Moldova

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search
This article is about the modern state. For the historical principality, see Moldavia. For
other uses, see Moldova (disambiguation).
"Republic of Moldova" redirects here. For the Soviet Republic, see Moldavian Soviet
Socialist Republic.
Coordinates:  47°N 29°E

Republic of Moldova

Republica Moldova  (Romanian)

Flag

Coat of arms

Anthem: "Limba noastră"
(English: "Our language")

MENU

0:00

Location of Moldova in Europe (green)

 and its uncontrolled territory of Transnistria (light green)

Capital Chișinău
and largest city 47°0′N 28°55′E

Official languages Romanian (also known as Moldovan)[1][2]

Recognised Bulgarian
minority Gagauz
languages Russian
Ukrainian
[3][4][5]

Ethnic groups  75.1% Moldovan
(2014; 7.0% Romanian
excluding Transnis 6.6% Ukrainian
tria) 4.6% Gagauz
4.1% Russian
1.9% Bulgarian
0.36% Romani
0.07% Poles
0.89% other

Demonym(s) Moldovan

Government Unitary parliamentary constitutional secular r
epublic

• President Maia Sandu

• Prime Minister Aureliu Ciocoi (acting)
• President of the Zinaida Greceanîi
Parliament

Legislature Parliament

Formation
• Principality of 1346
Moldavia
• Bessarabia 1812
Governorate
• Moldavian 15 December 1917
Democratic
Republic
• Union with Romania 9 April 1918
• Moldavian ASSR 12 October 1924
• Moldavian SSR 2 August 1940
• Independence 27 August 1991b
from the Soviet
Union
• Admitted to 2 March 1992
the United Nations
• Constitution adopted 29 July 1994

Area
• Including Transnistri 33,846 km2 (13,068 sq mi) (135th)
a
• Water (%) 1.4 (including Transnistria)
• Excluding 29,683 km2 (11,461 sq mi)
Transnistria

Population
• 1 January 2020  2,640,438 [6]
estimate (excludes Transnistria) (142nd)

• Density 86.2[7]/km2 (223.3/sq mi) (93th)

GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate
• Total $27.271 billion
• Per capita $13,574[8] (95th)

GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate
• Total $12.037 billion
• Per capita $4,498[9] (110th)

Gini (2014)  26.8[10]
low

HDI (2019)  0.750[11]
high · 90th

Currency Moldovan leu (MDL)

Time zone UTC+2 (EET)

• Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)

Driving side right

Calling code +373

ISO 3166 code MD

Internet TLD .md

Website
www.moldova.md 

a. As determined by the Moldovan Declaration of

Independence, which the Constitutional court of Moldova found
to take precedence over Article 13 of the Constitution, which
uses the name "Moldovan".[1]

b. Date of proclamation. Independence subsequently

finalized with the dissolution of the USSR in December 1991.
Moldova (/mɒlˈdoʊvə/ ( listen), sometimes UK: /ˈmɒldəvə/; Romanian pronunciation: [molˈdova]),[12]
[13][14]
 officially the Republic of Moldova (Romanian: Republica Moldova), is
a landlocked country in Eastern Europe.[15] It is bordered by Romania to the west
and Ukraine to the north, east, and south.[16] The capital city is Chișinău.
Most of Moldovan territory was a part of the Principality of Moldavia from the 14th
century until 1812, when it was ceded to the Russian Empire by the Ottoman Empire (to
which Moldavia was a vassal state) and became known as Bessarabia. In 1856,
southern Bessarabia was returned to Moldavia, which three years later united
with Wallachia to form Romania, but Russian rule was restored over the whole of the
region in 1878. During the 1917 Russian Revolution, Bessarabia briefly became an
autonomous state within the Russian Republic, known as the Moldavian Democratic
Republic. In February 1918, the Moldavian Democratic Republic declared
independence and then integrated into Romania later that year following a vote of its
assembly. The decision was disputed by Soviet Russia, which in 1924 established,
within the Ukrainian SSR, a Moldavian autonomous republic (MASSR) on partially
Moldovan-inhabited territories to the east of Bessarabia.
In 1940, as a consequence of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Romania was compelled to
cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, leading to the creation of
the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian SSR), which included the greater
part of Bessarabia and the westernmost strip of the former MASSR (east of the Dniester
River). On 27 August 1991, as the dissolution of the Soviet Union was underway, the
Moldavian SSR declared independence and took the name Moldova.[17] The constitution
of Moldova was adopted in 1994. The strip of the Moldovan territory on the east bank of
the Dniester has been under the de facto control of the breakaway government
of Transnistria since 1990.
Due to a decrease in industrial and agricultural output following the dissolution of the
Soviet Union, the service sector has grown to dominate Moldova's economy and is over
60% of the nation's GDP. It is the second poorest country in Europe by GDP per capita.
[18]
 Although Moldova has a relatively high Human Development Index, it is the lowest in
the continent, ranking 90th in the world.
Moldova is a parliamentary republic with a president as head of state and a prime
minister as head of government. It is a member state of the United Nations, the Council
of Europe, the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic
Development, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Organization of
the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC).

Contents

 1Etymology
 2History
o 2.1Prehistory
o 2.2Antiquity and the early Middle Ages
o 2.3Founding of the Principality of Moldavia
o 2.4Between Poland and Hungary
 2.4.1The Polish influence grows
o 2.5The Ottomans enter the struggle for control
 2.5.1The Age of Invasions
 2.5.2Transnistria
o 2.6The Russian Empire
  2.6.1Union with Romania and the return of the Russians
 2.6.2A multiethnic colonization
 2.6.3The Russian Revolution and Greater Romania
o 2.7World War II and Soviet era
 2.7.1Annexation by the USSR
 2.7.2Reincorporation into Romania, the Holocaust, and the
Soviet occupation
 2.7.3Moldova in the USSR after World War II
 2.7.4Glasnost and Perestroika
o 2.8Independence and aftermath
 2.8.1Transnistria breaks away (1990 to present)
 2.8.2Market economy (1992)
 2.8.3Elections: 1994-2010
 2.8.4Banking crisis
 2.8.5Pavel Filip's government (2016)
 2.8.62019 constitutional crisis
 2.8.7COVID-19 pandemic
 3Government
o 3.1Internal affairs
o 3.2Foreign relations
o 3.3Military
o 3.4Human rights
o 3.5Administrative divisions
 4Geography
o 4.1Climate
o 4.2Biodiversity
 5Economy
o 5.1Energy
o 5.2Wine industry
o 5.3Agriculture
o 5.4Transport
 6Telecommunications
 7Demographics
o 7.1Ethnic composition
o 7.2Languages
o 7.3Religion
o 7.4Education
o 7.5Crime
o 7.6Health and fertility
o 7.7Emigration
 8Culture
o 8.1Media
o 8.2Food and beverage
o 8.3Music
o 8.4Holidays
o 8.5Sports
 9See also
 10Notes
 11References
 12External links

Etymology[edit]
Main article: Names of Moldavia and Moldova
The name Moldova is derived from the Moldova River; the valley of this river served as
a political centre at the time of the foundation of the Principality of Moldavia in 1359.
[19]
 The origin of the name of the river remains unclear. According to a legend recounted
by Moldavian chroniclers Dimitrie Cantemir and Grigore Ureche, Prince Dragoș named
the river after hunting an aurochs: following the chase, the prince's exhausted
hound Molda drowned in the river. The dog's name, given to the river, extended to the
Principality.[20]
For a short time in the 1990s, at the founding of the Commonwealth of Independent
States, the name of the current Republic of Moldova was also spelled Moldava.[21] After
the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country began to use the Romanian
name, Moldova. Officially, the name Republic of Moldova is designated by the United
Nations.

History[edit]
Main article: History of Moldova
See also: History of Transnistria
Prehistory[edit]
The prehistory of Moldova covers the period from the Upper Paleolithic which begins
with the presence of Homo sapiens in the area of Southeastern Europe some 44,000
years ago and extends into the appearance of the first written records in Classical
Antiquity in Greece.
In 2010 N.K. Anisjutkin discovered Oldowan flint tools at Bayraki that are 800,000–1.2
million years old.[22] During the Neolithic Stone-Age era, Moldova's territory stood at the
centre of the large Cucuteni–Trypillia culture that stretched east beyond the Dniester
River in Ukraine and west up to and beyond the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. The
people of this civilization, which lasted roughly from 5500 to 2750 BC, practised
agriculture, raised livestock, hunted, and made intricately-designed pottery. [23]
Antiquity and the early Middle Ages[edit]
Carpian tribes inhabited Moldova's territory in the period of classical antiquity. Between
the 1st and 7th centuries AD, the south came intermittently under the control of
the Roman and then the Byzantine Empires. Due to its strategic location on a route
between Asia and Europe, the territory of modern Moldova experienced many invasions
in late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, including
by Goths, Huns, Avars, Bulgarians, Magyars, Pechenegs, Cumans, Mongols and Tatars
.
Friar William of Rubruck, who visited the court of the Great Khan in 1254, listed "the
Blac",[24][need quotation to verify] or Vlachs, among the peoples who paid tribute to the Mongols, but
the extent of the Vlachs' territory remains uncertain. [25][26] Friar William described "Blakia"
as "Assan's territory"[27] south of the lower Danube, showing that he identified it with the
northern regions of the Second Bulgarian Empire, also known as the "Empire of the
Bulgars and Vlachs".[28][29]
On the border between Halych and the Brodniks, in the 11th century, a Viking by the
name of Rodfos was killed in the area by Blakumen who supposedly betrayed him.[30] In
1164, Vlach shepherds around the same region took the future Byzantine
emperor Andronikos I Komnenos, as a prisoner.
The East Slavic Hypatian Chronicle mentions the Bolohoveni, a Vlach population, in the
13th century. The chronicle records that this land bordered on the principalities
of Halych, Volhynia and Kyiv. Archaeological research has identified the location of
13th-century fortified settlements in this region. Alexandru V. Boldur identified
Voscodavie, Voscodavti, Voloscovti, Volcovti, Volosovca and their other towns and
villages between the middle course of the rivers Nistru/Dniester and Nipru/Dnieper.
[31]
 The Bolohoveni disappeared from chronicles after their defeat in 1257 by Daniel of
Galicia's troops.
In the early 13th century, the Brodniks, a possible Slavic–Vlach vassal state of Halych,
were present, alongside the Vlachs, in much of the region's territory (towards 1216, the
Brodniks are mentioned[by whom?] as in service of Suzdal).
Founding of the Principality of Moldavia[edit]
Main article: Founding of Moldavia

The Principality of Moldavia and the modern boundaries of Moldova, Ukraine, and Romania.

The founding of the Principality of Moldavia began with the arrival of

a Vlach voivode (military leader), Dragoș, soon followed by his people
from Maramureș to the region of the Moldova River. Dragoș established a polity there
as a vassal to the Kingdom of Hungary in the 1350s. The independence of
the Principality of Moldavia was gained when Bogdan I, another Vlach voivode from
Maramureș who had fallen out with the Hungarian king, crossed the Carpathian
mountains in 1359 and took control of Moldavia, wresting the region from Hungary. The
Principality of Moldavia was bounded by the Carpathian Mountains in the west,
the Dniester River in the east, and the Danube River and Black Sea to the south. Its
territory comprised the present-day territory of the Republic of Moldova, the eastern
eight counties of Romania, and parts of the Chernivtsi Oblast and Budjak region of
Ukraine. Like the present-day republic and Romania's north-eastern region, it was
known to the locals as Moldova.
Between Poland and Hungary[edit]

Map of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania between 1386 and 1434 showing
the Principality of Moldavia as a Polish fief.

The history of what is today Moldova has been intertwined with that of Poland for
centuries. The Polish chronicler Jan Długosz mentioned Moldavians (under the
name Wallachians) as having joined a military expedition in 1342, under King Ladislaus
I, against the Margraviate of Brandenburg.[32] The Polish state was powerful enough to
counter the Hungarian Kingdom which was consistently interested in bringing the area
that would become Moldova into its political orbit.
Ties between Poland and Moldavia expanded after the founding of the Moldavian state
by Bogdan of Cuhea, a Vlach voivode from Maramureș who had fallen out with the
Hungarian king. Crossing the Carpathian mountains in 1359, the voivode took control of
Moldavia and succeeded in creating Moldavia as an independent political entity. Despite
being disfavored by the brief union of Angevin Poland and Hungary (the latter was still
the country's overlord), Bogdan's successor Lațcu, the Moldavian ruler also likely allied
himself with the Poles. Lațcu also accepted conversion to Roman Catholicism around
1370, but his gesture was to remain without consequences.
The Polish influence grows[edit]
Petru I profited from the end of the Polish-Hungarian union and moved the country
closer to the Jagiellon realm, becoming a vassal of king Jogaila of Poland on
September 26, 1387. This gesture was to have unexpected consequences: Petru
supplied the Polish ruler with funds needed in the war against the Teutonic Knights, and
was granted control over Pokuttya until the debt was to be repaid; as this is not
recorded to have been carried out, the region became disputed by the two states, until it
was lost by Moldavia in the Battle of Obertyn (1531). Prince Petru also expanded his
rule southwards to the Danube Delta. His brother Roman I conquered the Hungarian-
ruled Cetatea Albă in 1392, giving Moldavia an outlet to the Black Sea, before being
toppled from the throne for supporting Fyodor Koriatovych in his conflict with Vytautas
the Great of Lithuania. Under Stephen I, growing Polish influence was challenged
by Sigismund of Hungary, whose expedition was defeated at Ghindăoani in 1385;
however, Stephen disappeared in mysterious circumstances.
Although Alexander I was brought to the throne in 1400 by the Hungarians (with
assistance from Mircea I of Wallachia), this ruler shifted his allegiances towards Poland
(notably engaging Moldavian forces on the Polish side in the Battle of Grunwald and
the Siege of Marienburg), and placed his own choice of rulers in Wallachia. His reign
was one of the most successful in Moldavia's history.
The Ottomans enter the struggle for control[edit]

