Republica Moldova Republic of Moldova
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Limba noastră   Our Language
Location of  Moldova  (orange) on the European continent  (white)
Capital (and largest city)		Chişinău 47°0′N, 28°55′E
Official languages		Moldovan¹
Recognised regional languages		Gagauz, Russian and Ukrainian
Demonym		Moldovan, Moldavian
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Vladimir Voronin
-	Prime Minister	Zinaida Greceanîi (PCRM)
Consolidation
-	Moldavian Principality	1365
-	Autonomous Bessarabian Oblast	April 29, 1818
-	Moldavian Democratic Republic	December 16, 1917
-	Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic	August 2, 1940
-	Independence from the Soviet Union	August 27, 1991 (Declared) December 25, 1991 (Finalized)
Area
-	Total	33,846 km² (139th) 13,067 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1. The National flag of Moldova is a vertical Tricolor of Blue, Yellow, and Red, charged with the Coat of arms of The coat of arms of Moldova consists of a stylized eagle holding a cross in its beak and a sceptre and an Olive branch in its claws A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Limba noastră ("Our Language" has been since 1994 the National anthem of the Republic of Moldova. This article is about the demographic features of the population of Moldova, including distribution Ethnicity, language distribution religious affiliation and Chişinău (kiʃi'nəw (also known as Kishinev, Кишинёв Kishinyov) is the capital and largest city of Moldova. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory History and politics A regional language is a Language spoken in an area of a Nation state, whether it be a small area a federal State or Province, or The Gagauz language ( Gagauz dili) is a Turkic language, spoken by the Gagauz people, and the official language of Gagauzia, Republic Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Moldovans, or Moldavians (original name Moldoveni; Молдовень in the Moldovan Cyrillic script, used nowadays only in Transnistria Moldovans, or Moldavians (original name Moldoveni; Молдовень in the Moldovan Cyrillic script, used nowadays only in Transnistria For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government The President of Moldova is elected every four years and has been since 1990 Vladimir Nicolae Voronin (Владимир Николаевич Воронин Vladimir Nikolaevich Voronin) (born May 25, 1941) is a Moldovan Heads of Government of Moldova since 1940 Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940-1991 Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars Zinaida Greceanîi (born February 7 1956) (Зинаида Петровна Гречаная Zinaida Petrovna Grechanaya is a Moldovan politician The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova ( Partidul Comuniştilor din Republica Moldova) is a Communist Political party in Moldova, Most of today's Moldova was part of the Principality of Moldavia from its founding in the 14th century until 1812 when it was ceded to the Russian Empire following Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians Events 1429 - Joan of Arc arrives to relieve the Siege of Orleans. Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Moldavian Democratic Republic (Republica Democratică Moldovenească was declared on December 16, 1917 by the National Council ( Sfatul Ţării Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Moldovan: Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ or Republica Sovietică Socialistă Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Soviet Union 's collapse into independent nations began early in 1985 The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 4
Population
-	2008[1] estimate	4,128,047 (121st2)
-	2004 census	3,383,3323
-	Density	121,9/km² (87st) 316/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$9,367 million (141st)
-	Per capita	$2,962 (135th)
Gini (2007)		37. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 1 (medium)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 708 (medium) (111th)
Currency		Moldovan leu (MDL)
Time zone		EET (UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.md
Calling code		+373
1	Used as formal official name, de facto identical to Romanian. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is The leu ( ISO 4217 code MDL is the Currency of Moldova. Like the Romanian leu, the Moldovan leu (pl ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance
2	Ranking based on 2005 UN figure including Transnistria.
3	2004 census data from the National Bureau of Statistics[2]. Figure does not include Transnistria and Bender. Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian Bendery or Bender, also known as Tighina, is a city in Moldova.

Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova (Republica Moldova) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south. A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. The country is a parliamentary democracy with a president as its head of state and a prime minister as its head of government. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which The President of Moldova is elected every four years and has been since 1990 Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state Heads of Government of Moldova since 1940 Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (1940-1991 Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State The state language is called officially Moldovan, as it is mentioned in the Constitution,^[3] but in other cases it is also called Romanian, as in the Declaration of Independence. History and politics Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance ^[4] Like in all CIS states, Russian is also widely spoken and is the native language for 11% of the population. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages ^[2] The capital and largest city of Moldova is Chişinău. Chişinău (kiʃi'nəw (also known as Kishinev, Кишинёв Kishinyov) is the capital and largest city of Moldova.

In the Middle Ages, most of the present territory of Moldova was part of the Principality of Moldavia, and was annexed^[5][6][7] from the latter, then a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, by the Russian Empire in 1812, under the name of Bessarabia. Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian Upon the dissolution of the Russian Empire in 1917-1918, Bessarabia joined Romania. Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common See " România Mare " for other meanings The Greater Romania (România Mare generally refers to the territory of Romania in the years In 1940, Bessarabia was occupied by the Soviet Union, and after changing hands in 1941 and 1944 during World War II, it was split between the Ukrainian SSR and the newly-created Moldavian SSR. On June 26 1940, Romania received an Ultimatum from the Soviet Union, demanding the evacuation of the Romanian military and administration from The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the 15 constituent republics that made up the Former Soviet Union from its The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Moldovan: Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ or Republica Sovietică Socialistă ^[2] Moldova declared its independence from the USSR on August 27, 1991. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Despite signing international obligations to withdraw^[8] Russian military forces have remained on Moldovan territory; since 1993 they have been stationed in the breakaway republic of Transnistria against the will of the Moldovan Government. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian ^[9]

Moldova is a member state of the United Nations, WTO, OSCE, GUAM, CIS, BSEC and other international organizations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security GUAM redirects here See Guam for the Pacific island territory On 25 June 1992, the Heads of State and Government of eleven countries signed in Istanbul the Summit Declaration and the Bosporus Statement International Organization is a peer-reviewed Academic journal that covers the entire field of International affairs. Moldova aspires to be member of the NATO, being accepted member of NATO Partnership for Peace. The North Atlantic Treaty Partnership for Peace (PfP is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former Moldova currently aspires to join the European Union^[10] and is implementing its first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) of the EU. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Neighbourhood is the region beyond the frontier of the European Union. ^[11]

History

Main article: History of Moldova

Stephen the Great - the Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of Moldavian historical personalities

Moldova's territory was inhabited in ancient times by Dacians, a Thracian tribe. Most of today's Moldova was part of the Principality of Moldavia from its founding in the 14th century until 1812 when it was ceded to the Russian Empire following Stephen III of Moldavia or Stephen III (c 1433 - July 2, 1504) also known as Stephen the Great ( Romanian: Ştefan This is a List of rulers of Moldavia, from the first mention of the medieval polity east of the Carpathians and until its disestablishment in 1862 when it united Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians The Dacians ( Lat Daci, Gr Dákai) were a Thracian people the ancient inhabitants of Dacia (located in the area "Thracians" also refers to modern inhabitants of Thrace, regardless of ethnicity Due to its strategic location on a route between Asia and Europe, Moldova faced several invasions, including those by the Bastarns, Huns, Magyars, Kievan Rus' and the Mongols. The Bastarnae were an important ancient people of uncertain but probably mixed Germanic-Celtic-Sarmatian ethnic origin who lived between the Danube and the Dnieper (Strabo Geography The Huns were an early confederation of Central Asian equestrian nomads or semi-nomads with a Turkic core of aristocracy Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. Kievan Rus′ (Ки́евская Русь romanised: Kievskaya Rus', rusʲ also written as Kyivan Rus′ (Ки́ївська Русь or Kievan During the Middle Ages, the territory of Republic of Moldova, that of the Chernivtsi oblast and Budjak of Ukraine, as well as that of the eastern 8 of the 41 counties of Romania comprised the Principality of Moldavia (which, like the present-day republic, was known in Romanian as Moldova). Chernivtsi Oblast (Чернівецька область translit Budjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast (province of Ukraine. A principality (or princedom) is a monarchical feudatory or Sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of Prince Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians The principality became a tributary to the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century. A tribute (from Latin tribulum, contribution is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or as was often case in historical contexts of submission The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish In 1812, according to the Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman and the Russian Empires, the latter annexed the eastern half of the territory of the Principality of Moldavia, including Khotyn and old Bessarabia (modern Budjak). The Treaty of Bucharest between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire, was signed on May 28, 1812 in Bucharest at the end The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya Khotyn (Хотин see other names) is a City in Chernivtsi Oblast ( province) of western Ukraine, and is the administrative Budjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast (province of Ukraine. At first, the Russians used the name "Oblast' of Moldavia and Bessarabia", allowing a large degree of autonomy, but later (in 1828) suspended the self-administration and called it Guberniya of Bessarabia, or simply Bessarabia, starting a process of Russification. Oblast (во́бласць oblast о́бласт oblast о́бласть област/ oblast; oblasť област о́бласть is a type of Administrative division Guberniya (губе́рния) (also gubernia, guberniia, gubernya) was a major administrative subdivision of Imperial Russia, usually Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian Russification (in Russian: русификация rusifikátsiya)is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily The western part of Moldavia (which is not a part of present-day Moldova) remained an autonomous principality, and in 1859, united with Wallachia to form the Kingdom of Romania. This article is about the region in what is now Southern Romania See also Kings of Romania The Kingdom of Roumania (or ' Romania ' in post-1969 and also current spelling was the old Romanian state based on a form of In 1856, the Treaty of Paris saw two out of nine counties of Bessarabia, Cahul and Ismail, returned to Moldavia, but in 1878, the Treaty of Berlin saw the Kingdom of Romania returning them to the Russian Empire. Cahul ( Russian: Kagul/Кагул) (population 35481 is a city and an administrative region in the south of Moldova. Ismail is a variant of Ishmael. Etymology and Meaning The literal translation of the name Ismail is along the lines of Heard by Allah

Upon annexation, after the expulsion of the large Tatar population of Budjak, the Moldovan/Romanian population of Bessarabia was predominant. Tatars ( Tatar: Tatarlar/Татарлар sometimes spelled Tartars, are a Turkic -speaking ethnic group or multiple ethnic groups Moldovans, or Moldavians (original name Moldoveni; Молдовень in the Moldovan Cyrillic script, used nowadays only in Transnistria The Romanians (dated Rumanians or Roumanians; Romanian: români or historically and today rather seldom and only regional rumâni ^[12] The colonization of the region in the 19th century lead to an increase in the Russian, Ukrainian, Lipovan, and Cossack populations in the region; this together with a large influx of Bulgarian immigrants, saw an increase of the Slavic population to more than a fifth of the total population by 1920. Colonisation (also known as Colonization) occurs whenever any one or more species populates a new area The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens Lipovans or Lippovans (Lipoveni Липовани Липоване липованци are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin who settled The Cossacks (Каза́ки́ Kazaki; Козаки́ Kozaki; Kozacy are a group of martial people living in the southern Steppe regions of Eastern ^[13] With the settling of other nationals such as Gagauz, Jews, and Germans (Bessarabian Germans), the proportion of the Moldovan population decreased from around 80%^[14] to 52% by some sources^[15] or to 70% by others^[16] during the course of the century. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ The German people (Deutsche are an Ethnic group, in the sense of sharing a common German culture, descent and speaking the German language as The Bessarabia Germans are an Ethnic group and part of the Black Sea Germans, who lived in Bessarabia (today part of Moldova and The Tsarist policy in Bessarabia was in part aimed at denationalization of the Romanian element by forbidding after the 1860s education and mass in Romanian. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. However, the effect was an extremely low literacy rate (in 1897 approx. 18% for males, approx. 4% for females) rather than a denationalization. ^[17]

World War I brought in a rise in political and cultural (national) awareness of the locals, as 300,000 Bessarabians were drafted into the Russian Army formed in 1917, within bigger units several "Moldavian Soldiers' Committees" were formed. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, a Bessarabian parliament, Sfatul Ţării (October-November 1917), which was opened on December 3 [O.S. November 21] 1917, proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic (December 15 [O.S. December 2] 1917) within a federal Russian state, and formed its government (December 21 [O.S. December 8] 1917). See also Russian Revolution (1905 The Russian Revolution of 1916 refers to a series of popular revolutions in Russia, and the events surrounding them Sfatul Ţării was in 1917-1918 the National Assembly of the Bessarabia Guberniya (province of Russian Empire, and then of the independent Events 1800 - War of the Second Coalition: Battle of Hohenlinden, French Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The Moldavian Democratic Republic (Republica Democratică Moldovenească was declared on December 16, 1917 by the National Council ( Sfatul Ţării Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Bessarabia proclaimed independence from Russia (February 6 [O.S. January 24] 1918), and, under pressure from the Romanian army that entered the region in early January, on April 9 [O.S. March 27] 1918, Sfatul Ţării decided with 86 votes for, 3 against and 36 abstaining, on union with the Kingdom of Romania, conditional upon the fulfilment of the agrarian reform, local autonomy, and respect for universal human rights. Independence is the Self-government of a Nation, Country, or State by its residents and population or some portion thereof generally exercising Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Old Style (or OS) and New Style (or NS) are used in English language historical studies either to indicate that the start of the Julian year Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common See also Kings of Romania The Kingdom of Roumania (or ' Romania ' in post-1969 and also current spelling was the old Romanian state based on a form of The conditions were dropped after Bukovina and Transylvania also joined the Kingdom of Romania. Bukovina (Bucovina Буковина/ Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the Transylvania (Ardeal or ro ''Transilvania'' Erdély, see also other denominations) is a Central European region located in the eastern half of the Carpathian ^{[18][19][20][21][22]} The union was recognized in the Treaty of Paris (1920),^[23] which, however, has never came into force since it was not ratified by Japan. The 1920 Treaty of Paris was an act signed by Romania and the Principal Allied Powers of the time (France United Kingdom Italy and Japan whose purpose For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. ^[24] The newly-communist Russia did not recognize the Romanian rule over Bessarabia. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending ^[25] A mutual treaty between the Soviets and Romania was not signed due to the former's claims over Bessarabia. In the Kellogg-Briand Treaty of 1928 and the Treaty of London of July 1933, the Soviet Union and Romania have subscribed to the principle of non-violent resolution of territorial disputes. The Kellogg-Briand Pact, also known as the Pact of Paris, after the city where it was signed on August 27, 1928, was an international treaty "providing Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Transnistria, at the time part of the Ukrainian SSR, itself part of the USSR, was formed into the Moldavian ASSR (1924-1940) after the failure of the Tatarbunary Uprising. Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the 15 constituent republics that made up the Former Soviet Union from its The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Moldavian ASSR or Moldovan ASSR (Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic Romanian Republica Autonomă Socialistă Sovietică Moldovenească) was an autonomous The Tatarbunary Uprising ( Romanian: Răscoala de la Tatarbunar) was a Bolshevik -inspired peasants' revolt that took place in September 15-18 1924 in and

The agrarian (land) reform, settled by Sfatul Ţării in 1918-1919, resulted in a rise of a middle class, as the rural population of the region represented 80%. Land reforms (also Agrarian reform, though that can have a broader meaning is an often- controversial alteration in the societal arrangements whereby government Year 1919 ( MCMXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Rural areas can be large and isolated (also referred to as "the country" and/or "the countryside over the course of time Together with peace and favorable economic circumstances, it produced a small economic boom. However, urban development and the industry were insignificant, the region remaining an agrarian rural region throughout the interwar period. ^[26] The literacy rate grew from 10. 5%^[27] to 37% by 1930; however the region still remained lagging in the aspect of education, compared to a 60% literacy rate country average. Year 1930 ( MCMXXX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display 1930 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Education encompasses both the Teaching and Learning of Knowledge, proper conduct, and technical competency In an attempt to separate the Bessarabian ethnic minorities from the Russian influence, the Romanian authorities allowed education in any language desired. Romanian replaced Russian in cities, the authorities sought to reduce the number of people in minority-language education and educate them in Romanian. Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages

Territories of the medieval Principality of Moldavia are now split between Ukraine (southern Bessarabia with Budjak, northern Bessarabia with Khotin and northern Bukovina), Romania (western Moldavia with southern Bukovina) and Moldova (center of Bessarabia). Moldavia (Moldova is a geographic and historical region and former Principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between Eastern Carpathians Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian Budjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast (province of Ukraine. Khotyn (Хотин see other names) is a City in Chernivtsi Oblast ( province) of western Ukraine, and is the administrative Bukovina (Bucovina Буковина/ Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania

Soviet era

Following the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact (Article 4 of the secret Annex to the Treaty), Bessarabia was annexed by the USSR. Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 On June 26, 1940, Romania received an ultimatum from the Soviet Union, demanding the evacuation of the Romanian military and administration from Bessarabia and from the northern part of Bukovina, with an implied threat invasion in the event of non-compliance. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania An ultimatum (the last one is a Demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Bukovina (Bucovina Буковина/ Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the Under pressure from Moscow and Berlin, the Romanian administration and the army were forced to retreat from Bessarabia as well from Northern Bukovina to avoid war. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Bessarabia ( Basarabia in Romanian, Бесарабія in Ukrainian, Бессарабия in Russian, Бесарабия in Bulgarian Bukovina (Bucovina Буковина/ Bukovyna; German and Polish: Bukowina; see also other languages) is a historical region on the ^[28][29] On June 28, 1940, these territories were occupied by the Soviet Union. Events 1098 - Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On June 26 1940, Romania received an Ultimatum from the Soviet Union, demanding the evacuation of the Romanian military and administration from During the retreat, the Romanian Army was attacked by the Soviet Army, which entered Bessarabia before the Romanian administration finished retreating. Some 42,876 Romanian soldiers and officers were unaccounted for after the retreat. ^[30] The northern and southern parts, which had sizeable non-Moldovan communities (of Ukrainians, Bessarabian Bulgars, Bessarabian Germans and Lipovans), were transferred to the Ukrainian SSR as the Chernivtsi and Izmail Oblasts. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens The Bulgars (also Bolgars or proto-Bulgarians) were a seminomadic people probably of Turkic descent originally from Central Asia, The Bessarabia Germans are an Ethnic group and part of the Black Sea Germans, who lived in Bessarabia (today part of Moldova and Lipovans or Lippovans (Lipoveni Липовани Липоване липованци are the Old Believers, mostly of Russian ethnic origin who settled The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or the Ukrainian SSR was one of the 15 constituent republics that made up the Former Soviet Union from its Chernivtsi Oblast (Чернівецька область translit Budjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast (province of Ukraine. At the same time, the Moldavian ASSR, where Moldovans were a plurality, was disbanded, and up to 1/2 of its territory was joined with the remaining territory of Bessarabia to form the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (MSSR), contiguous with present-day Moldova. Moldavian ASSR or Moldovan ASSR (Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic Romanian Republica Autonomă Socialistă Sovietică Moldovenească) was an autonomous The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Moldovan: Република Советикэ Сочиалистэ Молдовеняскэ or Republica Sovietică Socialistă

