Moldova Tourism - Travel to Moldova

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Quick Facts
Capital	Chisinau
Government	republic
Currency	Moldovan leu (MDL)
Area	total: 33,843 sq km water: 472 sq km land: 33,371 sq km
Population	4,434,547 (July 2002 est.)
Language	Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian (official), Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)
Religion	Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)

Moldova is a land locked country in Eastern Europe that is surrounded by Romania to the southwest, across the Danube river, and Ukraine to the northeast.

Regions in Moldova

Map of Moldova

Administrative divisions

It is divided into 32 Rayons: 1. Anenii Noi 2. Basarabeasca 3. Briceni 4. Cahul 5. Cantemir 6. Călăraşi 7. Căuşeni 8. Cimişlia 9. Criuleni 10. Donduşeni 11. Drochia 12. Dubăsari 13. Edineţ 14. Faleşti 15. Floreşti 16. Glodeni 17. Hînceşti 18. Ialoveni 19. Leova 20. Nisporeni 21. Ocniţa 22. Orhei 23. Rezina 24. Rîşcani 25. Sîngerei 26. Soroca 27. Străşeni 28. Şoldăneşti 29. Ştefan Voda 30. Taraclia 31. Teleneşti 32. Ungheni

An autonomous territorial unit (unitate teritoriala autonoma):

Gagausia (Gagauzia)

And a territorial unit (unitate teritoriala):

Transnistria (Stinga Nistrului) - Break-away region east of the Dniester River, on the Ukrainian border, where Russian forces are supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic.

Cities in Moldova

Chisinau - Capital - An administrative municipality (municipiul).

Other destinations - Travel to Moldova

Understand Moldova Tourism

Climate in Moldova

Moderate winters, warm summers.

Terrain

Landlocked. Rolling steppe, gradual slope south towards the Black Sea. Well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone. Natural hazards : Experiences landslides (57 cases in 1998) due to extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

History of Moldova

Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of the Soviet Union at the close of World War II.

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

Constitution: new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979

Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic.

One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.

Get into Moldova

Travel to Moldova By Plane

Travel to Moldova By Train

Travel to Moldova By car

Travel to Moldova By Bus

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Get around in Moldova

Moldova Talk

Moldovans speak Moldovan (outside of the semi-autonomous region of Gagausia and the breakaway region of Transnistria), which is for all practical purposes the same as Romanian. Most people in the cities also speak Russian, although be a little careful of this - learn enough Moldovan to ask whether it is ok to speak Russian - there are still hard feelings about the Soviet Union in some places.

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

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Stay Healthy While You Travel to Moldova

The heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater. If you are concerned, water for drinking, cooking and oral hygene should be taken from a known safe source, as ordinary water treatment, including boiling, does not remove such chemical contamination.

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 29 00 E
Area: total: 33,843 sq km
water: 472 sq km
land: 33,371 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than Maryland
Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
Land use: arable land: 54.08%
permanent crops: 12.1%
other: 33.82% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 3,070 sq km (1998 est.)

People in Moldova

Population: 4,434,547 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 21.7% (male 490,414; female 472,912)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 1,451,962; female 1,572,561)
65 years and over: 10.1% (male 165,860; female 280,838) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.09% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 13.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 12.64 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 42.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 64.74 years
female: 69.31 years (2002 est.)
male: 60.39 years
Total fertility rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan
Ethnic groups: Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region
Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96%
male: 99%
female: 94% (1989 est.)

Government in Moldova

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

Government type: republic
Legal system: based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Flag description: same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow

Economy in Moldova

Economy - overview: Moldova enjoys a favorable 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 privatization, 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.

Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 1.7 million (1998) (1998)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 14%, services 46% (1998) (1998)
Unemployment rate: 8% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad) (2002 est.)
Industries: food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles
Electricity - production: 3.317 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 90%
hydro: 10%
Agriculture - products: vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk
Exports - commodities: foodstuffs, textiles, and machinery (2001)
Imports - commodities: mineral products and fuel 32%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (2000)
Currency: Moldovan leu (MDL)
Currency code: MDL
Exchange rates: lei per US dollar - 12.8579 (October 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu
Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 627,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 2,200 (1997)
Telephone system: general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way
domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced
international: service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik
Radio broadcast stations: AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios: 3.22 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 1.26 million (1997)
Internet country code: .md
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 2 (1999)
Internet users: 15,000 (2000)

Transportation in Moldova

Railways: total: 1,328 km
broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (2001)
Highways: total: 20,000 km
paved: 13,900 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads)
unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990)
Waterways: 424 km (1994)
Pipelines: natural gas 310 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: none
Airports: 30 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 14 (2002)

Transnational Issues in Moldova

Disputes - international: Moldovan difficulties with break-away Transnistria region inhibit establishment of a joint customs regime with Ukraine to curtail smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities

Illicit drugs: limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity