers
• slightly larger than Maryland

History

A large portion of present-day Moldovan territory became a province of the Russian Empire in 1812 and then unified with Romania in 1918 in the aftermath of World War I. This territory was then incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although Moldova has been independent from the Soviet Union since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Nistru River in the breakaway region of Transnistria. Years of Communist Party rule in Moldova from 2001 to 2009 ultimately ended with election-related violent protests and a rerun of parliamentary elections in 2009. A series of pro-Europe ruling coalitions governed Moldova from 2010 to 2019, but pro-Russia candidate Igor DODON won the presidency in 2016, and his Socialist Party of the Republic of Moldova won a plurality in the legislative election in 2019. Pro-EU reformist candidate Maia SANDU defeated DODON in his reelection bid in 2020, and SANDU's Party of Action and Solidarity won a parliamentary majority in an early legislative election in 2021. Prime Minister Natalia GAVRILITA and her cabinet took office in 2021. In early 2023, Moldova's parliament confirmed a new cabinet led by Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN, which retained the majority of the former ministers.  

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Languages

Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% Moldovan; 23.5% Romanian), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, Bulgarian 1.5%, Romani 0.3%, other 0.2% (2014)major-language sample(s): Cartea informativa a lumii, sursa indispensabila pentru informatii de baza. (Moldovan/Romanian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.note: data represent mother tongue; as of March 2023, "Romanian" replaced "Moldovan" as the name of Moldova's official language

Religions

Orthodox 90.1%, other Christian 2.6%, other 0.1%, agnostic <0.1%, atheist 0.2%, unspecified 6.9% (2014 est.)

Government

parliamentary republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994amendment process: proposed by voter petition (at least 200,000 eligible voters), by at least one third of Parliament members, or by the government; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament within one year of initial proposal; revisions to constitutional articles on sovereignty, independence, and neutrality require majority vote by referendum; articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court reviews legislative acts
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Maia SANDU (since 24 December 2020)head of government: Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN (since 16 February 2023)cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister-designate, nominated by the president, approved through a vote of confidence in Parliamentelection/appointment process: president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); prime minister designated by the president in consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence for his/her proposed work program from the Parliamentmost recent election date: 3 November 2024election results: 2024: In the second round of presidential elections, incumbent Maia SANDU (PAS) wins 55.4% of the vote, Alexandr STOIANOGLO (PSRM) 44.6; turnout is 54.3%2020: Maia SANDU elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Maia SANDU (PAS) 57.7%, Igor DODON (PSRM) 42.3%2016: Igor DODON elected president in second round; percent of vote - Igor DODON (PSRM) 52.1%, Maia SANDU (PAS) 47.9%expected date of next election: 2028
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of the chief judge, 3 deputy-chief judges, 45 judges, and 7 assistant judges); Constitutional Court (consists of the court president and 6 judges)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistracy, an 11-member body of judicial officials; all judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy for 6-year terms; court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year termsubordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Court of Business Audit; municipal courtsnote: the Constitutional Court is autonomous; it interprets the Constitution and reviews the constitutionality of parliamentary laws and decisions, decrees of the president, and acts of the government
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Parlament)legislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 101 (all directly elected)electoral system: proportional representationscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 7/11/2021parties elected and seats per party: Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) (63); Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BECS) (32); Șor Party (PPȘ) (6)percentage of women in chamber: 40%expected date of next election: September 2025

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• upper middle-income Eastern European economy; sustained growth reversed by COVID-19; significant remittances; Russian energy and regional dependence; agricultural exporter; declining workforce due to emigration and low fertility
• Budget: revenues: $5.197 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $6.037 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, limestone, arable land
• Industries: sugar processing, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles
• Agricultural Products: wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, grapes, apples, sugar beets, barley, milk, rapeseed, potatoes (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 69.3% (2022 est.)arable land: 52.4% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 6.7% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 10.2% (2022 est.)forest: 11.8% (2022 est.)other: 18.9% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, packaged medicine, plastic products (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: Romania 16%, Ukraine 13%, China 11%, Turkey 8%, Germany 7% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: insulated wire, garments, refined petroleum, seed oils, wheat (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: Romania 31%, Ukraine 13%, Italy 6%, Germany 6%, Czechia 4% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports