Official name
Republic of Moldova
Population
4,466,706 (2006 estimate)
Area
33,700 sq km
Capital
Chişinău 778,800 (2000 estimate)
Population growth rate
0.28 percent (2006 estimate)
GDP per capita (U.S.$)
$620 (2004)
GDP by economic sector
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 21.3 percent (2004) Industry 23.9 percent (2004)
Services 54.7 percent (2004)
Natural resources
Lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
Languages
Moldovan (official; identical to Romanian),
Ukrainian, Russian, Gagauz
Religious affiliations
Orthodox Christian 45 percent
Independent Christian 15 percent
Muslim 6 percent
Atheist 4 percent
Protestant 2 percent
Nonreligious 20 percent
Other 8 percent
Introduction
Moldova (Moldovan: Republica Moldova). Moldova is bordered on the north, east, and south by Ukraine and on the west by Romania. Moldovans are the country’s largest ethnic group, although other ethnic groups constitute a majority in some regions. Chişinău is Moldova’s capital and largest city.Ukrainians and Russians make two largest ethnic minorities.
History and administrative regions Territory of today’s Moldova has been inhabited since ancient times, by Dacians, who have settled in entire region of today’s Moldova, Romania and partly Bulgaria. Due to its suitable and strategic position, it has been invaded numerous times, by Huns, Mongolians, and Kievan Rus’. Medieval era Moldova consisted of present Moldova, as well as parts of Ukraine and Romania. In 16th century it became a tributary of the Ottoman empire.
Present-day Moldova comprises a large part of the eastern half of the historic principality of Moldavia (the principality is generally known by the Westernized form of the name). At its largest extent, in the Middle Ages, the principality stretched from the Dniester River in the east almost to the Carpathian Mountains in the west. Much of the eastern half of Moldavia, between the Prut and Dniester rivers, was traditionally known as Bessarabia (Bessarabiya). Moldavian territory was divided in 1812, when the Ottoman Empire took control of all of the land west of the Prut River and Russia took control of the rest. The Russian government gave the name Bessarabia to the territory under its control to distinguish it from neighboring Ottoman controlled Moldavia.
In 1918 Bessarabia became independent and then united with Romania. Troops of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR, the successor to the Russian Empire) occupied Bessarabia in 1940. The Soviet government joined most of Bessarabia to part of the already existing Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (MASSR), across the Dniester River, to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (MSSR). Romania regained Bessarabia in 1941 but lost it again to the USSR in 1944. When the USSR collapsed in 1991, the republic became the independent country of Moldova. In addition to the region of Bessarabia, present-day Moldova also includes territory along the left bank of the Dniester known as Transdniester. The remainder of the historic principality of Moldavia is now part of Romania and Ukraine.
After declaring independence in 1991, Moldova signed the agreement establishing the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an organization composed of former Soviet republics. Moldova became a formal member of the CIS in 1994. That year the country adopted its first post-Soviet constitution. In the early 1990s secessionist movements among certain ethnic groups took hold in the Transdniester region and in the Gagauz region in the south. While the status of the Transdniester region remained an issue as of 1999, the armed conflict over Moldova’s territorial integrity was largely resolved by the mid-1990s.
Environmental Issues
The economic crisis in the country reached its peak in 1999. and ever since, Moldova has been recovering, however, in 2005. in still had the lowest GDP among European countries.
The environment of Moldova suffered extreme degradation during the Soviet period, when industrial and agricultural development proceeded without regard for environmental protection. Excessive use of pesticides resulted in heavily polluted topsoil, and industries lacked emission controls. The Moldovan government is now burdened with the Soviet legacy of ecological mismanagement. Environmental initiatives are administered by the State Department for Environmental Protection. High levels of pesticide and fertilizer use have been linked with elevated rates of disease and infant mortality. Soil contamination and groundwater pollution are associated problems.
Agriculture in Moldova is a dominant but not very profitable activity. It is contributing soil erosion, which is a major problem in the country, while fertility of the soil is in constant decline. Economic crisis, like in other countries in transition, had a positive effect, in a form of decrease of pesticide and artificial fertilizers using.
Forests cover only 11% of the territory. The state is making efforts to increase forest covered areas, which would improve land and soil quality and protection.
Industrial production increased since 1998 for about 30%. There are still insufficient data on effects of industry on environment
Tradition as it was for ex soviet republics, industry waste waters have been discharged without any treatment whatsoever. In Moldova, main industry is food, beverage and tobacco production, which are also major energy consumers, followed by paper and cardboard, furniture and leather industry, as well as heavy machinery.
