Overview

The Republic of Moldova is a sovereign state situated in
southheastern Europe between Romania and Ukraine. It
is recognized by more tnan 170 countries worldwide and
is a member of the United Nations and the Council for
Europe. It has a population of nearly 4.4 million people,
and territory covering 33.800 square kilometers.

Moldova's outlook is bright. The country became
independent on August 27, 1991, and is undertaking a
serious program of economic, social and political
reforms to secure its future.

The new Constitution of Moldova, passed by the National
Parliament on July 29, 1994, defines Moldova as a
sovereign, neutral and democratic country. The head of
state is the President, and the only legislative authority is
the Parliament. The Prime Minister and the Government
are appointed by the President based on a vote of
confidence of the Parliament. The Constitution mandates
a free market economy based on protection of private
property rights.

Personal rights and freedoms are ensured according to
the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human
Rights. All residents of the country are equal before the
law, regardless of ethnic or social origin, language or
religious and political beliefs. The state guarantees the
rights of political parties and other public organizations.

Public administration by Administrative Territorial Units
(regions, cities and municipalities) is carried out on the
principles of local autonomy and democratic elections.
Regions, such as the South of Moldova (Gagauz-Eri) and
Transnistria (territories on the left bank of the Dniester
River) have been granted autonomy.

The Republic of Moldova cooperates extensively with
international economic organizations, including the
International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, World
Trade Organization, UN economic Commission for
Europe, European Bank for Reconstruction and
economic Development and the United Nations
Development Program. Moldova also participates in the
commercial and economic structures of the
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and has
developed bilateral relations with many East European
countries, Germany, the United States of America,
Austria, Israel, Greece, Turkey and many other countries.
Cooperation between Moldova and the world community
is based on the commitment of the Moldovan President,
Parliament, Government and citizens to the principles of
an open economy, democracy and human rights.

Natural Environment

Moldova is rich with fertile land and a lovely climate. It
was Dimitri Cantemir, the ruler of Moldova, who wrote in
the early 18th Century, "Fields of Moldova, that were
much written of by the ancient authors, far exceed the
riches of the mountains."

The country's topography is diverse, ranging from a
steppe area in the North and South, to forested and
mountainous highlands up to 400 meters in elevation in
the center of the country. This area retains its ancient
name Codru, meaning "old forest". These beautiful
forests continue to hold great environmental importance.

The biggest rivers in Moldova are the Dniester and the
Prut. The underground water reserve, mostly drinking
water, is estimated at 200 million cubic meters.

Moldova's climate is charcterized by sunlight and warmth.
The average temperature is 7-10 degrees Celsius. The
warm season lasts 257-316 days a year. The best time
is autumn (September and October). Sunny days account
for 45-50% of the year.

Major mineral deposits and natural resources consist of
cement components and gypsum, limestone, sand and
raw materials for bricks and tiles. Natural oil and brown
coal deposits have been discovered in the South and
their industrial importance is being thoroughly assessed
at present.

Demography

The Republic of Moldova is one of the most densely
populated European countries. Its population grew from
3 million in 1961 to nearly 4.4 million in 1995. Population
density increased, respectively, from 88 to 129 persons
per square kilometer. The urban population is 47% with
the balance of Moldovans residing in rural areas.

Moldovans reside in 21 cities and towns, 48 city-type
settlements and more than 1.600 villages. More than
60% of the urban population is concentrated in the
capital city of Chisinau (with a population of 700.000),
Balti, Tiraspol and Bender. Sixty-eight percent of the rural
population resides in towns and villages.

Early History

Historians believe the ancestors of Moldovans to be the
Thracian tribes of the Gets and Dacians. Numerous
archeological traces have been discovered - including
defense works, burial places and religious cult
constructions between the Dniester and the Prut rivers,
dating back to as early as the 4th century B.C. The
Hellenistic influence can also be traced in the material
culture of the Gets and Dacians.

Later, at the time of Great Migration of Nations, tribes of
Kimmerians, Scythians, Sarmacians, and, finnaly, the
Huns, passed through that land known as "The Gate"
between the Carpathians and the Black Sea. After the
Roman conquest of this territory in the second and third
centuries A.D., the local population was Romanized.
Nevertheless, this contact area allowed the nomadic
East (the Pecheneg, Polovets and Tatar-Mongol tribes) to
meet the settled Western peoples with their organized
agriculture.

The first document referring to the "Land of Moldova"
dates back to 1360 A.D. In 1391 A.D., the ethnic group
"Moldovans" was mentioned for the first time and, by the
year 1402 A.D., written statements about "Moldovan
Lands" appeared.

The peak time in the formation of the medieval Moldovan
state - situated between the Carpathians, the Danube
and the Black Sea - was the rule of Stefan the Great
(1457-1504 A.D.), who defended the sovereignty of
Moldova in battles with Turkish Janissaries, Hungarian
and Polish royal troops and Crimea Khans.

In the 16th century, the Moldovan state was conquered by
Ottoman Empire. The Turkish yoke lasted for almost 300
years. Turkish fortresses stand to this day in
Cetatea-Alba, present day Belgorod-Dnestrovsk, Bender
and Hotin and along the Dniester River, the border of
Moldova at that time.

As a result of the Russo-Turkish wars, Moldovan land
bordered by the Prut and Dniester and the lower reaches
of the Danube and the Black Sea (known as Bessarabia)
became part of the Russian Empire.

Following the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917,
the Moldovan Democratic Republic was proclaimed.
From 1918-1940, the territories on the right bank of the
Dniester formed part of the Romanian Kingdom.
Beginning in 1924, the Moldovan Autonomous Soviet
Socialist Republic was established on the left bank of the
Dniester as a part of the Soviet Ukraine, USSR.

According to the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and
its secret appendices that created "spheres of influence"
for Germany and the USSR, the region between the Prut
and the Dniester was incorporated into the USSR. In
august 1940, the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic was
declared a member of the Soviet Union. For several
years during World War II, the territory of the republic
formed part of Romania.

A major event in the spiritual life of the country was the
proclamation of the Moldovan language as the official
language on August 31, 1989. On August 27, 1991, the
Republic of Moldova gained its independence and
became a sovereign state.