Built during the reign of Stephen the Great (pictured above), several authors believed the Soroca Fort was
constructed on the site of a former Genoese fortress named Olhionia.[33]

For all of his success, it was under the reign of Alexander I that the first confrontation
with the Ottoman Turks took place at Cetatea Albă in 1420. A deep crisis was to follow
Alexandrel's long reign, with his successors battling each other in a succession of wars
that divided the country until the murder of Bogdan II and the ascension of Peter III
Aaron in 1451. Nevertheless, Moldavia was subject to further Hungarian interventions
after that moment, as Matthias Corvinus deposed Aron and backed Alexăndrel to the
throne in Suceava. Petru Aron's rule also signified the beginning of Moldavia's Ottoman
Empire allegiance, as the ruler agreed to pay tribute to Sultan Mehmed II.
The Age of Invasions[edit]
During this time, Moldavia was invaded repeatedly by Crimean Tatars and, beginning in
the 15th century, by the Turks. In 1538, the principality became a tributary to
the Ottoman Empire, but it retained internal and partial external autonomy.
[34]
 Nonetheless, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth continued to strongly influence
Moldavia both through national politics as well as on the local level through significant
intermarriage between Moldavian nobility and the Polish szlachta. When in May
1600, Michael the Brave removed Ieremia Movilă from Moldavia's throne by winning the
battle of Bacău, briefly reuniting under his rule Moldavia, Wallachia, and Transylvania, a
Polish army led by Jan Zamoyski drove the Wallachians from Moldavia. Zamoyski
reinstalled Ieremia Movilă to the throne, who put the country under the vassalage of
the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Moldavia finally returned to Ottoman vassalage
in 1621.
Transnistria[edit]
While the region of Transnistria was never politically part of the Principality of Moldavia,
there were sizable areas which were owned by Moldavian boyars and given by the
Moldavian rulers. The earliest surviving deeds referring to lands beyond the Dniester
river date from the 16th century.[35] Moldavian chronicle Grigore Ureche which mentions
that in 1584, some Moldavian villages from beyond the Dniester in the Kingdom of
Poland were attacked and plundered by Cossacks.[36] Many Moldovans were members
of Cossacks units as well, with two of them, Ioan Potcoavă and Dănilă
Apostol becoming hetmans of Ukraine. Ruxandra Lupu, the daughter of Moldavian
voivode Vasile Lupu who married Tymish Khmelnytsky, lived in Rașcov according to
Ukrainian tradition.
While most of today's Moldova came into the Ottoman orbit in the 16th century, a
substantial part of Transnistria remained a part of the Polish–Lithuanian
Commonwealth until the Second Partition of Poland in 1793.
The Russian Empire[edit]

Territorial changes of Moldavia following the Treaty of Bucharest 1812.

In accordance with the Treaty of Bucharest of 1812, and despite numerous protests by

Moldavian nobles on behalf of the sovereignty of their principality, the Ottoman
Empire (of which Moldavia was a vassal) ceded to the Russian Empire the eastern half
of the territory of the Principality of Moldavia along with Khotyn and old Bessarabia
(modern Budjak), which Russia had already conquered and annexed. The new Russian
province was called Oblast of Moldavia and Bessarabia, and initially enjoyed a large
degree of autonomy. After 1828 this autonomy was progressively restricted and in 1871
the Oblast was transformed into the Bessarabia Governorate, in a process of state-
imposed assimilation, Russification. As part of this process, the Tsarist administration in
Bessarabia gradually removed the Romanian language from official and religious use.[37]
Union with Romania and the return of the Russians[edit]
The Treaty of Paris (1856) returned the southern part of Bessarabia (later organised as
the Cahul, Bolgrad and Ismail counties) to Moldavia, which remained an autonomous
principality and, in 1859, united with Wallachia to form Romania. In 1878, as a result of
the Treaty of Berlin, Romania was forced to cede the three counties back to the Russian
Empire.
A multiethnic colonization[edit]
Over the 19th century, the Russian authorities encouraged the colonization of
Bessarabia by Russians, Ukrainians, Germans, Bulgarians, Poles, and Gagauzes,
primarily in the northern and southern areas vacated by Turks and Nogai Tatar, the
latter having been expelled in the 1770s and 1780s, during Russo-Turkish Wars;[38][39][40]
[41]
 the inclusion of the province in the Pale of Settlement also allowed the immigration of
more Jews.[a] The Romanian proportion of the population decreased from an estimated
86% in 1816,[43] to around 52% in 1905.[44] During this time there were anti-Semitic riots,
leading to an exodus of thousands of Jews to the United States. [45]
The Russian Revolution and Greater Romania[edit]

A map of Greater Romania between 1920 and 1940.

World War I brought in a rise in political and cultural (ethnic) awareness among the
inhabitants of the region, 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 1917, a Bessarabian
parliament, Sfatul Țării (a National Council), was elected in October–November
1917 and opened on December 3 [O.S. 21 November] 1917. The Sfatul Țării
proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic (December 15 [O.S. 2 December] 1917)
within a federal Russian state, and formed a government (21 December [O.S. 8
December] 1917).
After the Romanian army occupied the region in early January at the request of the
National Council, Bessarabia proclaimed independence from Russia on February
6 [O.S. 24 January] 1918 and requested the assistance of the French army present in
Romania (general Henri Berthelot) and of the Romanian Army.[46] On April 9 [O.S. 27
March] 1918, the Sfatul Țării decided with 86 votes for, 3 against and 36 abstaining,
to unite with the Kingdom of Romania. The union was conditional upon fulfilment of
the agrarian reform, autonomy, and respect for universal human rights. [47] A part of the
interim Parliament agreed to drop these conditions
after Bukovina and Transylvania also joined the Kingdom of Romania, although
historians note that they lacked the quorum to do so.[48][49][50][51][52]
This union was recognized by the principal Allied Powers in the 1920 Treaty of Paris,
which however was not ratified by all of its signatories. [53][54] The newly communist
Russia did not recognize Romanian rule over Bessarabia, considering it an occupation
of Russian territory.[55]
In May 1919, the Bessarabian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed as a
government in exile. After the failure of the Tatarbunary Uprising in 1924, the Moldavian
Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian ASSR) was formed by Soviet Russia
within the territory of the Ukrainian SSR, in Transnistria region.
World War II and Soviet era[edit]
Main article: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
Monument to the villagers who died in World War II, the village Cojușna, Strășeni District.

Annexation by the USSR[edit]

In August 1939, the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and its secret additional protocol were
signed, by which Nazi Germany recognized Bessarabia as being within the Soviet
sphere of influence, which led the latter to actively revive its claim to the region. [56] On 28
June 1940, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Romania requesting the cession of
Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, with which Romania complied the following day.
Soon after, the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian SSR, MSSR) was
established,[56] comprising about 65% of Bessarabia, and 50% of the now-disbanded
Moldavian ASSR (the present-day Transnistria). Ethnic Germans left in 1940.
Reincorporation into Romania, the Holocaust, and the Soviet occupation [edit]
As part of the 1941 Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, Romania regained the territories
of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, and seized a territory which became known
as Transnistria Governorate. Romanian forces, working with the Germans, deported or
massacred about 300,000 Jews, including 147,000 from Bessarabia and Bukovina. Of
the latter, approximately 90,000 died. [57] Between 1941 and 1944 partisan
detachments acted against the Romanian administration. The Soviet Army re-captured
the region in February–August 1944, and re-established the Moldavian SSR. Between
the end of the Second Jassy–Kishinev Offensive in August 1944 and the end of the war
in May 1945, 256,800 inhabitants of the Moldavian SSR were drafted into the Soviet
Army. 40,592 of them perished.[58]

Bessarabia Germans resettling after the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia in 1940.

During the periods 1940–1941 and 1944–1953, deportations of locals to the

northern Urals, to Siberia, and northern Kazakhstan occurred regularly, with the largest
ones on 12–13 June 1941, and 5–6 July 1949, accounting from MSSR alone for
18,392[b] and 35,796 deportees respectively.[59] Other forms of Soviet persecution of the
population included political arrests or, in 8,360 cases, execution.
Moldova in the USSR after World War II[edit]
In 1946, as a result of a severe drought and excessive delivery quota obligations and
requisitions imposed by the Soviet government, the southwestern part of the USSR
suffered from a major famine.[60][61] In 1946–1947, at least 216,000 deaths and about
350,000 cases of dystrophy were accounted by historians in the Moldavian SSR alone.
[59]
 Similar events occurred in the 1930s in the Moldavian ASSR.[59] In 1944–53, there
were several anti-Soviet resistance groups in Moldova; however the NKVD and
later MGB managed to eventually arrest, execute or deport their members. [59]
In the postwar period, the Soviet government organized the immigration of working age
Russian speakers (mostly Russians, Belarusians, and Ukrainians), into the new Soviet
republic, especially into urbanized areas, partly to compensate for the demographic loss
caused by the war and the emigration of 1940 and 1944. [62] In the 1970s and 1980s, the
Moldavian SSR received substantial allocations from the budget of the USSR to
develop industrial and scientific facilities and housing. In 1971, the Council of Ministers
of the USSR adopted a decision "About the measures for further development of the
city of Kishinev" (modern Chișinău), that allotted more than one billion Soviet
rubles (approximately 6.8 billion in 2018 US dollars) from the USSR budget for building
projects.[63]

Bălți in Soviet Moldavia in 1985

The Soviet government conducted a campaign to promote a Moldovan ethnic identity

distinct from that of the Romanians, based on a theory developed during the existence
of the Moldavian ASSR. Official Soviet policy asserted that the language spoken
by Moldovans was distinct from the Romanian language (see Moldovenism). To
distinguish the two, during the Soviet period, Moldovan was written in the Cyrillic
alphabet, in contrast with Romanian, which since 1860 had been written in the Latin
alphabet.
All independent organizations were severely reprimanded, with the National Patriotic
Front leaders being sentenced in 1972 to long prison terms. [64] The Commission for the
Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Moldova is assessing the activity of the
communist totalitarian regime.
Glasnost and Perestroika[edit]
In the 1980s, amid political conditions created by the glasnost and perestroika,
a Democratic Movement of Moldova was formed, which in 1989 became known as the
nationalist Popular Front of Moldova (FPM).[65][66] Along with several other Soviet
republics, from 1988 onwards, Moldova started to move towards independence. On 27
August 1989, the FPM organized a mass demonstration in Chișinău that became known
as the Grand National Assembly. The assembly pressured the authorities of the
Moldavian SSR to adopt a language law on 31 August 1989 that proclaimed the
Moldovan language written in the Latin script to be the state language of the MSSR. Its
identity with the Romanian language was also established. [65][67] In 1989, as opposition to
the Communist Party grew, there were major riots in November.
Independence and aftermath[edit]
Deputy Gheorghe Ghimpu replaces the Soviet flag on the Parliament with the Romanian flag on 27 April 1990.

The first democratic elections for the local parliament were held in February and March

1990. Mircea Snegur was elected as Speaker of the Parliament, and Mircea Druc as
Prime Minister. On 23 June 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. [65] After the
failure of the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, Moldova declared its independence on 27
August 1991.
On 21 December of the same year, Moldova, along with most of the other Soviet
republics, signed the constitutive act that formed the post-Soviet Commonwealth of
Independent States (CIS). Moldova received official recognition on 25 December. On 26
December 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. Declaring itself a neutral state,
Moldova did not join the military branch of the CIS. Three months later, on 2 March
1992, the country gained formal recognition as an independent state at the United
Nations. In 1994, Moldova became a member of NATO's Partnership for
Peace program, and a member of the Council of Europe on 29 June 1995. [65]
Transnistria breaks away (1990 to present) [edit]
Further information: Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
In the region east of the Dniester river, Transnistria, which includes a large proportion of
predominantly russophone East Slavs of Ukrainian (28%) and Russian (26%) descent
(altogether 54% as of 1989), an independent Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist
Republic was proclaimed on 16 August 1990, with its capital in Tiraspol.[65] The motives
behind this move were fear of the rise of nationalism in Moldova. In the winter of 1991–
1992 clashes occurred between Transnistrian forces, supported by elements of the 14th
Army, and the Moldovan police. Between 2 March and 26 July 1992, the conflict
escalated into a military engagement. It was a brief war between Moldovan and
separatist Transnistrian forces, with Russia intervening militarily on Transnistria's side. It
ended with a ceasefire and the establishment of a security zone policed by a three-way
peacekeeping force of Russian, Transnistrian, and Moldovan personnel. [68]
Market economy (1992)[edit]
On 2 January 1992, Moldova introduced a market economy, liberalizing prices, which
resulted in rapid inflation. From 1992 to 2001, the country suffered a serious economic
crisis, leaving most of the population below the poverty line. In 1993, the government
introduced a new national currency, the Moldovan leu, to replace the temporary cupon.
The economy of Moldova began to change in 2001; and until 2008 the country saw a
steady annual growth between 5% and 10%. The early 2000s also saw a considerable
growth of emigration of Moldovans looking for work (mostly illegally) in Russia
(especially the Moscow region), Italy, Portugal, Spain, and other
countries; remittances from Moldovans abroad account for almost 38% of
Moldova's GDP, the second-highest percentage in the world, after Tajikistan (45%).[69][70]
Elections: 1994-2010[edit]
In the 1994 parliamentary elections, the Democratic Agrarian Party gained a majority of
the seats, setting a turning point in Moldovan politics. With the nationalist Popular Front
now in 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,
[65]
 and the new Constitution gave autonomy to the breakaway Transnistria and
Gagauzia. On 23 December 1994, the Parliament of Moldova adopted a "Law on the
Special Legal Status of Gagauzia", and in 1995 the latter was constituted.

Civil unrest outside the Parliament building in 2009.

After winning the 1996 presidential elections, on 15 January 1997, Petru Lucinschi, the

former First Secretary of the Moldavian Communist Party in 1989–91, became the
country's second president (1997–2001), succeeding Mircea Snegur (1991–1996). In
2000, the Constitution was amended, transforming Moldova into a parliamentary
republic, with the president being chosen through indirect election rather than direct
popular vote.
Winning 49.9% of the vote, the Party of Communists of the Republic of
Moldova (reinstituted in 1993 after being outlawed in 1991), gained 71 of the 101 MPs,
and on 4 April 2001, elected Vladimir Voronin 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.[65] New governments were formed by Vasile
Tarlev (19 April 2001 – 31 March 2008), and Zinaida Greceanîi (31 March 2008 – 14
September 2009). In 2001–2003 relations between Moldova and Russia improved, but
then temporarily deteriorated in 2003–2006, in the wake of the failure of the Kozak
memorandum, culminating in the 2006 wine exports crisis. The Party of Communists of
the Republic of Moldova managed to stay in power for eight years. The fragmentation of
the liberal bloc helped consolidate its power. The decline of the Communist Party
started in 2009 after Marian Lupu joined the Democratic Party. [71]
In the April 2009 parliamentary elections, the Communist Party won 49.48% of the
votes, followed by the Liberal Party with 13.14% of the votes, the Liberal Democratic
Party with 12.43%, and the Alliance "Moldova Noastră" with 9.77%. The controversial
results of this election sparked civil unrest. [72][73][74]
 Maia Sandu
President of Moldova

In August 2009, four Moldovan parties (Liberal Democratic Party, Liberal

Party, Democratic Party, and Our Moldova Alliance) agreed to create the Alliance For
European Integration that pushed the Party of Communists of the Republic of
Moldova into opposition. On 28 August 2009, this coalition chose a new parliament
speaker (Mihai Ghimpu) in a vote that was boycotted by Communist legislators. Vladimir
Voronin, who had been President of Moldova since 2001, eventually resigned on 11
September 2009, but the Parliament failed to elect a new president. The acting
president Mihai Ghimpu instituted the Commission for constitutional reform in
Moldova to adopt a new version of the Constitution of Moldova. After the constitutional
referendum aimed to approve the reform failed in September 2010, [75] the parliament
was dissolved again and a new parliamentary election was scheduled for 28 November
2010.[76] On 30 December 2010, Marian Lupu was elected as the Speaker of the
Parliament and the acting President of Republic of Moldova. [77] After the Alliance for
European Integration lost a no confidence vote, the Pro-European Coalition was formed
on 30 May 2013.
Banking crisis[edit]
In November 2014, Moldova's central bank took control of Banca de Economii, the
country's largest lender, and two smaller institutions, Banca Sociala and Unibank.
Investigations into activities at these three banks uncovered large-scale fraud by means
of fraudulent loans to business entities controlled by a Moldovan-Israeli business
oligarch, Ilan Shor, of funds worth about 1 billion U.S. dollars.[78] The large scale of the
fraud compared to the size of the Moldovan economy are cited as tilting the country's
politics in favour of the pro-Russian Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova.[79] In
2015, Shor was still at large, after a period of house arrest.
Pavel Filip's government (2016)[edit]
Following a period of political instability and massive public protests, a new Government
led by Pavel Filip was invested in January 2016.[80] Concerns over statewide corruption,
the independence of the judiciary system, and the intransparency of the banking
system, were expressed. Germany's broadcaster Deutsche Welle also raised concerns
over the alleged influence of Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc over the Filip
government.[81]
In the December 2016 presidential election, Socialist, pro-Russian Igor Dodon was
elected as the new president of the republic.
2019 constitutional crisis[edit]
In 2019, from 7 June to 15 June, the Moldovan government went through a period of
dual power in what is known as the 2019 Moldovan constitutional crisis. On 7 June, the
Constitutional Court, which is largely believed to be controlled by Vladimir
Plahotniuc[82] from the Democratic Party, announced that they have temporarily removed
the sitting president, Igor Dodon, from power due to his ‘inability’ to call new
parliamentary elections as the parliament did not form a coalition within 3 months of the
validation of the election results. According to Moldovan constitutional law, the president
may call snap elections if no government is formed after 3 months. [83] However, on 8
June, the NOW Platform DA and PAS reached an agreement with the Socialist
party forming a government led by Maia Sandu as the new prime minister, pushing the
Democratic Party out of power.[84] This new government was also supported by Igor
Dodon. The new coalition and Igor Dodon argued that the president may call snap
elections after consulting the parliament but is not obligated. Additionally, because the
election results were verified on 9 March, 3 months should be interpreted as 3 calendar
months, not 90 days as was the case. The former prime minister, Pavel Filip from the
Democratic Party, said that new parliamentary elections will be held on 6 September
and refused to recognize the new coalition, calling it an illegal government. After a week
of dual government meetings, some protest, and the international community mostly
supporting the new government coalition, Pavel Filip stepped down as prime minister
but still called for new elections.[85] The Constitutional court repealed the decision on 15
June effectively ending the crisis.[86]
COVID-19 pandemic[edit]
In March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government called a "national red
code alert" as the number of coronavirus cases in the country rose to six on 13 March
2020. Government "banned all gatherings of over 50 people until 1 April 2020 and
closed all schools and kindergartens in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus".
Flights were banned to Spain, Italy, France, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus,
Germany, Ireland, the U.K., Poland, Portugal and Romania. [87] On 17 March, Parliament
declared a state of emergency for at least 60 days, suspended all international flights
and closed borders with neighbours Romania and the Ukraine. Moldova reported 29
cases of the disease on 17 March 2020.[88] The country reported its first death from the
disease on 18 March 2020, when the total number of cases reached 30. [89]
In the November 2020 presidential election, the pro-European candidate Maia
Sandu was elected as the new president of the republic, defeating incumbent president
Igor Dodon, and thus becoming the first female elected president of Moldova.

Government[edit]
Main article: Politics of Moldova

The Moldovan Parliament

Moldova is a unitary parliamentary representative democratic republic. The 1994

Constitution of Moldova sets the framework for the government of the country. A
parliamentary majority of at least two-thirds is required to amend the Constitution 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.[90]

Presidential Palace, Chișinău

The country's central legislative body is the unicameral Moldovan

Parliament (Parlament), which has 101 seats, and whose members are elected by
popular vote on party lists every four years.
The head of state is the President of Moldova, who between 2001 and 2015 was
elected by the 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 favour of the legislature.
Nevertheless, the Constitutional Court ruled on 4 March 2016, that this constitutional
change adopted in 2000 regarding the presidential election was unconstitutional, [91] thus
reverting the election method of the President to a two-round system direct election.
The president appoints a prime minister who functions as the head of government, and
who in turn assembles a cabinet, both subject to parliamentary approval.
The 1994 constitution also establishes an independent Constitutional Court, composed
of six judges (two appointed by the President, two by Parliament, and two by the
Supreme Council of Magistrature), serving six-year terms, during which they are
irremovable and not subordinate to any power. The Court is invested with the power
of judicial review over all acts of the parliament, over presidential decrees, and over
international treaties, signed by the country.[90]
Internal affairs[edit]

Ministry of Internal Affairs (Moldova)

On 19 December 2016, Moldovan MPs approved raising the retirement age to 63

years[92] from the current level of 57 for women and 62 for men, a reform that is part of a
3-year-old assistance program agreed with the International Monetary Fund. The
retirement age will be lifted gradually by a few months every year until it is fully in effect
in 2028.
Life expectancy in the ex-Soviet country (which is among Europe's poorest) is 67.5
years for men and 75.5 years for women. In a country with a population of 3.5 million, of
which 1 million are abroad, there are more than 700,000 pensioners.
Foreign relations[edit]
Main articles: Foreign Relations of Moldova and Moldova–European Union relations

Accession to the EU is a central issue in Moldovan politics

After achieving independence from the Soviet Union, Moldova's foreign policy was
designed with a view to establishing relations with other European countries, neutrality,
and European Union integration. In 1995 the country was admitted to the Council of
Europe.
In addition to its participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace programme, Moldova is
also a member state of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-
operation in Europe (OSCE), the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, the World Trade
Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Francophonie and
the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
In 2005, Moldova and the EU established an action plan that sought to improve
collaboration between its two neighbouring countries, Romania and Ukraine. At the end
of 2005 EUBAM, the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and
Ukraine, was established at the joint request of the presidents of Moldova and Ukraine.
EUBAM assists the Moldovan and Ukrainian governments in approximating their border
and customs procedures to EU standards and offers support in both countries' fight
against cross-border crime.
After the 1990–1992 War of Transnistria, Moldova sought a peaceful resolution to the
conflict in the Transnistria region by working with Romania, Ukraine, and Russia, calling
for international mediation, and co-operating with the OSCE and UN fact-finding and
observer missions. The foreign minister of Moldova, Andrei Stratan, repeatedly stated
that the Russian troops stationed in the breakaway region were there against the will of
the Moldovan government and called on them to leave "completely and unconditionally".
[93]
 In 2012, a security zone incident resulted in the death of a civilian, raising tensions
with Russia.[94]
Moldovan President Igor Dodon (right) with Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern and Russian President Vladimir
Putin, 2 June 2017

In September 2010, the European Parliament approved a grant of €90 million to

Moldova.[95] The money was to supplement US$570 million in International Monetary
Fund loans,[96] World Bank and other bilateral support already granted to Moldova. In
April 2010, Romania offered Moldova development aid worth of €100 million while the
number of scholarships for Moldovan students doubled to 5,000. [97] According to a
lending agreement signed in February 2010, Poland provided US$15 million as a
component of its support for Moldova in its European integration efforts. [98] The first joint
meeting of the Governments of Romania and Moldova, held in March 2012, concluded
with several bilateral agreements in various fields. [99][100] The European orientation "has
been the policy of Moldova in recent years and this is the policy that must
continue," Nicolae Timofti told lawmakers before his election.[101]
On 29 November 2013, at a summit in Vilnius, Moldova signed an association
agreement with the European Union dedicated to the European Union's 'Eastern
Partnership' with ex-Soviet countries.[102] The ex-Romanian President Traian
Băsescu stated that Romania will make all efforts for Moldova to join the EU as soon as
possible. Likewise, Traian Băsescu declared that the unification of Moldova with
Romania is the next national project for Romania, as more than 75% of the population
speaks Romanian.[103]
Moldova has signed the Association Agreement with the European Union in Brussels on
27 June 2014. The signing comes after the accord has been initialed in Vilnius in
November 2013.[104][105]
It can be said that religious leaders play a role in shaping foreign policy. Since the fall of
the Soviet Union, the Russian Government has frequently used its connections with
the Russian Orthodox Church to block and stymie the integration of former Soviet states
like Moldova into the West.[106]
Military[edit]
Main article: Military of Moldova
A soldier of the Moldovan Army at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany

The Moldovan armed forces consists of the Ground Forces and Air Force. Moldova has
accepted all relevant arms control obligations of the former Soviet Union. On 30
October 1992, Moldova ratified the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe,
which establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of conventional military
equipment and provides for the destruction of weapons in excess of those limits. The
country acceded to the provisions of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in October
1994 in Washington, D.C. It does not have nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological
weapons. Moldova joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's Partnership for
Peace on 16 March 1994.
Moldova is committed to a number of international and regional control of arms
regulations 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.
Since declaring independence in 1991, Moldova has participated in UN peacekeeping
missions in Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Sudan and Georgia.
Moldova signed a military agreement with Romania to strengthen regional security. The
agreement is part of Moldova's strategy to reform its military and cooperate with its
neighbours.[107]
On 12 November 2014, the US donated to Moldovan Armed Forces 39 Humvees and
10 trailers, with a value of US$700,000, to the 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion of the
Moldovan National Army to "increase the capability of Moldovan peacekeeping
contingents."[108]
Human rights[edit]
Main article: Human rights in Moldova
According to Amnesty International, as of 2004 "Torture and other ill-treatment in police
detention remained widespread; the state failed to carry out prompt and impartial
investigations and police officers sometimes evaded penalties. Political dissidents
from Ilașcu Group were released from arbitrary detention in the break-away
Transdinester region only after an order of the European Court of Human Rights.[109] In
2009, when Moldova experienced its most serious civil unrest in a decade, several
civilians, including Valeriu Boboc, were killed and many more injured.[110]
According to Human Rights Report of the United States Department of State, released
in April 2011, "In contrast to the previous year, there were no reports of killings by
security forces. During the year reports of government exercising undue influence over
the media substantially decreased." But "Transnistrian authorities continued to harass
independent media and opposition lawmakers; restrict freedom of association,
movement, and religion; and discriminate against Romanian speakers." [111] Moldova "has
made noteworthy progress" on religious freedom since the era of the Soviet Union, but
it can still take further steps to foster diversity," said the UN Special Rapporteur on
freedom of religion or belief Heiner Bielefeldt, in Chișinău, in September 2011.
[112]
 Moldova improved its legislation by enacting the Law on Preventing and Combating
Family Violence, in 2008.[113]
Administrative divisions[edit]

Anenii Noi
Basarabeasca
Briceni
Cantemir
Călărași
Căușeni
Cimișlia
Dondușeni
 Drochia
Dubăsari
Edineț
Fălești
Florești
Glodeni
Hîncești
Ialoveni
Leova
Nisporeni
Ocnița
Orhei
Rezina
Rîșcani
Sîngerei
Soroca
Șoldănești
Ștefan Vodă
Taraclia
Telenești
Ungheni
Strășeni
Cahul
CHIȘINĂU
Comrat
Bălți
Tiraspol
Romania
Ukraine

Main articles: Administrative divisions of Moldova, List of cities in Moldova, List of

localities in Moldova, and Communes of Moldova
Moldova is divided into 32 districts (raioane, singular raion), three municipalities and two
autonomous regions (Gagauzia and Transnistria).[114] The final status of Transnistria
is disputed, as the central government does not control that territory. 10 other cities,
including Comrat and Tiraspol, the administrative seats of the two autonomous
territories, also have municipality status.
Moldova has 66 cities (towns), including 13 with municipality status, and 916
communes. Another 700 villages are too small to have a separate administration and
are administratively part of either cities (41 of them) or communes (659). This makes for
a total of 1,682 localities in Moldova, two of which are uninhabited. [115]

Largest cities of Moldova

Rank City Urban

1 Chișinău1 644,204 (2014)

2 Tiraspol2 129,500 (2015)

Chișinău 3 Bălți1 102,457 (2014)

4 Bender2 91,000 (2015)

Tiraspol
5 Rîbnița2 46,000 (2015)

6 Ungheni3 30,804 (2014)

7 Cahul3 30,018 (2014)

8 Soroca3 22,196 (2014)

 9 Orhei3 21,065 (2014)

10 Dubăsari3 25,700 (2011)

Source: Moldovan Census (2004); Note: 1.World Gazetteer. Moldova: lar

The largest city in Moldova is Chișinău with a population of 635,994 people.