By participating in the 1941 Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, Romania seized the territory of the MSSR, and re-established its administration there. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II In occupied Transnistria, Romanian forces, working with the Germans, deported or exterminated 300,000 Jews, including 147,000 from Bessarabia and Bukovina. Transnistria, during World War II, was a region of the USSR, occupied by Romania, during the maximum eastward expansion of the Axis Powers ^[31] The Soviet Army reconquered and re-annexed the area in February-August 1944. Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Under early Soviet rule, deportations of locals to the northern Urals, Siberia, and Kazakhstan occurred regularly throughout the Stalinist period, with the largest ones on 12-13 June 1941, and 5-6 July 1949, accounting for 19,000 and 35,000 deportees respectively. Siberia (Сиби́рь Sibir) is the name given to the vast region constituting almost all of Northern Asia and for the most part currently serving Kazakhstan, also Kazakstan ( Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, qɑzɑqˈstɑn Казахстан, Kazakhstán,) officially the Joseph Stalin ( ნამდვილი გვარი ჯუღაშვილი|Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili; March 5 1953 was General Secretary of the Communist Party Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[32] According to Russian historians, in 1940-1941, ca. 90,000 inhabitants of the annexed territories were subject to political persecutions. ^[33] In 1946, a severe drought, exaggerated delivery quota obligations the Soviet state imposed on farmers and the resulting forced agricultural requisitions employed by the Soviet authorities when most farmers could not meet these, as well as the absence of a large part of the male work force (most of the Bessarabians enrolled into the Soviet Army in 1944 were not discharged until late 1946) resulted in a famine, which resulted in 216,000 deaths and about 350,000 cases of dystrophy in the Moldavian SSR alone. ^[33] Similar events occurred in 1930s in the Moldavian ASSR. ^[33] In 1944-53, there were numerous anti-Communist armed resistance groups active in Moldova; however the NKVD and later MGB managed to uproot most of them with arrests and deportation. The NKVD ( НКВД, ru Народный Комиссариат Внутренних Дел ''Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del'') or People's Commissariat ^[33]

The postwar period saw a wide scale migration of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians into the new Soviet republic, especially into urbanized areas. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens

The Soviet government conducted a campaign to promote a Moldovan ethnic identity, different from that of the Romanians, based on a theory developed during the existence of the Moldavian ASSR. Official Soviet policy asserted that the language spoken by Moldovans was distinct from the Romanian language (see History of the Moldovan language). Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance The history of the Moldovan language refers to the historical evolution of the Glottonym Moldavian / Moldovan. Moldovan was written in the Cyrillic alphabet, in contrast with Romanian, which was written in the Latin alphabet since 1860, to distinguish the two. History and politics The Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet is a Cyrillic alphabet derived from the Russian alphabet and developed for the Romanian / Moldovan language Moldovan Cyrillic incorporated slight changes to the Cyrillic alphabet, most notably the use of the letter zhe with a breve (Ӂ - ӂ) to indicate the sound /dʒ/. The Cyrillic alphabet (səˈrɪlɪk also called azbuka, from the old name of the first two letters is actually a family of Alphabets, subsets of which are used by Zhe (Ж ж is the letter of Cyrillic alphabet which represents the Voiced postalveolar fricative /ʒ/ ( listen) similar to the s Length The breve sign indicates a short vowel as opposed to the Macron  ¯ which indicates long vowels in academic transcription

In 1970s and 1980s, the Moldavian SSR received substantial allocations from the budget of the USSR to develop industrial and scientific facilities as well as housing. In 1971, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted a decision "About the measures for further development of the city of Kishinev", that allotted more than one billion Soviet rubles from the USSR budget; subsequent decisions also directed substantial funding and brought qualified specialists from other parts of the USSR to develop Moldova's industry. Council of Ministers of the USSR (Совет Министров СССР tr Chişinău (kiʃi'nəw (also known as Kishinev, Кишинёв Kishinyov) is the capital and largest city of Moldova. The ruble or rouble (рубль see below for other Soviet languages) was the currency of the Soviet Union. This influx of investments was stopped in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when Moldova became independent.

Independent Moldova

Transnistrian region of Moldova

Along with the other peripheral Soviet republics, Moldova started to move towards independence from 1988 onwards; on August 31, 1989 a language law was passed, adopting the Latin alphabet for Moldovan and declaring it the state language of the MSSR. Year 1988 ( MCMLXXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar) Events 1056 - Byzantine Empress Theodora becomes ill dying suddenly a few days later without children to succeed the Throne Year 1989 ( MCMLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar) ^[34] The first independent elections into the local parliament were held in February and March 1990.

After the attempted Moscow Putsch, Moldova declared its independence on August 27, 1991, and in December of that year signed joined the post-Soviet Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) along with most of the former Soviet republics. The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt ( August 19 - August 21, 1991) also known as the August Putsch or August Coup was a three-day Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Declaring itself a neutral state, it did not join the military branch of the CIS. At the end of that year, a former communist reformer, Mircea Snegur, won an unchallenged election for the presidency. Mircea Ion Snegur (b January 17, 1940 - Trifăneşti, Soroca County was the first President of Moldova 1990-1997 Three months later, the country achieved formal recognition as an independent state at the United Nations. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security

The part of Moldova east of the Dniester river, Transnistria, which included a larger proportion of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians, claimed independence in 1990, fearing the rise of nationalism in Moldova and the country's expected reunification with Romania upon secession from the USSR. The Dniester (Дністер translit Dnister; Nistru is a river in Eastern Europe. Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania This caused a brief military conflict between Moldova and forces supporting the secession of Transnistria in 1992. The War of Transnistria involved armed clashes on a limited scale that broke out between Transnistrian Republican Guard militia and Cossack units supported by the Russian military stationed in the region (14th Army) intervened on the Transnistrian side and remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester after the end of the military conflict, despite signing international obligations to withdraw, and against the will of Moldovan government. ^[9][35] As of 2006, approximately 1200 of the 14th army personnel remain stationed in Transnistria. Negotiations between the Transnistrian and Moldovan leaders have been going on under the mediation of the OSCE, Russia, and Ukraine; lately observers from the European Union and the USA have become involved. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

The March 1994 referendum for a new constitution that stated the independence of the republic saw an overwhelming majority of voters in support. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita

Since 2001, the country is a member of the WTO.

