The country is landlocked, though it is close to the Black Sea; at its closest point it is separated from the Dniester Liman, an estuary of the Black Sea, by only 3km of Ukrainian territory. To distinguish the two, during the Soviet period, Moldovan was written in the Cyrillic alphabet, in contrast with Romanian, which since 1860 had been written in the Latin alphabet. The urbanization rate was 69.9%. By ethnic composition, the population of Transnistria was distributed as follows: Russians - 29.1%, Moldovans - 28.6%, Ukrainians - 22.9%, Bulgarians - 2.4%, Gagauzians - 1.1%, Belarusians - 0.5%, Transnistrian - 0.2%, other nationalities - 1.4%. After the 19901992 War of Transnistria, Moldova sought a peaceful resolution to the conflict in the Transnistria region by working with Romania, Ukraine, and Russia, calling for international mediation, and co-operating with the OSCE and UN fact-finding and observer missions. Gagauz, 4.4% of the population, are Christian Turkic people. [224], Moldovan cuisine is similar to neighbouring Romania, and has been influenced by elements of Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian cuisine. [217], Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, the country has seen a decrease in spending on health care and, as a result, the tuberculosis incidence rate in the country has grown. With few natural energy resources, Moldova imports almost all of its energy supplies from Russia and Ukraine. As of 2016, Moldova's population was slightly above 4 million people. Three parties the pro-Russian Socialist Party, the. Political dissidents from Ilacu Group were released from arbitrary detention in the break-away Transdinester region only after an order of the European Court of Human Rights. The number of students per 10,000 inhabitants in Moldova has been constantly growing since the collapse of the Soviet Union, reaching 217 in 20002001, and 351 in 20052006. **If counted as European countries rather than Asian countries, the transcontinental countries Azerbaijan ($4,214) and Armenia ($4,268) would also appear on the above list. The group is still active and released their latest album in 2017. After achieving independence from the Soviet Union, Moldova's foreign policy was designed with a view to establishing relations with other European countries, neutrality, and European Union integration. Since 2000, however, the country's GDP (PPP) grew significantly:[17][151]. EUBAM assists the Moldovan and Ukrainian governments in approximating their border and customs procedures to EU standards and offers support in both countries' fight against cross-border crime. The earliest surviving deeds referring to lands beyond the Dniester river date from the 16th century. The matter of whether or not Moldovan is a separate language continues to be contested politically within and beyond the Republic of Moldova. [56] Between 1941 and 1944 partisan detachments acted against the Romanian administration. Moldova remains highly vulnerable to fluctuations in remittances from workers abroad (which constitute 24 percent of GDP), exports to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and European Union (EU) (88 per cent of total exports), and donor support (about 10 per cent of government spending). Moldova's capital and largest city is Chiinu. In 2005, Moldova and the European Union established an action plan that sought to improve cooperation between Moldova and the union. The NDSMoldova (National Development System) 2020, which was published in November 2012, focuses on several critical areas to boost economic development and reduce poverty. Carpian tribes also inhabited Moldova's territory in the period of classical antiquity. Locals referred to the principality as Moldova - like the present-day republic and Romania's north-eastern region. It has, furthermore, implemented many structural and institutional reforms that are indispensable for the efficient functioning of a market economy. [30][31] Under his rule, which lasted 47 years, Moldavia experienced a glorious political and cultural period.[32]. As of 2020, the U.S. Department of State estimated that 90% of the Orthodox adherents belong to the Moldovan Orthodox Church. Although Alexander I was brought to the throne in 1400 by the Hungarians (with assistance from Mircea I of Wallachia), this ruler shifted his allegiances towards Poland (notably engaging Moldavian forces on the Polish side in the Battle of Grunwald and the siege of Marienburg), and placed his own choice of rulers in Wallachia. Although only 4.1% are ethnic Russians, Russian is still used as the main language by 14.5% of the total population. [104], On 24 May 2022, the former president of Moldova, Igor Dodon, was arrested. Moldova has a climate which is moderately continental; its proximity to the Black Sea leads to the climate being mildly cold in the autumn and winter and relatively cool in the spring and summer.