Geography[edit]
Main article: Geography of Moldova

Scenery in Moldova, with Dniester River

Beach on the shore of Dniester River near Vadul lui Vodă

Moldova lies between latitudes 45° and 49° N, and mostly between

meridians 26° and 30° E (a small area lies east of 30°). The total land area is
33,851 km2
The largest part of the nation lies between two rivers, the Dniester and the Prut. The
western border of Moldova is formed by the Prut river, which joins the Danube before
flowing into the Black Sea. Moldova has access to the Danube for only about 480 m
(1,575 ft), and Giurgiulești 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 Răut, Bîc, Ichel, Botna. Ialpug flows into one of the Danube limans,
while Cogâlnic into the Black Sea chain of limans.
Cave churches at Old Orhei

Toltrele Prutului near Fetești, Edineț District

The country is landlocked, though it is close to the Black Sea; at its closest point it is
separated from the Dniester Liman, an estuary of the Black Sea, by only 3 km of
Ukrainian territory. While most of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed 430 m
(1,411 ft) – the highest point being the Bălănești Hill. Moldova's hills are part of the
Moldavian Plateau, which geologically originate from the Carpathian Mountains. Its
subdivisions in Moldova include the Dniester Hills (Northern Moldavian Hills
and Dniester Ridge), the Moldavian Plain (Middle Prut Valley and Bălți Steppe), and the
Central Moldavian Plateau (Ciuluc-Soloneț Hills, Cornești Hills—Codri Massive, "Codri"
meaning "forests"—Lower Dniester Hills, Lower Prut Valley, and Tigheci Hills). In the
south, the country has a small flatland, 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 Steppe.
The country's main cities are the capital Chișinău, in the centre of the country, Tiraspol
(in the eastern region of Transnistria), Bălți (in the north) and Bender (in the south-
east). Comrat is the administrative centre of Gagauzia.
Climate[edit]
Moldova has a climate which is moderately continental; its proximity to the Black
Sea leads to the climate being mildly cold in the autumn and winter and relatively cool in
the spring and summer.[116]
The summers are warm and long, with temperatures averaging about 20 °C (68 °F) and
the winters are relatively mild and dry, with January temperatures averaging −4 °C
(25 °F). Annual rainfall, which ranges from around 600 mm (24 in) in the north to
400 mm (16 in) in the south, can vary greatly; long dry spells are not unusual. The
heaviest rainfall occurs in early summer and again in October; heavy showers and
thunderstorms are common. Because of the irregular terrain, heavy summer rains often
cause erosion and river silting.
The highest temperature ever recorded in Moldova was 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) on 21 July
2007 in Camenca.[117] The lowest temperature ever recorded was −35.5 °C (−31.9 °F) on
20 January 1963 in Brătușeni, Edineț county.[118]
Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for the three largest cities in Moldova [119]
Location July (°C) July (°F) January (°C) January (°F)
Chișinău 27/17 81/63 1/−4 33/24
Tiraspol 27/15 81/60 1/−6 33/21
Bălți 26/14 79/58 −0/−7 31/18

Biodiversity[edit]
Phytogeographically, Moldova is split between the East European Plain and the Pontic–
Caspian steppe of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. It is home to
three terrestrial ecoregions: Central European mixed forests, East European forest
steppe, and Pontic steppe.[120] Forests currently cover only 11% of Moldova, though the
state is making efforts to increase their range. It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity
Index mean score of 2.2/10, ranking it 158th globally out of 172 countries. [121] Game
animals, such as red deer, roe deer and wild boar can be found in these wooded areas.
[122]

The environment of Moldova suffered extreme degradation during the Soviet period,
when industrial and agricultural development proceeded without regard for
environmental protection.[122] Excessive use of pesticides resulted in heavily polluted
topsoil, and industries lacked emission controls. [122] Founded in 1990, the Ecological
Movement of Moldova, a national, non-governmental, nonprofit organization which is a
member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature has been working to
restore the damage to Moldova's natural environment. [122] The movement is national
representative of the Center "Naturopa" of the Council of Europe and United Nations
Environment Programme of the United Nations.[123]

Noted for its vivid portrayal of the lower Dniester river, Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel With Fire and Sword opens
with a description of saigas as a way to highlight the story's exotic setting.[124][125] Saigas are now extinct in
Moldova and are a critically endangered species.

Once possessing a range from the British Isles through Central Asia over the Bering

Strait into Alaska and Canada's Yukon as well as the Northwest
Territories, saigas survived in Moldova and Romania into the late 18th century.
Deforestation, demographic pressure, as well as excessive hunting eradicated the
native saiga herds which is currently threatened with extinction. They were considered a
characteristic animal of Scythia in antiquity. Historian Strabo referred to the saigas as
the kolos, describing it as "between the deer and ram in size" which (understandably but
wrongly) was believed to drink through its nose.[126]
Another animal which was extinct in Moldova since the 18th century until recently was
the wisent. The species was reintroduced with the arrival of three European bison
from Białowieża Forest in Poland several days before Moldova's Independence Day on
August 27, 2005.[127] Moldova is currently interested in expanding their wisent population,
and began talks with Belarus in 2019 regarding a bison exchange program between the
two countries.[128]

Economy[edit]
Main article: Economy of Moldova
See also: Tourism in Moldova
 This section may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail
that may interest only a particular audience. Please help
by spinning off or relocating any relevant information, and removing
excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia's inclusion
policy. (October 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template
message)

Moldova GDP by sector

After the breakup from the USSR in 1991, energy shortages, political uncertainty, trade
obstacles and weak administrative capacity contributed to the decline of economy. As a
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 privatization, removed export controls, and liberalized interest rates.
The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the International
Monetary Fund to promote growth. The economy subsequently declined from 1991 to
1999. Since 2000 the GDP (PPP) has had a steady growth as follows: [16][129]

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

8.41 9.07 9.76 10.13 10.99 6.80 8.90 1.80

10.67% −0.70% −1.10%
% % % % % % % %

Although estimates point to possible modest overvaluation of the real exchange rate,
external competitiveness appears broadly adequate as reflected in strong sustained
export performance.[130] However, the near-term economic outlook is weak. Main risks to
the near-term outlook relate to serious vulnerabilities and governance issues in the
banking sector, policy slippages in the run up to the elections, intensification of
geopolitical tensions in the region, and a further slowdown in activity in main trading
partners.
Moldova remains highly vulnerable to fluctuations in remittances from workers abroad
(24 percent of GDP), exports to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
and European Union (EU) (88 per cent of total exports), and donor support (about 10
per cent of government spending). The main transmission channels through which
adverse exogenous shocks could impact the Moldovan economy are: remittances (also
due to potentially returning migrants), external trade, and capital flows.
Moldova largely achieved the main objectives of the combined ECF/EFF (IMF financial
credit) supported program. The economy recovered from the drought-related
contraction in 2012.
Economic Economic Economic
Year Year Year
growth growth growth

1991 -7,5% 2001 +6,1% 2011 +6,4%

1992 -29,0% 2002 +7,8% 2012 -0,7%

1993 -1,2% 2003 +6,6% 2013 +8,9%

1994 -30,9% 2004 +7,4% 2014 +4,6%

1995 -1,4% 2005 +7,5% 2015 -0,5%

1996 -5,9% 2006 +4,8% 2016 +2,0%

1997 +1,6% 2007 +3,0% 2017 +4,5%

1998 -6,5% 2008 +7,8%

1999 -3,4% 2009 -6,5%

2000 +2,1% 2010 +6,9%

Note:[131][132][133][134][135][136]

The gross average monthly salary in the Republic of Moldova has registered a steady
positive growth after 1999, being 5906 lei or 298 euros in 2018.
Corporate governance in the banking sector is a major concern. In line with FSAP
recommendations, significant weaknesses in the legal and regulatory frameworks must
be urgently addressed to ensure stability and soundness of the financial sector.
Moldova has achieved a substantial degree of fiscal consolidation in recent years, but
this trend is now reversing. Resisting pre-election pressures for selective spending
increases and returning to the path of fiscal consolidation would reduce reliance on
exceptionally-high donor support. Structural fiscal reforms would help safeguard
sustainability.[130] Monetary policy has been successful in maintaining inflation within the
NBM's target range. The implementation of structural reforms outlined in the National
Development Strategy (NDS) Moldova 2020—especially in the business environment,
physical infrastructure, and human resources development areas—would help boost
potential growth and reduce poverty.[130] Moldova's remarkable recovery from the severe
recession of 2009 was largely the result of sound macroeconomic and financial policies
and structural reforms. Despite a small contraction in 2012, Moldova's economic
performance was among the strongest in the region during 2010–13. Economic activity
grew cumulatively by about 24 percent; consumer price inflation was brought under
control; and real wages increased cumulatively by about 13 percent. This expansion
was made possible by adequate macroeconomic stabilization measures and ambitious
structural reforms implemented in the wake of the crisis under a Fund-supported
program. In November 2013, Moldova initialed an Association Agreement with the EU
which includes provisions establishing a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade
Area (DCFTA).
 The
Average monthly salary (euro) 2018
country

Moldova[137] €298

Romania[138] €966

Ukraine[139] €276

Russia[140] €534

A political crisis in early 2013 led to policy slippages in the fiscal and financial areas.
The political crisis that broke out in early 2013 was resolved with the appointment of a
government supported by a pro-European center-right/center coalition in May 2013.
However, delays in policy implementation prevented completion of the final reviews
under the ECF/EFF arrangements.[citation needed]

MallDova shopping centre in Chișinău

Despite a sharp decline in poverty in recent years, Moldova remains one of the poorest
countries in Europe and structural reforms are needed to promote sustainable growth.
Based on the Europe and Central Asia (ECA) regional poverty line of US$5/day (PPP),
55 percent of the population was poor in 2011. While this was significantly lower than 94
percent in 2002, Moldova's poverty rate is still more than double the ECA average of 25
percent. The NDS—Moldova (National Development System) 2020, which was
published in November 2012, focuses on several critical areas to boost economic
development and reduce poverty. These include education, infrastructure, financial
sector, business climate, energy consumption, pension system, and judicial framework.
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.[citation needed]
The government's goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented
progress. Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2013 due to
increased agriculture production, to economic policies adopted by the Moldovan
government since 2009, and to the receipt of EU trade preferences connecting
Moldovan products to the world's largest market. Moldova has signed the Association
Agreement and the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the
European Union during summer 2014. [141] Moldova has also achieved a Free Visa
Regime[142] with the EU which represents the biggest achievement of Moldovan
diplomacy since independence.[143] Still, growth has been hampered by high prices for
Russian natural gas, a Russian import ban on Moldovan wine, increased foreign
scrutiny of Moldovan agricultural products, and by Moldova's large external debt. Over
the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to political uncertainty, weak
administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, corruption, higher fuel prices,
Russian pressure, and the separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region.
[144]
 According to IMF World Economic Outlook April 2014, the Moldovan GDP (PPP) per
capita is 3,927 International Dollars, [145][146] excluding grey economy and tax evasion.
Energy[edit]
Main article: Energy in Moldova
With few natural energy resources, Moldova imports almost all of its energy supplies
from Russia and Ukraine. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy is underscored by
a growing US$5 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result
of unreimbursed natural gas consumption in the separatist Transnistria region. In
August 2013, work began on a new pipeline between Moldova and Romania that may
eventually break Russia's monopoly on Moldova's gas supplies. [144] Moldova is a partner
country of the EU INOGATE energy programme, which has four key topics:
enhancing energy security, convergence of member state energy markets on the basis
of EU internal energy market principles, supporting sustainable energy development,
and attracting investment for energy projects of common and regional interest. [147]
Wine industry[edit]
Main article: Moldovan wine

Mileștii Mici is home to the world's biggest wine cellars.

The country has a well-established wine industry. It has a vineyard area of 147,000

hectares (360,000 acres), of which 102,500 ha (253,000 acres) are used for commercial
production. Most of the country's wine production is made for export. Many families
have their own recipes and grape varieties that have been passed down through the
generations. There are 3 historical wine regions: Valul lui Traian (south west), Stefan
Voda (south east) and Codru (center), destined for the production of wines with
protected geographic indication.[148] Mileștii Mici is the home of the largest wine cellar in
the world. It stretches for 200 km and holds almost 2 million bottles of wine[149]
Agriculture[edit]
Main article: Agriculture in Moldova
Moldova's rich soil and temperate continental climate (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.
[150]
 Moldova's agricultural products include vegetables, fruits, grapes, wine, and grains.[151]
Transport[edit]
Main articles: Transport in Moldova and Rail transport in Moldova

Chișinău International Airport.