Post-independence politics

During the first 10 years of independence, Moldova was governed by coalitions of different parties, led mostly by former communist officials. The 1998 economic crisis in Russia, Moldova's main economic partner at the time, produced a political and economic crisis in the country. Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) The political flux was cleared in 2001 when elections saw the Party of Communists of Moldova win the majority of seats in the Parliament. The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova ( Partidul Comuniştilor din Republica Moldova) is a Communist Political party in Moldova, Its leader Vladimir Voronin was appointed president. Vladimir Nicolae Voronin (Владимир Николаевич Воронин Vladimir Nikolaevich Voronin) (born May 25, 1941) is a Moldovan In economic terms, the crisis provoked an emigration of labor, as well as permanent emigration from Moldova. According to the census data, from 1989 to 2004, Moldova has lost about 400,000 inhabitants, or 9% of the population. Analysts estimate that actual emigration could be higher, as many seasonal workers remain registered as living in the country. Over 100,000 people from other former Soviet states have migrated to Moldova in the 10 years after its independence. Nationally, the dominant group (Moldovan) has somewhat strengthened its position, representing 79% outside Transnistria, or 71. 5% including Transnistria. In absolute numbers, the Moldovan population declined by about 50,000 people compared to 1989, while for Ukrainians and Russians this figure has reached 200,000 of each nationality; most of this change is believed to have occurred between 1998 and 2004.

Relationships between Moldova and Russia deteriorated in November 2003 over a Russian proposal for the solution of the Transnistrian conflict, which Moldovan authorities refused to accept. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The Kozak Memorandum was a 2003 proposal aimed at a final settlement of relations between Moldova and Transnistria. In the following election, held in 2005, the Communist party made a formal 180 degree turn and was re-elected on a pro-Western platform, with Voronin being re-elected to a second term as a president. Since 1999, Moldova has constantly affirmed its desire to join the European Union,^[36][37] and implement its first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) of the EU. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Neighbourhood is the region beyond the frontier of the European Union. ^[38][39]

Government

Main article: Politics of Moldova

The President of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin

Moldova is a unitary parliamentary representative democratic republic. Politics of Moldova takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the Vladimir Nicolae Voronin (Владимир Николаевич Воронин Vladimir Nikolaevich Voronin) (born May 25, 1941) is a Moldovan A unitary state is a State whose three Organs of state are governed Constitutionally as one single unit with one Constitutionally created A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives Democracy is a form of government in which the supreme power is held completely by the people under a free electoral system A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The Constitution of Moldova, adopted in 1994 sets the framework for the government of the country. The Constitution of the Republic of Moldova is that country's supreme law In order to amend the constitution, a parliamentary majority of at least two thirds is required. Furthermore, the constitution cannot be revised in time of war or national emergency, and no revision can be made that limits the fundamental rights enumerated in the Constitution. Furthermore, amendments to the Constitution affecting the state's sovereignty, independence, or unity can only be made after a majority of voters support the proposal in a referendum. ^[40]

The country's central legislative body is the unicameral Moldovan parliament (Parlament), which has 101 seats, and whose members are elected by popular vote every four years. Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those The head of state is the president, who is elected by Parliament, requiring the support of three fifths of the deputies (at least 61 votes). Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. The president appoints a prime minister who functions as the head of government and who in turn assembles a cabinet, both subject to parliamentary approval. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. This article focuses on the cases where the Head of Government is a separate office from the Head of State A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. The Constitution also establishes an independent Constitutional Court, which has the power of judicial review over all acts of parliaments, Presidential decrees, and international treaties. Judicial independence is the doctrine that decisions of the Judiciary should be impartial and not subject to influence from the other branches of government or from private or A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with Constitutional law. Judicial review is the power of the courts to annul the acts of the executive and/or the legislative power where it finds them incompatible with a higher norm Members of this Court are composed of six judges, two appointed by the President, Parliament, and the High Magistrates Council each. The judges serve for a term of six years, during which time they are not subordinate to any other power and cannot be removed from their posts. ^[40]

Currently, the President of Moldova is Vladimir Voronin. Vladimir Nicolae Voronin (Владимир Николаевич Воронин Vladimir Nikolaevich Voronin) (born May 25, 1941) is a Moldovan Voronin has held this post since 2001. The main party in parliament is the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova, which holds a majority of 55 seats. The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova ( Partidul Comuniştilor din Republica Moldova) is a Communist Political party in Moldova, Other parties with deputies in Parliament are the Party Alliance Our Moldova, the Democratic Party of Moldova, the Social Liberal Party, and the Christian-Democratic People's Party. The Party Alliance Our Moldova ( Partidul Alianţă Moldova Noastră) is a liberal Political party in Moldova. The Democratic Party of Moldova ( Partidul Democrat din Moldova) is a centrist Political party in Moldova. The Social Liberal Party ( Partidul Social Liberal) was a liberal Political party in Moldova, led by Oleg Serebrian. The Christian Democratic People's Party (Partidul Popular Creştin Democrat is a Christian democratic Political party in Moldova. 17 deputies to parliament are independents. ^[41]

Foreign relations

Main articles: Foreign Relations of Moldova and Moldova and the European Union

After achieving independence from the Soviet Union, Moldova established relations with other European countries. After achieving independence from the Soviet Union, Moldova had established relations with other European countries Moldova currently aspires to join the European Union and is implementing its first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 A course for European Union integration and neutrality define the country's foreign policy guidelines. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in In 1995 the country became the first post-Soviet state admitted to the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe (Conseil de l'Europe is the oldest International organisation working towards European integration, being founded in 1949 In addition to its participation in NATO's Partnership for Peace program, Moldova is also a member state of the United Nations, the OSCE, the North Atlantic Cooperation Council, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Francophonie and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The North Atlantic Treaty Partnership for Peace (PfP is a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO program aimed at creating trust between NATO and other states in Europe and the former The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The North Atlantic Cooperation Council ( NACC) was a NATO organisation founded in December 1991 and was the precursor to the Euro-Atlantic Partnership The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e La Francophonie is an international organisation of French-speaking countries and governments and in French, the community of French-speaking peoples Founded in 1991 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 27 countries from central Europe In 2005 Moldova and EU established an action plan that sought to improve the collaboration between the two neighboring structures. In June 2007 the Vice President of the Moldovan Parliament Iurie Roşca signed a bilateral agreement with the International Parliament for Safety and Peace, an intergovernmental organization for the promotion of world peace, based in Italy. Iurie Roşca (born 31 October 1961 in Teleneşti) is a Moldovan politician who has served as president of the Christian-Democratic People's The International Parliament for Safety and Peace (IPSP also known as International States Parliament, is an International organization based in Palermo ^[42] After the War of Transnistria, Moldova had sought a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Transnistria region by working with Romania, Ukraine, and Russia, calling for international mediation, and cooperating with the OSCE and UN fact-finding and observer missions. The War of Transnistria involved armed clashes on a limited scale that broke out between Transnistrian Republican Guard militia and Cossack units supported by the Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending On October 1st, 2007, the foreign minister of Moldova, Andrei Stratan, said at UN that Russian troops are in Republic of Moldova against the will of the Moldovan Government. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. A minister for foreign affairs, or foreign minister, is a governmental cabinet minister who helps form the Foreign policy of a sovereign nation Andrei Stratan is the Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova. ^[9]

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions of Moldova

Administrative divisions of Moldova

Moldova is divided into thirty-two districts (raioane, singular raion); three municipalities (Bălţi, Chişinău, Bender); and two autonomous regions (Găgăuzia and Transnistria). Currently Moldova is divided into 32 Districts ( Romanian: raioane, Raions, 3 municipalities ( Chişinău, Bălţi Currently Moldova is divided into 32 Districts ( Romanian: raioane, Raions, 3 municipalities ( Chişinău, Bălţi For the manufactured regenerated fiber see Rayon A raion (or rayon) (райо́н ra'jon rayon раён რაიონი Bălţi, (pronounced) also spelled Beltsy ( Бельцы, Бєльці, Bielce is a city in Moldova. Chişinău (kiʃi'nəw (also known as Kishinev, Кишинёв Kishinyov) is the capital and largest city of Moldova. Gagauzia ( Gagauz: Gagauziya or Gagauz-Yeri; Moldovan/Romanian: Găgăuzia Гагаузия formally known as the Autonomous Territorial Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian The cities of Comrat and Tiraspol also have municipality status, however not as first-tier subdivisions of Moldova, but as parts of the regions of Găgăuzia and Transnistria, respectively. Comrat ( Gagauz: Komrat; Комрат / Komrat) is a City in Moldova and the capital of the autonomous region of Gagauzia Tiraspol (ti'raspol Russian and Ukrainian: Тирáсполь Moldavian Cyrillic: Тираспол is the second largest city in Moldova The status of Transnistria is however under dispute. The disputed status of Transnistria arose because of the Transnistrian Unilateral declaration of independence on September 2, 1990, which Although it is de jure part of Moldova and is recognized as such by the international community, Transnistria is not de facto under the control of the central government of Moldova. It is administered by an unrecognized breakaway authority under the name Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Moldova

Nistru valley view

The largest part of the country lies between two rivers, the Dniester and the Prut. Rîbniţa (also spelled Râbniţa, Рыбница Rybnitsa) is a city in Transnistria ( Moldova) and is the seat of the Rîbniţa Located in southeastern Europe, Moldova is bordered on the west by Romania and on the north south and east by Ukraine. The Dniester (Дністер translit Dnister; Nistru is a river in Eastern Europe. The Dniester (Дністер translit Dnister; Nistru is a river in Eastern Europe. Prut, or Pruth, (Прут is a 953 km long river in Eastern Europe. Moldova's rich soil and temperate continental climate (with warm summers and mild winters) have made the country one of the most productive agricultural regions and a major supplier of agricultural products in the region. Continental climate is a Climate that is characterized by Winter Temperatures cold enough to support a fixed period of Snow cover each Year

The western border of Moldova is formed by the Prut river, which joins the Danube before flowing into the Black Sea. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey In the north-east, 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. A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land While the northern part of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed 430 meters (1,411 ft)—the highest point being the Dealul Bălăneşti. Dealul Bălăneşti is the highest geographical point in the Republic of Moldova, with an altitude of 430 m The country's main cities are the capital Chişinău, in the center of the country, Tiraspol (in Transnistria), Bălţi and Tighina. Chişinău (kiʃi'nəw (also known as Kishinev, Кишинёв Kishinyov) is the capital and largest city of Moldova. Tiraspol (ti'raspol Russian and Ukrainian: Тирáсполь Moldavian Cyrillic: Тираспол is the second largest city in Moldova Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian Bălţi, (pronounced) also spelled Beltsy ( Бельцы, Бєльці, Bielce is a city in Moldova. Bendery or Bender, also known as Tighina, is a city in Moldova.

Phytogeographically, Moldova is shared between the Central European and Eastern European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. Phytogeography, also called geobotany is the branch of Biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of Plant Species, or more generally Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003jpg|thumb|right| Vaccinium vitis-idaea ]]Alnus-viridis Rhododendron-palustreJPG|thumb|right| Rhododendron tomentosum ]]The Boreal Kingdom or Holarctic Kingdom ( Holarctis) is a Floristic kingdom According to the WWF, the territory of Moldova can be subdivided into three ecoregions: the Central European mixed forests (in the central part, the region called colloquially Codrii, meaning "forests"), East European forest steppe (in the north, the Bălţi Steppe) and Pontic steppe (in the south, connected to Bugeac). An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " Balti Steppe (also referred to as Beltsy steppe, Stepa Bălţului Бельцкая степь is a hilly area without trees (apart from those near rivers Dniestr The term Pontic-Caspian steppe summarizes the vast Steppelands stretching from north of the Black Sea as far as the east of the Caspian Sea, from central Budjak or Budzhak is a historical region in the Odessa Oblast (province of Ukraine.

See also: List of cities in Moldova and List of localities in Moldova

Economy

Main article: Economy of Moldova

Moldovan leu. This is a list of cities in Moldova. Alphabetic list There are 65 cities in Moldova This is a list of the 1679 localities in Moldova, comprising 65 cities 917 communes and 697 unincorporated villages Moldova is the second smallest of the former Soviet republics and the most densely populated

Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, and tobacco. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. The country is considered to have the cleanest air in the world. ^[45] Moldova must import all of its supplies of petroleum, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Petroleum ( L petroleum, from Greek πετρέλαιον, lit Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending After the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 As part of an ambitious economic liberalization effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, liberalized all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and liberalized interest rates. Convertibility is the quality of paper Money substitutes which entitles the holder to redeem them on demand into money proper Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the IMF to promote growth. The World Bank is an internationally supported Bank that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e The International Monetary Fund ( IMF) is an International organization that oversees the Global financial system by following the Macroeconomic Recent trends indicate that the Communist government intends to reverse some of these policies, and recollectivise land while placing more restrictions on private business. The economy returned to positive growth, of 2. 1% in 2000 and 6. 1% in 2001. Growth remained strong in 2007 (6%), in part because of the reforms and because of starting from a small base. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors. In agriculture, the economic reform started with the land cadastre reform.

Following the regional financial crisis in 1998, Moldova has made significant progress towards achieving and retaining macroeconomic and financial stabilization. It has, furthermore, implemented many structural and institutional reforms that are indispensable for the efficient functioning of a market economy. These efforts have helped maintain macroeconomic and financial stability under difficult external circumstances, enabled the resumption of economic growth and contributed to establishing an environment conducive to the economy’s further growth and development in the medium term. Despite these efforts, and despite the recent resumption of economic growth, Moldova still ranks low in terms of commonly-used living standards and human development indicators in comparison with other transition economies. Although the economy experienced a constant economic growth after 2000: with 2. 1%, 6. 1%, 7. 8% and 6. 3% between 2000 and 2003 (with a forecast of 8% in 2004), one can observe that these latest developments hardly reach the level of 1994, with almost 40% of the GDP registered in 1990. Thus, during the last decade little has been done to reduce the country’s vulnerability. After a severe economic decline, social and economic challenges, energy uprooted dependencies, Moldova continues to occupy one of the last places among European countries in income per capita.

In 2005 (Human Development Report 2008), the registered GDP per capita US $ 2,100 PPP, which is 4. The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. 5 times lower than the world average (US $ 9,543). Moreover, GDP per capita is under the average of its statistical region (US $ 9,527 PPP). In 2005, about 20. 8% of the population were under the absolute poverty line and registered an income lower than US $ 2. 15 (PPP) per day. Moldova is classified as medium in human development and is at the 111th spot in the list of 177 countries. The value of the Human Development Index (0. 708) is below the world average. Moldova remains the poorest country in Europe in terms of GDP per capita: $ 2,500 in 2006. ^[46]

The GDP in 2007 constituted $4,104 mln. ^[47] That constituted a grow with 3% from the 2006 indicator.

A number of Moldovan wine bottles

Wine

Main article: Moldovan wine

Moldova is famous for its wines. Moldova has a well established Wine industry It has a vineyard area of, of which are used for commercial production For many years viticulture and winemaking in Moldova were the general occupation of the population. Viticulture (from the Latin word for Vine) is the Science, production and study of Grapes which deals with the series of Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of Wine, starting with selection of the Grapes and ending with bottling the finished wine Evidence of this is present in historical memorials and documents, folklore, and the Moldovan spoken language.

The country has a well established wine industry. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice It has a vineyard area of 147,000 hectares (360,000 acres), of which 102,500 ha (253,000 acres) are used for commercial production. Most of the country's wine production is made for export. Many families have their own recipes and strands of grapes that have been passed down through the generations. For the Tokyo University supercomputer see Gravity Pipe. GRAPE, or GRA phics P rogramming E nvironment is

See also: Moldovan wine producers

Information technology and telecommunications

Main article: Communications in Moldova

The number of mobile telephony users in Moldova increased by 47. Wine-making history in Moldova For many years Viticulture and winemaking in Moldova were the general occupation of the population Telecommunications After the break of USSR Moldova's telecommunications facilities were very poor and remained like that till 1995 when they were being updated The Mobile Telephony Market of Moldova is divided between three GSM ( Orange, Moldcell and Eventis) and two CDMA Unité 3 % in the first quarter of 2008 against the last year and exceeded 2 mln 88. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 6 thousand. In 2004, the volume of investment in the telecommunications and information market in Moldova increased by 30. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Telecommunications After the break of USSR Moldova's telecommunications facilities were very poor and remained like that till 1995 when they were being updated 1% in comparison with 2003, achieving 825. 3 million lei (65. The leu ( ISO 4217 code MDL is the Currency of Moldova. Like the Romanian leu, the Moldovan leu (pl 5 million US dollars). The representatives of the National Agency for Telecommunications and Information Regulation stated that 451 million lei (35. National Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Information Technology (ANRCETI is a central public regulatory authority for telecommunications and informatics services in 9 million dollars) were invested in the field of fixed telephone communication. Investments constituted 330 million lei (26. Investment or investing is a term with several closely-related meanings in Business management, Finance and Economics, related to saving 2 million dollars) in the field of mobile telephony, 24. 2 million lei (1. 9 million dollars) in the field of Internet services, 19. An Internet service provider ( ISP, also called Internet access provider or IAP) is a company which primarily offers their customers access to the Internet 1 million lei (1. 5 million dollars) in the field of cable television services. An essential increase of 163 million lei (12. 9 million dollars) has been achieved in the field of mobile telephony. In comparison with 2003, investments in this sector practically doubled. An insignificant increase was registered in the other market segments, but the investment volume remained the same in the field of fixed telephone communication. A market segment is a subgroup of people or organizations sharing one or more characteristics that cause them to have similar product needs Basic principle A traditional landline telephone system also known as "plain old telephone service" (POTS, commonly handles both signaling and audio information

