Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001.

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

arable land: 54.08%
permanent crops: 12.1%
other: 33.82% (1998 est.)

4,439,502 (July 2003 est.)

Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region

Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)

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

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.1%
male: 99.6%
female: 98.7% (2003 est.)

Chisinau

republic

27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

Independence Day, 27 August (1991)