The main means of transportation in Moldova are railways 1,138 km (707 mi) and a
highway system (12,730 km or 7,910 mi overall, including 10,937 km or 6,796 mi of
paved surfaces). The sole international air gateway of Moldova is the Chișinău
International Airport. The Giurgiulești terminal on the Danube is compatible with small
seagoing vessels. Shipping on the lower Prut and Nistru rivers plays only a modest role
in the country's transportation system.

Telecommunications[edit]
Main article: Telecommunications in Moldova
The first million mobile telephone users were 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 2.89 million. [152]
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 Mbit/s mobile broadband on a national scale, with over 40% population coverage.
[153]

As of 2010, there are around 1,295,000 Internet users in Moldova with overall Internet

penetration of 35.9%.[154]
On 6 June 2012, the Government approved the licensing of 4G / LTE for mobile
operators.[155]

Demographics[edit]
Main article: Demographics of Moldova
Ethnic composition[edit]
As of 2014 census, Moldovans were the largest ethnic group of Moldova (75.1% of the
population). In addition, 7.0% of the population declared themselves Romanians, amid
the controversy over ethnic and linguistic identity in Moldova. Although historical, the
polarization based on ethnolinguistic criteria of the majority ethnic group reappeared
with the national revival movement of the late 1980s, and, so far, there is no consensus
regarding the mainstream identity in the Republic of Moldova (Moldovan or Romanian).
[156][157]
The country has also important minority ethnic communities, as shown in the table
below. Gagauz, 4.4% of the population,
are Christian Turkic people. Greeks, Armenians, Poles, Ukrainians, although not
numerous, were present since as early as the 17th century, and had left cultural marks.
The 19th century saw the arrival of many more Ukrainians from Podolia and Galicia, as
well as new communities, such as Lipovans, Russians, Bulgarians, and Germans. Most
of Moldova's Jewish population emigrated away between 1979 and 2004.

Population of Moldova according to ethnic group (Censuses 1959–2014)

2004**[162] 2014[163][162]
(without (without
1959[158] 1970[159] 1979[160] 1989[161]
Transnistria Transnistria
Ethnic ) )
group

Numb Numb Numb Numb Numb Numb

% % % % % %
er er er er er er

Moldova 1,886, 65. 2,303, 64. 2,525, 63. 2,794, 64. 2,564, 76. 2,068, 75.
ns * 566 41 916 56 687 95 749 47 849 12 058 07

Romania 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.1 192,80 7.0

1,663 1,581 1,657 2,477 73,276
ns * 6 4 4 6 7 0 0

Ukrainia 420,82 14. 506,56 14. 560,67 14. 600,36 13. 282,40 8.3 181,03 6.5
ns 0 59 0 19 9 20 6 85 6 8 5 7

Gagauzia 3.3 124,90 3.5 138,00 3.4 153,45 3.5 147,50 4.3 126,01 4.5
95,856
ns 2 2 0 0 9 8 4 0 8 0 7

292,93 10. 414,44 11. 505,73 12. 562,06 12. 201,21 5.9 111,72 4.0
Russians
0 16 4 61 0 81 9 97 8 7 6 6

Bulgaria 2.1 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.8

61,652 73,776 80,665 88,419 65,662 51,867
ns 4 7 4 4 5 8

0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3

Romani 7,265 9,235 10,666 11,571 12,271 9,323
5 6 7 7 6 4

Belarusia 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.1

5,977 10,327 13,874 19,608 5,059 2,828
ns 1 9 5 5 5 0
 3.3 2.7 2.0 1.5 0.1 0.0
Jews 95,107 98,072 80,124 65,836 3,628 1,597
0 5 3 2 1 6

0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0

Poles 4,783 4,899 4,961 4,739 2,383 1,404
7 4 3 1 7 5

0.1 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0

Germans 3,843 9,399 11,374 7,335 1,616 914
3 6 9 7 5 3

0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.2 0.2

Others 7,947 11,734 16,049 24,590 9,444 7,157
8 3 1 7 8 6

* There is an ongoing controversy, in part involving linguisitic definition of ethnicity, over whether
Moldovans' self-identification constitutes an ethnic group distinct and apart from Romanians, or a subset.

** There were numerous allegations that the ethnic affiliation numbers were rigged: 7 out of 10 observer
groups of the Council of Europe reported a significant number of cases where census-takers
recommended respondents declare themselves Moldovans rather than Romanians. Complicating the
interpretation of the results, 18.8% of respondents that identified themselves as Moldovans declared
Romanian to be their native language.[164]

According to the 2014 census preliminary data, 2,998,235 inhabitants lived in Moldova

(within the areas controlled by the central government), an 11.3% decrease from the
figure recorded at the 2004 census. The urbanization rate was 45% of the total
population living in urban areas (as of 2015). [165]

Ethnic map of the Republic of Moldova (2014)

According to the last census in Transnistria (October 2015), the population of the region
was 475,373, a 14.47% decrease from the figure recorded at the 2004 census.
The urbanization rate was 69.9%. By ethnic composition, the population of Transnistria
was distributed as follows: Russians - 29.1%, Moldovans - 28.6%, Ukrainians - 22.9%,
Bulgarians - 2.4%, Gagauzians - 1.1%, Belarusians - 0.5%, Transnistrian - 0.2%, other
nationalities - 1.4%. About 14% of the population did not declare their nationality. Also,
for the first time, the population had the option to identify as "Transnistrian". [166]
Languages[edit]

Left. A Limba noastră (Our language) social ad in Chișinău, to which the handwritten word "Română"
(Romanian) was added.
Right. An inscription on a building in Chișinău: "I am Moldovan! I speak Moldovan!"
(both messages use the same language)

Main articles: Languages of Moldova, Moldovan language, and Romanian language

The official language of Moldova is Romanian, a Romance language related to Italian,
French, Spanish, and Portuguese.[1]
The 1991 Declaration of Independence names the official language Romanian.[169]
[170]
 The Constitution of 1994 stated that the national language of the Republic of
Moldova was Moldovan, and its writing is based on the Latin alphabet.[171]
In 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova ruled that the name "Romanian", as used
in the Declaration of Independence to identify the official language, prevails over the
name "Moldovan", given in Article 13 of the Constitution. [172]

Languages usually spoken in Moldova (Censuses 1989–2014)

2004[174] 2014[175]
1989 [173]
(without (without
First Transnistria) Transnistria)
language

Number % Number % Number %

Moldovan * 2,687,793 62.00 1,988,540 59.02 1,486,570 54.65

Romanian * 790 0.02 554,814 16.47 652,394 23.98

Romanian language (Moldovan)
by district (2014)
Russian 1,003,563 23.15 540,990 16.06 394,133 14.49

Gagauz 140,000 3.2 104,890 3.11 74,167 2.73

Ukrainian 370,000 8.5 130,114 3.86 73,802 2.71

 Bulgarian 70,000 1.6 38,565 1.14 26,577 0.98

Romani 9,500 0.2 - 5,764 0.21

Yiddish 17,000 0.4 - -

German 2,300 0.05 - -

Others
38,000 0.9 11,318 0.34 6,970 0.26
languages

Unspecified - 193,434 6.45

Total 4,335,360 3,383,332 2,998,235

* The Moldovan language is the dialect (glottonym) of the Romanian

language used in the Rep. Moldova.

Russian Language by district

At the 2014 census (which did not include data from the Transnistrian region), 54.7% of
the population named Moldovan whereas 24.0% named Romanian as their first
language in daily use. Although only 4.1% are ethnic Russians, Russian is still used as
the main language by 14.5% of the total population. Around 50% of ethnic Ukrainians,
33% of Gagauz, 33% of Bulgarians, and 5.7% of Moldovans declared Russian as their
daily use language.

Native language Language of first use

Rep. Moldova
2004 2014 2004 2014
 %  %  %  %

Romanian
76.82 80.20 75.49 78.63
(Moldovan)

Russian 11.30 9.68 16.06 14.49

Gagauz 4.09 4.21 3.11 2.73

Ukrainian 5.53 3.94 3.86 2.71

 Bulgarian 1.61 1.53 1.14 0.98

Other languages 0.64 0.45 0.34 0.47

Historically Russian was taught in schools as the first foreign language, because of the
relationship with the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. In the 21st century, the primary
foreign language taught in the schools is English. In 2013 more than 60% of
schoolchildren took it as their first foreign language. This was followed by French, taken
by less than 50% of students. Since 1996, the Republic of Moldova has been a full
member of La Francophonie. German was the third-ranked choice.[176]
Religion[edit]
Religion in Moldova
Religion Percent
Orthodox   93.34%
Protestant   1.89%
Old Believer   0.15%
Roman Catholic   0.14%
Jewish   0.11%
Atheist   0.38%
Non-religious   0.98%
No answer   2.24%
Other religion   0.88%
Main article: Religion in Moldova
For the 2004 census, Orthodox Christians, 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 Metropolis of Chișinău and All Moldova, autonomous and subordinated
to the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Metropolis of Bessarabia, autonomous and
subordinated to the Romanian Orthodox Church, both claim to be the national church of
the country. More than 2.0% of the population is Protestant including a growing number
of Jehovah's Witnesses, 0.9% belongs to other religions, 1.0% is non-religious, 0.4% is
atheist, and 2.2% did not answer the religion question at the census.
Education[edit]
Main article: Education in Moldova

The National Library of Moldova

There are 16 state and 15[177] private institutions of higher education in Moldova, with a
total of 126,100 students, 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 Union, reaching 217 in 2000–2001,
and 351 in 2005–2006.
The National Library of Moldova was founded in 1832. The Moldova State
University and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, the main scientific organizations of
Moldova, were established in 1946.
As of 2015, Romania allocates 5,000 scholarships in high schools and universities for
Moldovan students.[178] Likewise, more than half of preschool children in Moldova benefit
from Romania funded program to renovate and equip kindergartens.[179] Almost all the
population is literate: the literacy rate of the population aged 15 and over is estimated at
99.4% (as of 2015).[180]
Crime[edit]
Main articles: Crime in Moldova and Moldovan bank fraud scandal
The CIA World Factbook lists widespread crime and underground economic activity
among major issues in Moldova.[16] Human trafficking of Moldovan women and children
to other parts of Europe is a serious problem.[181][182]
In 2014, US$1 billion disappeared from three of Moldova's leading banks. [183] In two days
loans worth US$1 billion were transferred in to United Kingdom and Hong Kong-
registered companies whose ultimate owners are unknown. [183][184] Banks are administered
by the National Bank of Moldova, so this loss was covered from state reserves.[183]
Health and fertility[edit]
Main article: Health in Moldova
The total fertility rate (TFR) in Moldova was estimated in 2015 at 1.56 children/woman,
[185]
 which is below the replacement rate of 2.1. In 2012, the average age of women at
first birth was 23.9 years, with 75.2% of births being to women under 30, and 22.4% of
births being to unmarried women.[186] The maternal mortality rate was 41 deaths/100,000
live births (in 2010)[187] and the infant mortality rate was 12.59 deaths/1,000 live births (in
2015).[188] The life expectancy in 2015 was estimated at 70.42 years (66.55 years male,
74.54 years female).[188]
Public expenditure on health was 4.2% of the GDP and private expenditure on health
3.2%.[189] There are about 264 physicians per 100,000 people. [189] Health expenditure was
US$138 (PPP) per capita in 2004.[189]
Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the country has seen a decrease in spending on
health care and, as a result, the tuberculosis incidence rate in the country has grown.
[190]
 According to a 2009 study, Moldova was struggling with one of the highest incidence
rates of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the world. [191]
The percentage of adults (aged 15–49) living with HIV/AIDS was estimated in 2009 at
0.40%.[192]
Emigration[edit]
Main article: Emigration from Moldova
Emigration is a mass phenomenon in Moldova and has a major impact on the
country's demographics and economy. The Moldovan Intelligence and Security
Service has estimated that 600,000 to one million Moldovan citizens (almost 25% of the
population) are working abroad.[193]
Culture[edit]

Mihai Eminescu, the national poet of Moldova and Romania

Main article: Culture of Moldova

Moldova's cultural tradition has been influenced primarily by the Romanian origins of its
majority population, the roots of which go back to the 2nd century AD, the period
of Roman colonization in Dacia.[194] Located geographically at the crossroads
of Latin, Slavic and other cultures, Moldova has enriched its own culture adopting and
maintaining traditions of neighbouring regions and of other influential sources. [195] The
largest ethnic group, which had come to identify itself widely as "Moldovan" by the 14th
century, played a significant role in the shaping of classical Romanian culture. The
culture has been also influenced by the Byzantine culture, the neighbouring Magyar and
Slavic populations, and later by the Ottoman Turks. A strong Western European
influence in Moldovan literature and arts was prevalent in the 19th century. During the
periods 1812-1917 and 1944–89, Moldovans were influenced by Russian and Soviet
administrative control as well and by ethnic Russian immigration. [194]
The country's cultural heritage was marked by numerous churches and monasteries
built by the Moldavian ruler Stephen the Great in the 15th century, by the works of the
later renaissance Metropolitans Varlaam and Dosoftei, and those of scholars such
as Grigore Ureche, Miron Costin, Nicolae Milescu, Dimitrie Cantemir[c] and Ion Neculce.
In the 19th century, Moldavians from the territories of the medieval Principality
of Moldavia, divided into Bessarabia, Bukovina, and Western Moldavia (after 1859,
Romania), made a significant contribution to the formation of the modern Romanian
culture. Among these were many Bessarabians, such as Alexandru Donici, Alexandru
Hâjdeu, Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu, Constantin Stamati, Constantin Stamati-
Ciurea, Costache Negruzzi, Alecu Russo, Constantin Stere.
Mihai Eminescu, a late Romantic poet, and Ion Creangă, a writer, are the most
influential Romanian language artists, considered national writers both in Romania and
Moldova.[196]
Media[edit]
Main articles: Media of Moldova, Television in Moldova, Cinema of Moldova, and List
of newspapers in Moldova
In October 1939, Radio Basarabia, a local station of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting
Company, was the first radio station opened in Chișinău. Television in Moldova
was introduced in April 1958, within the framework of Soviet television. Through cable,
Moldovan viewers can receive a large number of Russian channels, a few Romanian
channels, and several Russian language versions of international channels in addition
to several local channels.[citation needed] One Russian and two local channels are aired.[citation
needed]
 Infotag is the state news agency.
Food and beverage[edit]
Main article: Moldovan cuisine

A popular Moldovan dish of stuffed cabbage rolls (sarmale), accompanied by sauerkraut and mămăligă.

Moldovan cuisine is similar to neighbouring Romania, and has been influenced by

elements of Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian cuisine. Main dishes
include beef, pork, potatoes, cabbage, and a variety of cereals. Popular alcoholic
beverages are divin (Moldovan brandy), beer, and local wine.
Total recorded adult alcohol consumption is approximately evenly split between spirits,
beer and wine.
Music[edit]

Zdob și Zdub performing at the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest.

Main article: Music of Moldova

Among Moldova's most prominent composers are Gavriil Musicescu, Ștefan
Neaga and Eugen Doga.
In the field of pop music, Moldova has produced the band O-Zone, who came to
prominence in 2003, with their hit song "Dragostea Din Tei", which topped multiple
notable single charts. Moldova has been participating in the Eurovision Song
Contest since 2005. Another popular band from Moldova is Zdob și Zdub that
represented the country in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing 6th.
Carla's Dreams

In May 2007, Natalia Barbu represented Moldova in Helsinki at the Eurovision Song

Contest 2007 with her entry "Fight". Natalia squeezed into the final by a very small
margin. She took 10th place with 109 points. Then Zdob și Zdub again represented
Moldova in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest finishing 12th.
The band SunStroke Project with Olia Tira represented the country in the 2010
Eurovision Song Contest with their hit song "Run Away". Their performance gained
international notoriety as an internet meme due to the pelvic thrusting and dancing of
Sergey Stepanov, the band saxophonist. He has been fittingly dubbed "Epic Sax Guy".
SunStroke Project featured again in the 2017 Eurovision entry "Hey Mama" which got
third place.[197]
In 2015 a new musical project by the name of Carla's Dreams has risen in popularity
around Moldova. Carla's Dreams reached the top charts in multiple countries in Europe
with the release of their song "Sub Pielea Mea" in 2016. The song received a lot of
airplay and reached number one place on the charts in Moldova as well as Russia. The
group is still active and released their latest album in 2017. The theme of the musical
group is "Anonymous" as they perform with painted faces, hoodies and sunglasses. The
identity of the group members is still unknown.
Among most prominent classical musicians in Moldova are Maria Bieșu, one of the
leading world's sopranos and the winner of the Japan International Competition;
pianist Mark Zeltser, winner of the USSR National Competition, Margueritte Long
Competition in Paris and Busoni Competition in Bolzano, Italy.
Holidays[edit]
Main article: Public holidays in Moldova

Zimbru Stadium

Most retail businesses close on New Year's Day and Independence Day, but remain
open on all other holidays. Christmas is celebrated either on 7 January, the traditional
date in Old Calendarists Eastern Orthodox Churches, or on 25 December, with both
dates being recognized as public holidays.[198]
Sports[edit]
Main article: Sport in Moldova
Trîntă (a form of wrestling) is the national sport in Moldova. Association football is the
most popular team sport.
Rugby union is popular as well. More than 10,000 supporters turn out for home
internationals. Since 2004, playing numbers at all levels have more than doubled to
3,200. Despite the hardships and deprivations the national team are ranked 34th in the
world.[199] The most prestigious cycling race is the Moldova President's Cup, which was
first run in 2004.
Athletes from Moldova have won European medals
in Athletics, Biathlon, Football and Gymnastics, World medals
in Archery, Judo, Swimming and Taekwondo, as well as Olympic medals
in Boxing, Canoeing, Shooting, Weightlifting and Wrestling.

See also[edit]
 Moldova portal

 Outline of Moldova

Notes[edit]
1. ^ The Jewish minority was more numerous in the past (228,620 Jews
in Bessarabia in 1897, or 11.8% of the population). [42]
2. ^ Note: Further 11,844 were deported on 12–13 June 1941 from other
Romanian territories occupied by the USSR a year earlier.
3. ^ Prince Dimitrie Cantemir was one of the most important figures of
Moldavian culture of the 18th century. He wrote the first geographical,
ethnographic and economic description of the country. (in
Latin) Descriptio Moldaviae, (Berlin, 1714), at Latin Wikisource.

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:      "The text of the Declaration of Independence prevails
a b c

over the text of the Constitution". Constitutional Court of Moldova. 5

December 2013. Retrieved  13 June 2014.
2. ^ Roudik, Peter (23 December 2013). "Moldova: Romanian
Recognized as the Official Language". Law Library of Congress.
Retrieved  13 June 2014.
3. ^ "Președintele CCM: Constituția nu conferă limbii ruse un statut
deosebit de cel al altor limbi minoritare". Deschide.md. Retrieved  22
January 2021.
4. ^ "Chişinău, (21.01.2021) Judecătorii constituționali au decis că limba
rusă nu va avea statutul de limbă de comunicare interetnică pe
teritoriul Republicii Moldova". Moldpres.md. Retrieved 22
January 2021.
5. ^ "Președintele CC Domnica Manole, explică de ce a fost anulată
legea cu privire la statutul special pentru limbia rusă". ProTv.md.
Retrieved  22 January 2021.
6. ^ "PX-Web - Selecteaza tabel".
7. ^ BNS:Official estimate (pg.8)
8. ^ "GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) - Moldova |
Data". data.worldbank.org.
9. ^ "GDP per capita (current US$) - Moldova |
Data". data.worldbank.org.
10. ^ "GINI index (World Bank estimate)". The World Bank. Retrieved 9
November  2016.
11. ^ "Human Development Report 2020"  (PDF).  United Nations
Development Programme. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 15
December  2020.[permanent dead link]
12. ^ "Moldova". Oxford Dictionaries  UK Dictionary. Oxford University
Press. Retrieved  30 January 2016.
13. ^ "Moldova". Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House.
Retrieved  30 January 2016.
14. ^ The Free Dictionary: Moldova
15. ^ "The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency".  Cia.gov.
Retrieved  14 December  2017.
16. ^ Jump up to:      "Moldova".  CIA World Factbook. Retrieved  2
a b c

September2015.
17. ^ http://www.natura2000oltenita-chiciu.ro/wp-
content/uploads/2019/05/Moldova-Pitoreasca-Picturesque-Moldavia-
pdf-Vladimir-Toncea.pdf
18. ^ GDP per capita by country
19. ^ "History". Republic of Moldova. Archived from  the originalon 22
December 2013. Retrieved  9 October  2013.
20. ^ King, Charles  (2000). "From Principality to Province".  The
Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the politics of culture. Hoover
Press. p. 13.  ISBN  0-8179-9792-X. Retrieved  31 October 2010.
21. ^ "The End of the Soviet Union; Text of Accords by Former Soviet
Republics Setting Up a Commonwealth". The New York Times. 23
December 1991.  ...Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Kirghizia,
the Republic of Moldavia, the Russian Federation...
22. ^ "GEOARCHAEOLOGY OF THE EARLIEST PALEOLITHIC SITES
(OLDOWAN) IN THE NORTH CAUCASUS AND THE EAST
EUROPE". paleogeo.org. 2011. Archived from  the original on 20 May
2013. Early Paleolithic cultural layers with tools of oldowan type was
discovered in East Caucasus (Dagestan, Russia) by Kh. Amirkhanov
(2006) and Dniester valley (Moldova) by N. Anisjutkin (2010).
23. ^ Constantinescu, Bogdan; Bugoi, Roxana; Pantos, Emmanuel;
Popovici, Dragomir (2007). "Phase and chemical composition analysis
of pigments used in Cucuteni Neolithic painted
ceramics"  (PDF). Documenta Praehistorica. Ljubljana: Department of
Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana.  XXXIV: 281–
288. doi:10.4312/dp.34.21. ISSN 1408-967X. OCLC  41553667.
Archived from the original  (PDF)on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 25
October 2012.
24. ^ Jackson 2009, p. 139
25. ^ Sălăgean 2005, p. 196.
26. ^ Spinei 1986, p. 131.
27. ^ Jackson 2009, p. 30
28. ^ Vásáry 2005, p. 30.
29. ^ Jean W Sedlar (1994).  East Central Europe in the Middle Ages,
1000-1500. University of Washington Press. p.  404. ISBN 978-0-295-
97291-6.
30. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original  on 16 June 2006.
Retrieved  16 June 2006.
31. ^ A.V. Boldur, Istoria Basarabiei, Editura V. Frunza, p 111-119
32. ^ The Annals of Jan Długosz, p. 273
33. ^ Bulat, Nicolae.  "Cetatea Soroca a Moldovei (1499 – prezent)"(in
Romanian). Istoria.md.
34. ^ "Moldova: Early History".  Library of Congress. June 1995.
Retrieved  26 April 2018.
35. ^ Sava, p.4-6
36. ^ Grigore Ureche Letopiseţul ţărâi Moldovei, de când s-au descălecat
ţara
37. ^ Clark, Charles Upson (1927).  "Bessarabia, Chapter X: The Survival
of Roumanian". Depts.washington.edu. Dodd, Mead & Company.
Retrieved  9 October  2013. Naturally, this system resulted not in
acquisition of Russian by the Moldavians, but in their almost complete
illiteracy in any language.
38. ^ "The Germans from Bessarabia". Ualberta.ca. Archived from the
original  on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
39. ^ Charles Upson Clark (1927). "Bessarabia, Chapter VIII: Russia
Organizes the Province". Depts.washington.edu. Dodd, Mead &
Company. Retrieved 9 October 2013.  Today, the Bulgarians form one
of the most solid elements in Southern Bessarabia, numbering (with
the Gagauzes, i.e., Turkish-speaking Christians also from the
Dobrudja) nearly 150,000. Colonization brought in numerous Great
Russian peasants, and the Russian bureaucracy imported Russian
office-holders and professional men; according to the Romanian
estimate of 1920, there were about 75,000 (2.9%) Great Russians in
the territory, and the Lipovans and Cossacks numbered 59,000
(2.2%); the Little Russians (Ukrainians) came to 254,000 (9.6%). That,
plus about 10,000 Poles, brings the total number of Slavs to 545,000
in a population of 2,631,000, or about one-fifth.
40. ^ Vasile Baican, "Human settlements in Moldavia represented on "the
Russian map" between 1828–1829",  Scientific Annals of "Alexandru
Ioan Cuza" University of Iasi – Geography series
41. ^ "Mennonite-Nogai Economic Relations, 1825–1860". Goshen.edu.
Retrieved  9 October  2013.
42. ^ "Moldova", The Jewish Virtual Library, American-Israeli Cooperative
Enterprise, retrieved  15 July 2015
43. ^ Ion Nistor, Istoria Bassarabiei, Cernăuți, 1921
44. ^ (in German) Flavius Solomon, Die Republik Moldau und ihre
Minderheiten (Länderlexikon), in: Ethnodoc-Datenbank für
Minderheitenforschung in Südostosteuropa, p. 52
45. ^ Ariel Scheib (23 July 1941). "Moldova". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org.
Retrieved  9 October  2013.
46. ^ (in French) Anthony Babel: La Bessarabie (Bessarabia), Félix Alcan,
Genève, Switzerland, 1931
47. ^ King, Charles  (2000). "From Principality to Province".  The
Moldovans: Romania, Russia, and the politics of culture. Hoover
Press. pp. 33–35. ISBN 0-8179-9792-X. Retrieved 31 October  2010.
48. ^ "Sfatul Țării ... proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic" (in
Romanian). Prm.md. Archived from the originalon 4 December 2007.
Retrieved  9 October  2013.
49. ^ Clark, Charles Upson (1927).  "24:The Decay of Russian
Sentiment". Bessarabia: Russia and Romania on the Black Sea –
View Across Dniester From Hotin Castle. New York: Dodd, Mead &
Company. Retrieved 31 October  2013.
50. ^ Ion Pelivan (Chronology)
51. ^ Petre Cazacu (Moldova, pp. 240–245).
52. ^ Cristina Petrescu, "Contrasting/Conflicting Identities:Bessarabians,
Romanians, Moldovans" in Nation-Building and Contested Identities,
Polirom, 2001, pg. 156
53. ^ Malbone W. Graham (October 1944). "The Legal Status of the
Bukovina and Bessarabia".  The American Journal of International
 Law. American Society of International Law.  38  (4): 667–
673. doi:10.2307/2192802. JSTOR 2192802.
54. ^ Mitrasca, Marcel (2002).  "Introduction".  Moldova: a Romanian
province under Russian rule: diplomatic history from the archives of
the great powers. Algora Publishing. p. 13.  ISBN  1-892941-86-4.
Retrieved  31 October 2010.
55. ^ Wayne S. Vucinich, Bessarabia In: Collier's Encyclopedia(Crowell
Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1967) vol. 4, p. 103
56. ^ Jump up to:a b Olson, James (1994).  An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of the
Russian and Soviet Empires. p.  483.
57. ^ "Tismăneanu Report"  (PDF). pp.  748–749. Archived from the
original  (PDF) on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
58. ^ Asociația Oamenilor de știință din Moldova. H. Milescu-Spătaru., ed.
(2002). Istoria Republicii Moldova: din cele mai vechi timpuri pină în
zilele noastre [History of the Republic of Moldova: From Ancient
Times to Our Days] (in Romanian) (2nd ed.). Chișinău: Elan Poligraf.
pp. 239–244. ISBN 9975-9719-5-4.
59. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "Tismăneanu Report"  (PDF) (in Romanian). pp. 747,
752. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
60. ^ Ellman, Michael (2000). "The 1947 Soviet Famine and the
Entitlement Approach to Famines"  (PDF).  Cambridge Journal of
Economics. 39 (24): 603–630.  doi:10.1093/cje/24.5.603. Retrieved  10
December  2015.
61. ^ "Foametea din anii 1946–1947 din RSS Moldovenească: cauze și
consecințe" [The Mass Famine in the Moldavian SSR, 1946–1947:
causes and consequences in Dusmanul de clasa. Represiuni politice,
violenta si rezistenta in R(A)SS Moldoveneasca, 1924–1956].
Retrieved  19 October 2014.
62. ^ Pal Kolsto, National Integration and Violent Conflict in Post-Soviet
Societies: The Cases of Estonia and Moldova, Rowman & Littlefield,
2002, ISBN 0-7425-1888-4, pg. 202
63. ^ "Architecture of Chișinău". on Kishinev.info. Archived from  the
original  on 10 February 2003. Retrieved  12 October 2008.
64. ^ "Political Repressions in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic
after 1956: Towards a Typology Based on KGB files Igor
Casu". Dystopia.  I  (1–2): 89–127. 2014. Retrieved  19 October 2014.
65. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g (in Romanian) Horia C. Matei, "State lumii.
Enciclopedie de istorie." Meronia, București, 2006, p. 292-294
66. ^ Andrei Panici (2002). "Romanian Nationalism in the Republic of
Moldova"  (PDF). American University in Bulgaria. pp. 40 and 41.
Archived from the original  (PDF) on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 9
October 2013.
67. ^ "Legea cu privire la functionarea limbilor vorbite pe teritoriul RSS
Moldovenesti Nr.3465-XI din 01.09.89 Vestile nr.9/217, 1989"  [The
law on use of languages spoken in the Moldovan SSR No.3465-XI of
09/01/89].  Moldavian SSR News, Law regarding the usage of
languages spoken on the territory of the Republic of Moldova  (in
Romanian). Archived from  the original(DOC) on 19 February 2006.
Retrieved  11 February  2006. [TRANSLATION]  Moldavian SSR
supports the desire of the Moldovans that live across the borders of
the Republic, and considering the existing linguistic Moldo-Romanian
identity – of the Romanians that live on the territory of the USSR, of
doing their studies and satisfying their cultural needs in their native
language.
68. ^ RAND, Russia’s Hostile Measures: Combating Russian Gray Zone
Aggression Against NATO in the Contact, Blunt, and Surge Layers of
Competition (2020) online
69. ^ Ratha, Dilip (18 February 2009).  "Remittance flows to developing
countries are estimated to exceed US$300 billion in 2008".
peoplemove.worldbank.org. Archived from  the originalon 23 February
2009.
70. ^ "Information Campaign to Increase the Efficiency of Remittance
Flows". International Organization for Migration. 9 December 2008.
Archived from the original  on 7 April 2014.
71. ^ Marandici, Ion (23 April 2010). The Factors Leading to the Electoral
Success, Consolidation and Decline of the Moldovan Communists'
Party During the Transition Period.  Midwestern Political Science
Association Convention. Social Science Research
Network. SSRN  1809029.
72. ^ Fizesan, Carmen (8 April 2009).  "Supporting actions for Moldova's
riot". SevenTimes.ro. Archived from  the original on 21 January 2010.
Retrieved  9 October  2013.
73. ^ "The protest initiative group: LDPM is the guilty one for the
devastations in the Chișinău downtown". omg.md. 8 April 2009.
Archived from the original  on 7 April 2014.
74. ^ "EU flags flying on the Presidency and Parliament, to calm the
masses". Unimedia.info. 2 June 2009. Retrieved 9 October2013.[permanent
dead link]

