Capital: Chisinau
Currency: Moldovan leu (MDL)
Borders: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Moldova is a small Southeast European Country nestled in between the
Ukraine and Romania. It is commonly forgotten or even unknown that
Moldova is a former Soviet republic. The landmass is just 33,371 sq
km with a further 472 sq km of water. The land is comprised of
gently rolling hills, sweeping gradually down from west to east and
into the Ukraine. The highest point of elevation measures 430m, the
lowest 2m. Landslides are a common natural hazard in Moldova and in
1998 alone, 57 instances were reported. The major river of Moldova
is the Dniester River. The natural resources of Moldova include
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum and limestone. Moldova's fertile
landscape boasts a series of wine-growing regions and is famous for
producing some fine wine.
Moldova declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and was
the first former Soviet state to elect a communist as a president in
1991. The capital of Moldova is Chisnau although Balti is also an
important city. The dominant religion is Eastern Orthodox and the
main languages are Moldovan and Russian. The national unit of
currency is the Moldovan Leu.
Moldova is one of Europe's poorest countries and around 80% of the
population live below the poverty line. The GDP is divided into 28%
agriculture, 51% services and 21% industry. The main industries of
Moldova are food processing, the manufacture of agricultural
machinery, freezers and washing machines. 40% of the national
workforce is employed within the agriculture sector, producing
vegetables, fruit, grain, sugar beet and tobacco. Moldova's biggest
export partner is Russia. The transport network of Moldova consists
of 1328 km of railways and 20,000 km of highways, of which 13,900 km
are paved.
Moldova has a temperate climate and is subject to harsh, cold
winters and warm summers. Temperatures have been recorded as low as
-29°C in Moldova although during wintertime the average temperature
is -8°C. The hottest recorded temperature was 36°C. |