[138]. [18] However, the strip of Moldovan territory on the east bank of the Dniester has been under the de facto control of the breakaway government of Transnistria since 1990. Additionally, because the election results were verified on 9 March, three months should be interpreted as three calendar months, not 90 days as was the case. The band SunStroke Project with Olia Tira represented the country in the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest with their hit song "Run Away". Russia has about 1,500 soldiers stationed in breakaway Transnistria. [64] The motives behind this move were fear of the rise of nationalism in Moldova. The East Slavic Hypatian Chronicle (13th century) mentions the Bolohoveni people, who resided on the eastern fringes of Moldovan territory and in the Rus' principalities of Halych, Volhynia and Kyiv; their ethnic origin is disputed by historians. As a 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. In 2000, the Constitution was amended, transforming Moldova into a parliamentary republic, with the president being chosen through indirect election rather than direct popular vote. Moldova received official recognition on 25 December. Moldova reported 29 cases of the disease on 17 March 2020. On 26 December 1991, the Soviet Union ceased to exist. [28] The Polish state was powerful enough to counter the Hungarian Kingdom which was consistently interested in bringing the area that would become Moldavia into its political orbit. Mihai Eminescu, a late Romantic poet, and Ion Creang, a writer, are the most influential Romanian language artists, considered national writers both in Romania and Moldova. [43] During this time there were anti-Semitic riots, leading to an exodus of thousands of Jews to the United States.[44]. The largest city in Moldova is Chiinu with a population of 635,994 people. Dodon, leader of Moldova's main pro-Russian opposition, the Socialist Party, was accused of taking bribes. 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. If you look at Slavic languages, there is a decent degree of mutual intelligibility, especially from languages that border each other. The 1994 constitution also establishes an independent Constitutional Court, composed of six judges (two appointed by the President, two by Parliament, and two by the Supreme Council of Magistrature), serving six-year terms, during which they are irremovable and not subordinate to any power. The Moldovan language (or dialect) differs only . Moldova. The official name of the country is the Republic of Moldova. [221], Moldova's cultural tradition has been influenced primarily by the Romanian origins of its majority population, the roots of which go back to the second century AD, the period of Roman colonization in Dacia. Due to its strategic location on a route between Asia and Europe, the territory of modern Moldova experienced many invasions in late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, notably by Goths, Huns, Avars, Bulgars, Magyars, Pechenegs, Cumans, Mongols and Tatars. The species was reintroduced with the arrival of three European bison from Biaowiea Forest in Poland several days before Moldova's Independence Day on 27 August 2005. [144], The environment of Moldova suffered extreme degradation during the Soviet period, when industrial and agricultural development proceeded without regard for environmental protection. . From 1992 to 2001, the country suffered a serious economic crisis, leaving most of the population below the poverty line. [121][full citation needed], On 29 November 2013, at a summit in Vilnius, Moldova signed an association agreement with the European Union dedicated to the European Union's 'Eastern Partnership' with ex-Soviet countries. While this was significantly lower than 94 percent in 2002, Moldova's poverty rate is still more than double the ECA average of 25 percent. Since declaring independence in 1991, Moldova has participated in UN peacekeeping missions in Liberia, Cte d'Ivoire, Sudan and Georgia. [94] Parliamentary elections took place on 11 July 2021. Before the election of Timofti, Moldova had had three acting presidents in three years. [122] The ex-Romanian President Traian Bsescu stated that Romania will make all efforts for Moldova to join the EU as soon as possible. [46] A part of the interim Parliament agreed to drop these conditions after Bukovina and Transylvania also joined the Kingdom of Romania, although historians note that they lacked the quorum to do so.[47][48][49][50][51]. The main transmission channels through which adverse exogenous shocks could impact the Moldovan economy are remittances (also due to potentially returning migrants), external trade, and capital flows. Serbia - $7,666. Moldova in brief Destination Moldova, a Nations Online country profile of the small landlocked Eastern European country sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania in a region known as Bessarabia. [54] Uprisings against Romanian rule took place in 1919 at Khotyn and Bender, but were eventually suppressed by the Romanian Army. The economy recovered from the drought-related contraction in 2012. The Russian strike was targeting a Ukrainian dam on the Nistru river that runs through Moldova and Ukraine. More than 10,000 supporters turn out for home internationals. Although historical, the polarization based on ethnolinguistic criteria of the majority ethnic group reappeared with the national revival movement of the late 1980s, and, so far, there is no consensus regarding the mainstream identity in the Republic of Moldova (Moldovan or Romanian).