75. ^ "Moldovan referendum appears to flop on low turnout".  Reuters. 5

September 2010. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
76. ^ "Moldova going to third election in two years". BBC News. 28
September 2010. Retrieved 30 September  2010.
77. ^ "Marian Lupu elected Head of Parliament". allmoldova. 30
November 2010. Archived from the original  on 4 January 2012.
Retrieved  27 October 2011.
78. ^ "Audit links local tycoon to $1bn Moldovan bank fraud". Business
New Europe. 5 May 2015. Retrieved  2 September 2015.
79. ^ Higgins, Andrew (4 June 2015). "Moldova, Hunting Missing Millions,
Finding Only Ash".  The New York Times. Retrieved  10 March 2016.
80. ^ "Moldovan prime minister Pavel Filip says 'last chance' to end
national crisis". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 26 January
2016. Retrieved 10 March  2016.
81. ^ Deutsche Welle (16 February 2016).  "UE se autosesizează:
Moldova se îndreaptă spre dictatură!" [EU Will Discuss the Matter:
Moldova moving towards dictatorship!].  Romania Curata(in
Romanian). Archived from  the original on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 10
March 2016.
82. ^ "Moldova Faces Turmoil as Court Outlaws New Govt". Balkan
Insight. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 20 June  2019.
83. ^ "Titlul III. Autoritățile publice".  www.presedinte.md. Retrieved  20
June 2019.
84. ^ "A Constitutional Crisis in Moldova Produces an Unexpected
Alliance". Fair Observer. 18 June 2019. Retrieved  20 June2019.
85. ^ Kingsley, Patrick (14 June 2019). "Moldova Had Two Governments.
One Has Finally Resigned". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
Retrieved  20 June 2019.
86. ^ "Moldova's Constitutional Court overturns all of its decisions that led
to political crisis in country in 5 mins".  en.interfax.com.ua.
Retrieved  20 June 2019.
87. ^ "Moldova calls national code red alert over coronavirus, bans
flights". SeeNews. 13 March 2020.
88. ^ "Moldova declares state of emergency over coronavirus outbreak".
SeeNews. 17 March 2020.
89. ^ "Moldova reports first death from coronavirus, health ministry says".
Reuters. 18 March 2020.
90. ^ Jump up to:a b "The Constitution of the Republic of Moldova, 2000". E-
democracy.md. Retrieved  9 October  2013.
91. ^ "DECIS: Şeful statului va fi ales de popor; Modificarea din 2000 a
Constituţiei privind alegerea preşedintelui de Parlament,
NECONSTITUŢIONALĂ"  [DECIDED: The president will be elected by
 the people; The 2000 amendment of the Constitution concerning the
election of the President by Parliament unconstitutional]. Jurnalul
Național  (in Romanian). 4 March 2016.
92. ^ CNBC (19 December 2016).  "Europe's poorest nation passes IMF-
backed retirement age increase". Cnbc.com. Retrieved  3
August 2017.
93. ^ "Moldova Calls on Russian Troops To Leave Transdniestr".[permanent dead
link]