In 2005, investments in telecommunication and information technology exceeded the level of the previous year, due to the investments by the national operator of the stationary telephone communications in the Joint-Stock Company Moldtelecom for the implementation of CDMA technology, the investments of the operators of mobile telephony Orange and Moldcell in the development of infrastructure, and the extension and improvement of Internet access services via new broadband technologies. A joint stock company (JSC is a type of business entity it is a type of Corporation or Partnership. Moldtelecom is a Moldavian Telecommunications operator. Created on April 1, 1993, the company provides Telephony and Internet Code division multiple access ( CDMA) is a Channel access method utilized by various radio communication technologies Orange Moldova is the largest mobile network operator in Moldova. Moldcell is a Mobile network operator in Moldova. It works in GSM and UMTS standard Infrastructure typically refers to the technical structures that support a society such as Roads Water supply, Wastewater, Power grids The term broadband can have different meanings in different contexts

Demographics

Main article: Demography of Moldova

Ethnic composition in 1989. This article is about the demographic features of the population of Moldova, including distribution Ethnicity, language distribution religious affiliation and

Nationalities

The last reference data is that of the 2004 Moldovan Census^[48] and the 2004 Census in Transnistria:

Religion

Main articles: History of the Orthodox Church in Moldova, Moldovan Orthodox Church, and Metropolis of Bessarabia

For the 2004 census, Eastern Orthodox Christians, who make up over 90% of Moldova's population, were not required to declare the particular church they belong to. The first attested Christian organization on Moldavia's territory the Catholic Diocese of Cumania in the southern part of the region dates from 1227 and is connected Relation with the Metropolis of Bessarabia In the lead up to the independence of Moldova the Romanian society and by the Romanian Orthodox Church encouraged unification with The Metropolis of Bessarabia is one of the metropoles of the Romanian Orthodox Church, aside from the six metropoles inside Romania proper The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Moldovan Orthodox Church, autonomous and subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church, and the Orthodox Church of Bessarabia, autonomous and subordinated to the Romanian Orthodox Church, both claim to be the national church of the country. Relation with the Metropolis of Bessarabia In the lead up to the independence of Moldova the Romanian society and by the Romanian Orthodox Church encouraged unification with See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure The Metropolis of Bessarabia is one of the metropoles of the Romanian Orthodox Church, aside from the six metropoles inside Romania proper The Romanian Orthodox Church ( Biserica Ortodoxă Română in Romanian) is a Autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church

Judaism is practiced by the Jewish population estimated at 1. This article is a brief outline of the history of the Bessarabian Jews. 5% as of 2000.

Culture

Mihai Eminescu, national poet of Moldova and Romania

Main article: Culture of Moldova

Located geographically at the crossroads of Latin and Slavic cultures, Moldova has enriched its own culture adopting and maintaining some of the traditions of its neighbors. The culture of Moldova has been influenced primarily by its Latin origin the roots of which reach back to the second century A

Prince Dimitrie Cantemir was one of the most important figures of Moldavian culture of the 18th century. Dimitrie Cantemir ( October 26 1673 &ndash August 21 1723) was twice Prince of Moldavia (in March-April 1693 and in 1710–1711 He wrote the first geographical, ethnographical and economic description of the country in his Descriptio Moldaviae (Berlin, 1714). Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. ^[49]

Mihai Eminescu was a late romantic poet, probably the best-known and most influential Romanian language poet. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Romanian or Daco-Romanian ( dated: Rumanian or Roumanian; self designation limba română, ˈlimba roˈmɨnə is a Romance

Eugen Doga is the most famous Moldovan contemporary composer, whose works are recognized worldwide. Eugen Doga (born March 1 1937 is the most famous Moldovan contemporary Composer whose works are known all over the world A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance

Languages

Main articles: Moldovan language, Ukrainian language, Russian language, and Gagauz language

The Constitution of Moldova, as well as all Moldovan laws declare the Moldovan language to be the state language. History and politics Ukrainian (in Ukrainian украї́нська мо́ва ukrayins'ka mova,) is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages The Gagauz language ( Gagauz dili) is a Turkic language, spoken by the Gagauz people, and the official language of Gagauzia, Republic ^[50] Russian is provided with the status of a "language of interethnic communication". Ukrainian and Gagauz have significant regional speaker populations and are granted official status along with Russian in Transnistria and Gagauzia respectively. Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie (full name Pridnestrovian Gagauzia ( Gagauz: Gagauziya or Gagauz-Yeri; Moldovan/Romanian: Găgăuzia Гагаузия formally known as the Autonomous Territorial ^[51][52] Is notable, that the declaration of independence of Moldova names "Romanian" the state language. ^[53][54]

Military

• Military of Moldova
• Moldovan Ground Forces
• Moldovan Air Force

See also

References

External links

General

• Official site
• Official governmental site
• Official web site of the Parliament
• The EU's relations with Moldova (European Commission site)
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the United States of America
• Embassy of the United States of America in the Republic of Moldova
• Elections in Moldova 2005
• General Local Elections 2007
• U.S. Department of State 2005 report about Human Rights in Moldova
• Dimitrie Cantemir-Descrierea Moldovei

Profiles

• International Monetary Fund: Republic of Moldova: Statistical Appendix
• U.S. Department of State Post Reports - Moldova
• CIA - The World Factbook - Moldova
• ECMI - Information about Minority Issues in Moldova

International rankings

• Bertelsmann: Bertelsmann Transformation Index 2006, ranked 75th out of 119 countries
• Reporters without borders: Annual worldwide press freedom index (2005), ranked 74th out of 167 countries
• The Wall Street Journal: 2005 Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 77th out of 155 countries
• The Economist: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005, ranked 99th out of 111 countries
• Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2005, ranked 88th out of 158 countries
• United Nations Development Programme: Human Development Index 2005, ranked 116th out of 177 countries
• World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, ranked 82nd out of 117 countries
• World Bank: Doing Business 2006, ranked 83rd out of 155
• World Bank: Ease of Starting a Business 2006, ranked 69th out of 155
• United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: Foreign Direct Investment Performance Index 2004, ranked 35th out of 140

Others

• MOLDOVA 2006 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT
• Moldova: Young Women From Rural Areas Vulnerable To Human Trafficking
• OurNet — Moldova Internet Resources
• General Information about Moldova