[177][178]. Nicolae Juravschi represented the Soviet Union at the 1988 Seoul Games, winning two medals. The implementation of structural reforms outlined in the National Development Strategy (NDS) Moldova 2020especially in the business environment, physical infrastructure, and human resources development areaswould help boost potential growth and reduce poverty. [76] After the Alliance for European Integration lost a no confidence vote, the Pro-European Coalition was formed on 30 May 2013.[77]. Main dishes include beef, pork, potatoes, cabbage, and a variety of cereals. Moldova is a country in Eastern Europe, north of the Balkans, surrounded by Romania to the southwest, across the Prut river, and Ukraine to the northeast. Nevertheless, Moldavia was subject to further Hungarian interventions after that moment, as Matthias Corvinus deposed Aaron and backed Alexndrel to the throne in Suceava. While most of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed 430m (1,411ft) the highest point being the Blneti Hill. The National Library of Moldova was founded in 1832. Flights were banned to Spain, Italy, France, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Germany, Ireland, the U.K., Poland, Portugal and Romania. In 1993, the Government of Moldova introduced a new national currency, the Moldovan leu, to replace the temporary cupon. Olympic medalists include Sergei Mureiko, Oleg Moldovan, Vitalie Gruac, Veaceslav Gojan, and Serghei Tarnovschi. The theme of the musical group is "Anonymous" as they perform with painted faces, hoodies and sunglasses. W.Slavic includes languages such as Czech , Polish and Slovak . E.Slovak includes Bel. [95] The snap parliamentary elections resulted in a landslide win for the pro-European Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS). All independent organizations were severely reprimanded, with the National Patriotic Front leaders being sentenced in 1972 to long prison terms. Romania National Flag Of Romania. Its capital city is Chiinu, located in the south-central part of the country. [55] On 28 June 1940, the Soviet Union issued an ultimatum to Romania requesting the cession of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, with which Romania complied the following day. Three months later, on 2 March 1992, the country gained formal recognition as an independent state at the United Nations. In 1878, as a result of the Treaty of Berlin, Romania was forced to cede the three counties back to the Russian Empire. In August 1939, the MolotovRibbentrop Pact and its secret additional protocol were signed, by which Nazi Germany recognized Bessarabia as being within the Soviet sphere of influence, which led the latter to actively revive its claim to the region. [191][192] The Constitution of 1994 stated that the national language of the Republic of Moldova was Moldovan, and its writing is based on the Latin alphabet. [187], The official language of Moldova is Romanian, a Romance language. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Moldova, Ukraine, and parts of Azerbaijan and Georgia. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On 7 June, the Constitutional Court, which is largely believed to be controlled by Vladimir Plahotniuc[83] from the Democratic Party, announced that they had temporarily removed the sitting president, Igor Dodon, from power due to his inability to call new parliamentary elections as the parliament did not form a coalition within three months of the validation of the election results. [148], Another animal which was extinct in Moldova since the 18th century until recently was the European Wood Bison or wisent. The most successful football club is Sheriff Tiraspol, the first and only Moldovan club to qualify for the group stage of the Champions League and the Europa League. The Ministry reported no people were hurt but the windows of several residential homes were shattered. [80] Concerns over statewide corruption, the independence of the judiciary system, and the nontransparency of the banking system were expressed. Moldavia finally returned to Ottoman vassalage in 1621. Despite a small contraction in 2012, Moldova's economic performance was among the strongest in the region during 201013. [117] According to a lending agreement signed in February 2010, Poland provided US$15 million as a component of its support for Moldova in its European integration efforts. As part of the 1941 Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, Romania regained the territories of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina, and seized a territory which became known as Transnistria Governorate. [186], According to the last census in Transnistria (October 2015), the population of the region was 475,373, a 14.47% decrease from the figure recorded at the 2004 census. [144] The movement is national representative of the Center "Naturopa" of the Council of Europe and United Nations Environment Programme of the United Nations. The Moldovan Intelligence and Security Service has estimated that 600,000 to one million Moldovan citizens (almost 25% of the population) are working abroad. Moldova's agricultural products include vegetables, fruits, grapes, wine, and grains.