The Republic of Moldova is a landlocked country in eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east. Formerly part of the Soviet Union, it was once known as Bessarabia when it belonged to the larger principality of Moldavia.
Republica Moldova
The western border of Moldova is formed by the Prut[?] river, which joins the Danube before flowing into the Black Sea. In the northeast, the Dniester[?] is the main river, flowing through the country from north to south. The country is landlocked, even though it is very close to the Black Sea. While the northern part of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed 430 m (the highest point being the Dealul Bălăneşti[?]).
Moldova has a temperate continental climate, with warm summers, but mild winters. The country's main cities are the capital Chişinău, in the centre of the country, Tiraspol (in Transnistria), Bălţi[?] and Bender[?].
Moldova enjoys a favourable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatisation, removed export controls, and freed interest rates.
The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The economy returned to positive growth, of 2.1% in 2000 and 6.1% in 2001. Growth remained strong in 2002, in part because of the reforms and because of starting from a small base. Further reforms are in doubt because of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the scepticism of foreign investors.
The majority of the Moldovans, about 65%, is of Romanian descent, and speaks Romanian, although, for political reasons, the language is called Moldovan in the Constitution. Russians and Ukrainians form sizeable minorties (each about 13%), mostly located in Transnistria[?], as does a group of Gagauz[?] (5%). All these groups speak their own languages. Nearly all of the Moldovans are Eastern Orthodox Christians, with the exception of a small number of Jews.
Link to this page