94. ^ Barry, Ellen (3 January 2012). "Shooting at Checkpoint Raises

Tensions in a Disputed Region Claimed by Moldova". The New York
Times. Retrieved 2 September  2015.
95. ^ "EU to grant €90 million to crisis-hit Moldova". Europarl.europa.eu. 7
September 2010. Retrieved 9 October2013.
96. ^ "Moldova to get $570 million in IMF loans". RIA Novosti. 30 January
2010. Archived from  the original on 19 October 2012. Retrieved 25
November  2012.
97. ^ Marian Chiriac. "Romania, Moldova to Boost Relations".
Balkaninsight.com. Retrieved  9 October  2013.
98. ^ "Poland will support Moldova in its European integration efforts".
Moldova Azi. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
99. ^ "First meeting of Romania and Rep. of Moldova Governments,
concluded with initialling of several bilateral agreements". agerpres.ro.
4 March 2012. Archived from the original  on 7 April 2014.
100. ^ "Joint meeting of the Government of Romania and Government of
the Republic of Moldova" (in Romanian). Guvernul Romaniei.
Archived from the original  on 8 February 2013. Retrieved  9
October 2013.
101. ^ The Washington Post, Moldova elects pro-European judge Timofti
as president, ending 3 years of political deadlock
102. ^ "EU-Moldova Association Agreement". European Union External
Action. Archived from the original  on 7 December 2013.
103. ^ "Băsescu: Următorul proiect de țară al României, unirea cu
Basarabia". România Liberă. 27 November 2013.
104. ^ "European Union – EEAS (European External Action Service) –
EU forges closer ties with Ukraine, Georgia and
Moldova".  Eeas.europa.eu.
105. ^ "European Commission – PRESS RELEASES – Press release –
Remarks by President Barroso at the signing of the Association
Agreements with Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and
Ukraine".  Europa.eu.
106. ^ Andrew Higgins, "In Expanding Russian Influence, Faith Combines
With Firepower," The New York Times, September 13, 2016
107. ^ "Moldova's military agreements to help strengthen regional
security". Archived from the original  on 4 September 2015.
Retrieved  21 December  2013.
108. ^ "2014 – Embassy of the United States Chișinău,
Moldova".  Moldova.usembassy.gov. Archived from  the original on 4
September 2015.
109. ^ "Ilascu and Others vs. Moldova and Russia".
Humanrightshouse.org. 12 July 2004. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
110. ^ "Moldova 2011 Crime and Safety Report – Bureau of Diplomatic
Security". Osac.gov. 19 February 2011. Retrieved  9 October2013.
111. ^ "2010 Human Rights Report: Moldova". United States Department
of State. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
112. ^ "Moldova: UN human rights expert calls for more fostering of
religious diversity". Un.org. 9 September 2011. Retrieved  9
October 2013.
113. ^ "Law on Preventing and Combating Family Violence"  (PDF). UN
Women. Archived from  the original  (PDF)  on 29 October 2013.
Retrieved  4 November  2013.
114. ^ "Autorități publice locale". Government of Moldova. Retrieved 12
October 2010.
115. ^ "Clasificatorul unităţilor administrativ-teritoriale (CUATM)".
116. ^ "Moldova's Climate". Weatheronline.co.uk. Retrieved 9
October 2013.
117. ^ Stînga Nistrului.  "Camenca temperature". Weather-forecast.com.
Retrieved  9 October  2013.
118. ^ "Bratuseni temperature". Worldweatheronline.com. Archived
from the original  on 20 October 2013. Retrieved  9 October2013.
119. ^ "Moldova climate information". Weatherbase. Retrieved 3
February 2016.
120. ^ Dinerstein, Eric; et al. (2017).  "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to
Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–
545. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014.  ISSN  0006-3568. PMC  5451287.  PM
ID 28608869.  S2CID 13136188.
121. ^ Grantham, H. S.; et  al. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of
forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem
integrity - Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1):
5978. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3.  ISSN  2041-1723. PMC  772
3057. PMID 33293507.  S2CID 228082162.
122. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "Environmental issues in
Moldova".  Naturvernforbundet. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
123. ^ "European Partnership Fair for Civil Society Organizations in
Moldova, p.25"  (PDF). Archived from the original  (PDF) on 20 July
2011. Retrieved 24 July  2010.
124. ^ Sienkiewicz, Henryk.  With Fire and Sword (Ogniem i Mieczem).
p.  Wolne Lektury. Retrieved  7 May 2020.
125. ^ "O suhaku, który z suchych stepów przybył". MENAŻERIA
ETYMOLOGICZNA. Retrieved 7 May  2020.
126. ^ Strabo (25 September 2012).  "Book VII, Chapter 4, Paragraph
8". Geography. Retrieved 19 December 2012.
127. ^ Invitat, Author (27 August 2005). "The Bison Come Back to
Moldova". Moldova.org. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
128. ^ "Belarus, Moldova discuss bison exchange program". Ministry of
Forestry of the Republic of Belarus. 17 February 2019. Retrieved 30
May  2020.
129. ^ "Moldova – GDP (purchasing power parity) – Historical Data
Graphs per Year".  Indexmundi.com.
130. ^ Jump up to:a b c "2014 Article IV consultation and first post-program
monitoring discussions – Staff report; press release; and statement by
the Executive Director for the Republic of Moldova"  (PDF)  (Press
release).  IMF. July 2014. Retrieved  2 September 2015.
131. ^ Cum a evoluat economia Republicii Moldova în ultimii 20 de ani..
Accesat la 27 iunie 2011.
132. ^ BNS: Produsul intern brut în anul 2012, date actualizate
133. ^ BNS: Produsul intern brut în Republica Moldova în anul 2013, date
actualizate. Accesat la 17 martie 2014.
134. ^ Economia Moldovei a înregistrat o crestere de 4,6%, în 2014, și
constituie 111 miliarde de lei Unimedia.info; Accesat la 17.02.2015
135. ^ "Economia Republicii Moldova, în SCĂDERE în 2015; Ultimele
cifre de la Statistică", Jurnal.md/ro/economic/2016/3/15/economia-
republicii-moldova-in-scadere-in-2015-ultimele-cifre-de-la-statistica/,
retrieved  28 September 2018
136. ^ Iurii Botnarenco (16 March 2018),  "BNS: Economia Republicii
Moldova a crescut cu 4,5% în anul 2017",  Adevărul, retrieved  28
September 2018
137. ^ "Salariului mediu lunar pe economie in anul 2018 este de 6150 lei /
Editorial / Monitorul fiscal
FISC.md", Monitorul.fisc.md/editorial/salariului-mediu-lunar-pe-
economie-in-anul-2018-este-de-6150-lei.html, retrieved  28
September 2018
138. ^ Dan Straut (7 August 2018), "INS: Salariul mediu pe economie, în
creştere în iunie",  Mediafax, retrieved 28 September  2018
139. ^ "Середня заробітна плата (січень 2018)", Index.minfin.com,
retrieved  28 September 2018
140. ^ Иванов, Денис.  "Средняя зарплата в России в 2018 году по
данным Росстата и ФБК — вы удивитесь! – Reconomica —
истории из жизни реальных людей".
141. ^ "Association Agreement between the European Union and the
European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the
one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part" (PDF).
Government of the Republic of Moldova. 26 November 2013.
Retrieved  2 September 2015.
142. ^ "European Union".  Eeas.europa.eu. Archived from the original  on
2 December 2014. Retrieved  26 November  2014.
143. ^ "Visa liberalisation for Moldova"  (PDF) (Press release). Council of
the European Union. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 2 September  2015.
144. ^ Jump up to:a b "Moldova Economy Profile 2014". Indexmundi.com.
145. ^ "Download entire World Economic Outlook database".  Imf.org.
146. ^ "Moldova". Global Finance Magazine.
147. ^ "INOGATE".  www.inogate.org.
148. ^ http://www.natura2000oltenita-chiciu.ro/wp-
content/uploads/2020/09/Wine-Road-in-Republic-of-Moldova-
processed-by-Vladimir-Toncea.pdf
149. ^ Jones, Louise.  "Where in the world is the largest wine
cellar?". Winerist.com. Retrieved 3 August  2017.
150. ^ "Legea cu privire la secţiile pentru reforma agrară în cadrul
organelor de autoadministrare locală ale Republicii Moldova Nr.129
din 02.03.92, Monitorul Oficial nr.3/80, 1992" [Law on Land Reform for
the local self-administration of the Republic of Moldova Nr.129 from
02/03/92].  Monitorul oficial (in Romanian). Retrieved  30
October 2016.
151. ^ Family Reference Atlas of the World  (4  ed.). Washington District
of Columbia: National Geographic. 2016.
152. ^ (in Romanian) R. Moldova are deja peste două milioane de
utilizatori ai serviciilor de telefonie mobilă – Agenția Naționala pentru
Reglementare în Comunicații Electronice și Tehnologia Informației
(ANRCETI)
153. ^ Katie Allen (31 December 2009).  "Orange launches HD mobile
phone service". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 September  2010.
154. ^ "International Telecommunication Union". Itu.int. Retrieved  9
October 2013.
155. ^ UNIMEDIA (6 June 2013).  "the Government approved the
licensing of 4G / LTE for mobile operators".  UNIMEDIA. Archived
from the original  on 26 October 2012. Retrieved  10 March 2013.
156. ^ Iulian Groza, Mathias Jopp, Vladislav Kulminski, Vadim Pistrinciuc,
Andrei Popov, Adrian Popescu, Iulian Rusu (January
2018).  Strengthening Social Cohesion and a Common Identity in the
Republic of Moldova  (PDF)  (Report). German Federal Foreign Office.
pp. 12–13. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
157. ^ Cojocaru, Lee (August 2015). The Construction, Deconstruction
and Conflict of National Identities in Moldova  (PDF). ECPR General
Conference. Montreal.
158. ^ № 821 - 822: Всесоюзная перепись населения 1959 года.
Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР:
Молдовская ССР  [No. 821 - 822: 1959 All-Union Census. The
national composition of the population in the republics of the USSR:
Moldavian SSR].  Demoscope Weekly (in Russian). ISSN 1726-2887.
Retrieved  1 September 2019.
159. ^ № 821 - 822: Всесоюзная перепись населения 1970 года.
Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР:
Молдовская ССР  [No. 821 - 822: 1970 All-Union Population Census.
The national composition of the population in the republics of the
USSR: Moldavian SSR]. Demoscope Weekly  (in
Russian).  ISSN  1726-2887. Retrieved 1 September  2019.
160. ^ № 821 - 822: Всесоюзная перепись населения 1979 года.
Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР:
Молдовская ССР  [No. 821 - 822: 1979 All-Union Census. The
national composition of the population in the republics of the USSR:
Moldavian SSR].  Demoscope Weekly (in Russian). ISSN 1726-2887.
Retrieved  1 September 2019.
161. ^ № 821 - 822: Всесоюзная перепись населения 1989 года.
Национальный состав населения по республикам СССР:
Молдовская ССР  [No. 821 - 822: All-Union Population Census of
1989. The national composition of the population in the republics of
the USSR: Moldavian SSR].  Demoscope Weekly (in
Russian).  ISSN  1726-2887. Retrieved 1 September  2019.
162. ^ Jump up to:a b "Statistical Yearbook of Moldova 2017: Results of the
2004 Population Census: 2. Population: 2.1: Population and the
demographic structure"  (PDF). National Bureau of Statistics of the
Republic of Moldova. 2017. Retrieved  1 September 2019.
163. ^ "Republic of Moldova 2014 - Census de facto complete
tabulation".  Data.un.org.
164. ^ Protsyk, Oleh (1 January 2007). "Nation-building in
Moldova".  Nation and Nationalism. Political and Historical
Studies  (PDF). Andrzej Marcin Suszycki, Ireneusz Pawel Karolewski.
Oficyna Wydawnicza Atut Wrocawskie Wydawn.
Oswiatowe. ISBN 978-83-7432-261-4.
165. ^ "Moldova, geography". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence
Agency. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 2 September2015.
166. ^ Перепись населения ПМР [Population census of
PMR]. newspmr.com (in Russian). 9 March 2017. Retrieved  23
January2021.
167. ^ Bespyatov, Tim. "Ethnic composition of Transnistria 2004". pop-
stat.mashke.org. Retrieved  1 September 2019.
168. ^ Статистический ежегодник 2017  [Statistical Yearbook
2017]  (ZIP). Official Site of the Transnistrian Moldavian Republic (in
Russian). 2017. Retrieved  1 September 2019.
169. ^ "Declarația de independența a Republicii Moldova, Moldova
Suverană"  (in Romanian). Moldova-suverana.md. 5 February 2008.
Archived from the original  on 5 February 2008. Retrieved  9
October 2013.
170. ^ Bill Fraser (11 December 2006). "A Field Guide to the Main
Languages of Europe – Spot that language and how to tell them
apart"  (PDF). European Commission. Archived from the
original  (PDF) on 24 February 2007. Retrieved 9 October 2013.
171. ^ "ADEPT  : Laws of the Republic of Moldova  : The Constitution of
the Republic of Moldova".  www.e-democracy.md.
172. ^ "Hotărâre Nr. 36 din 05.12.2013 privind interpretarea articolului 13
alin. (1) din Constituție în corelație cu Preambulul Constituției și
Declarația de Independență a Republicii Moldova (Sesizările nr.
 8b/2013 și 41b/2013)"  [Decision No. 36 of 05.12.2013 regarding the
interpretation of article 13 para. (1) of the Constitution in correlation
with the Preamble of the Constitution and the Declaration of
Independence of the Republic of Moldova (References no. 8b / 2013
and 41b / 2013)] (in Romanian). Constitutional Court of the Republic
of Moldova. 5 December 2013. Retrieved  1 September 2019.  124. [...]
Prin urmare, Curtea consideră că prevederea conținută în Declarația
de Independență referitoare la limba română ca limbă de stat a
Republicii Moldova prevalează asupra prevederii referitoare la limba
moldovenească conținute în articolul 13 al Constituției [124. [...]
Therefore, the Court considers that the provision contained in the
Declaration of Independence regarding the Romanian language as the
state language of the Republic of Moldova prevails over the provision
regarding the Moldovan language contained in Article 13 of the
Constitution]
173. ^ № 821 - 822: Переписи населения Российской Империи,
СССР, 15 новых независимых государств: Всесоюзная перепись
населения 1989 года [No. 821 - 822: Population Censuses of the
Russian Empire, USSR, 15 Newly Independent States: 1989 All-Union
Population Census].  Demoscope Weekly(in Russian). ISSN 1726-
2887. Retrieved 1 September  2019.
174. ^ "Population Census 2004: Population by main nationalities, mother
tongue and language usually spoken"  (XLS).  National Bureau of
Statistics of the Republic of Moldova. 2004. Retrieved 1
September 2019.
175. ^ "Structure of population by language usually used for
communication and age groups on 2014 census"  (XLS).  National
Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova. 2014. Retrieved  1
September 2019.
176. ^ "English – the most preferred foreign language among Moldovan
students". Moldova.org. Archived from  the originalon 7 March 2014.
Retrieved  7 March  2014.
177. ^ Moldovanu-Batrinac, Viorelia (18 December 2006). "Bologna
Process Template for National Reports: 2005–2007
(Moldova)"(PDF).  Bologna Process website. European Higher
Education Area. p.  3. Retrieved  2 July 2010.
178. ^ "România oferă tinerilor moldoveni 5.000 de burse în licee și
universități".  PUBLIKA.MD  (in Romanian). 22 June 2015.
179. ^ "Presedintele Klaus Iohannis l-a primit, la Suceava, pe Nicolae
Timofti: "Republica Moldova isi poate implini destinul doar in Uniunea
Europeana. Combaterea coruptiei, stabilitatea economica si intarirea
institutiilor, singura cale catre succes"".  HotNews.ro  (in Romanian). 7
July 2015.
180. ^ "The World Factbook". Cia.gov. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 2
September 2015.
181. ^ "Women Victims from Moldova From 1991 through 2008".
Havocscope.com. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
182. ^ A UNODC report states: In terms of the citation index, eleven
countries score very high as countries of origin. The countries are
(listed in alphabetical order, by sub-region): Belarus, the Republic of
Moldova, the Russian Federation and Ukraine (Commonwealth of
Independent States); Albania, Bulgaria, Lithuania and Romania
(Central and South Eastern Europe); China (Eastern Asia); Thailand
(South-Eastern Asia); and Nigeria (Western Africa).(pg 58).[1]
183. ^ Jump up to:a b c "The great Moldovan bank robbery". BBC News. 18
June 2015.
184. ^ "The billion-dollar ex-council flat". BBC News. 7 October 2015.
185. ^ "Country Comparison: Total Fertility Rate". cia.gov. 2015.
Retrieved  13 September 2016.
186. ^ http://www.statistica.md/  (31 May 2013). "Biroul Național de
Statistică – Comunicate de presă". Statistica.md. Retrieved 4
November  2013.
 187. ^ "The World Factbook – Moldova, rank". Cia.gov. 2 September
2015. Retrieved 2 September  2015.
188. ^ Jump up to:a b "The World Factbook". Cia.gov. Retrieved  21
October2013.
189. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Human Development Report 2009 – Moldova".
Hdrstats.undp.org. Archived from the original  on 29 April 2009.
Retrieved  7 October  2009.
190. ^ "As Health System Declined, TB Increased". Pulitzer Center.
191. ^ "Former Soviet Nations, China Face High MDR-TB Prevalence,
Study Says". 16 April 2009.
192. ^ "HIV/AIDS – Adult Prevalence Rate". Cia.gov. Retrieved  4
November  2013.
193. ^ "Understanding Migration, Emigration from Moldova"  (PDF).
Archived from the original  (PDF) on 14 May 2011. Retrieved  9
October 2013.
194. ^ Jump up to:a b "Moldova - Culture". Countrystudies.us. Retrieved  27
July2018.
195. ^ Octavian Sofransky. "Ethno-Political Conflict in Moldova"(PDF).
European Centre in Moldova. Retrieved 2 September2015.
196. ^ Catherine Lovatt (24 January 2000). "2000: Year of
Eminescu".  Central Europe Review.  2 (3). Archived from  the
original  on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 10 March  2016.
197. ^ "2017 Grand Final Scoreboard".  Eurovision.tv. European
Broadcasting Union. Retrieved  14 May  2016.
198. ^ "Moldova Declares Western Christmas Day Official Holiday".
Retrieved  20 December  2013.
199. ^ Souster, Mark (27 October 2012).  "Europe's poor relations show
richness of spirit; Mark Souster visits Moldova and discovers a wealth
of ambition at all levels in one of the game's new frontiers". The TImes
(London, England).

External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Moldova.

Moldovaat Wikipedia's sister projects

 Definitions from Wiktionary

 Media from Wikimedia Commons

 News from Wikinews

 Quotations from Wikiquote

 Texts from Wikisource

 Textbooks from Wikibooks

 Travel guide from Wikivoyage

 Resources from Wikiversity

 S.Res.148 - A resolution to express the sense of the

Senate that the United States should support the right to
 self-determination of the people of the Republic of Moldavia
and northern Bucovina
 Official website
 Moldova. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
 Moldova, Republic of from UCB Libraries GovPubs.
 Moldova at Curlie
 Moldova profile from the BBC News.
  Wikimedia Atlas of Moldova
  Geographic data related to Moldova at OpenStreetMap
 Key Development Forecasts for Moldova from International
Futures.
show

Moldova articles

show
Geographic locale

show
International organizations

4-3938-8407-c96605226fad

n90720192
Categories: 
 Moldova
 Landlocked countries
 Romanian-speaking countries and territories
 Russian-speaking countries and territories
 Member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States
 Member states of the Council of Europe
  Member states of the Organisation internationale de la
Francophonie
 Member states of the United Nations
 Republics
 Southeastern European countries
 States and territories established in 1991
 1991 establishments in Europe
 Countries in Europe
 Eastern European countries
Navigation menu
 Not logged in
 Talk
 Contributions
 Create account
 Log in
 Article
 Talk
 Read
 Edit
 View history
Search
Search Go

 Main page
 Contents
 Current events
 Random article
 About Wikipedia
 Contact us
 Donate
Contribute
 Help
 Learn to edit
 Community portal
 Recent changes
 Upload file
Tools
 What links here
 Related changes
 Special pages
 Permanent link
 Page information
 Cite this page
 Wikidata item
Print/export
 Download as PDF
 Printable version
In other projects
 Wikimedia Commons
  Wikinews
 Wikivoyage
Languages
 Afrikaans
 Български
 Gagauz
 हिन्दी
 Română
 Русский
 Suomi
 Українська
 中文
243 more
Edit links
 This page was last edited on 22 March 2021, at 20:59 (UTC).
 Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using
this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc., a non-profit organization.
 Privacy policy

 About Wikipedia

 Disclaimers

 Contact Wikipedia

 Mobile view

 Developers

 Statistics

 Cookie statement