[172]. Slavic and other cultures, Moldova has enriched its own culture by adopting and maintaining some of the traditions of its neighbours and of . [176], As of the 2014 census, Moldovans were the largest ethnic group of Moldova (75.1% of the population). The Moldovans, Romania, Russia and the Politics of Culture , 2000. [59][60] In 19461947, at least 216,000 deaths and about 350,000 cases of dystrophy were accounted by historians in the Moldavian SSR alone. [26] In 1164, the future Byzantine emperor Andronikos I Komnenos, while attempting to reach the Principality of Halych, was taken prisoner by Vlachs, possibly in the area which now constitutes Moldova. Television in Moldova was introduced in April 1958, within the framework of Soviet television. The Jewish minority was more numerous in the past (228,620Jews in Bessarabia in 1897, or 11.8% of the population). [217] Health expenditure was US$138 (PPP) per capita in 2004. Slavic is a group of Indo-European Languages divided into 3 sub groups ( East Slavic , West Slavic and South Slavic ) . It is an interesting process. Gagauz, Russian, and Ukrainian languages are granted official regional status in Gagauzia and/or Transnistria . 1. Winning 49.9% of the vote, the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (reinstituted in 1993 after being outlawed in 1991), gained 71 of the 101 MPs, and on 4 April 2001, elected Vladimir Voronin as the country's third president (re-elected in 2005). The retirement age will be lifted gradually by a few months every year until it is fully in effect in 2028. The highest temperature ever recorded in Moldova was 41.5C (106.7F) on 21 July 2007 in Camenca. It does not have nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological weapons. [147], Once possessing a range from the British Isles through Central Asia over the Bering Strait into Alaska and Canada's Yukon as well as the Northwest Territories, saigas survived in Moldova and Romania into the late 18th century. Slavic languages had a big impact on . was colonized with Slavic settlers who farmed wheat on its grasslands and became the epicenter of the country's . In chess, the Republic of Moldova has several international masters, among which can be mentioned Viorel Iordchescu, Dmitry Svetushkin, and Viorel Bologan. The assembly pressured the authorities of the Moldavian SSR to adopt a language law on 31 August 1989 that proclaimed the Moldovan language written in the Latin script to be the state language of the MSSR. [173], In September 2009, Moldova was the first country in the world to launch high-definition voice services (HD voice) for mobile phones, and the first country in Europe to launch 14.4 Mbit/s mobile broadband on a national scale, with over 40% population coverage. [58] Other forms of Soviet persecution of the population included political arrests or, in 8,360 cases, execution. Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, corruption, higher fuel prices, Russian pressure, and the separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region. [105], On 31 October 2022, Moldova's Interior Ministry said that debris from a Russian missile landed in the northern village of Naslavcea after a Russian fusillade was intercepted by air defenses in neighboring Ukraine. Moldova is the second poorest country in Europe by GDP per official capita after Ukraine and much of its GDP is dominated by the service sector. Slovakia - 5,414,000. In 1995 the country was admitted to the Council of Europe. . World War I brought in a rise in political and cultural (ethnic) awareness among the inhabitants of the region, as 300,000 Bessarabians were drafted into the Russian Army formed in 1917; within bigger units several "Moldavian Soldiers' Committees" were formed. Plans for a union with Romania were abandoned,[64] and the new Constitution gave autonomy to the breakaway Transnistria and Gagauzia. Reconomica ", "Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part", "Download entire World Economic Outlook database", "This Massive Underground City is Filled With Wine", "Legea cu privire la seciile pentru reforma agrar n cadrul organelor de autoadministrare local ale Republicii Moldova Nr.129 din 02.03.92, Monitorul Oficial nr.3/80, 1992", R. Moldova are deja peste dou milioane de utilizatori ai serviciilor de telefonie mobil, "Orange launches HD mobile phone service", "the Government approved the licensing of 4G / LTE for mobile operators", Strengthening Social Cohesion and a Common Identity in the Republic of Moldova, "Statistical Yearbook of Moldova 2017: Results of the 2004 Population Census: 2. Following the regional financial crisis in 1998, Moldova has made significant progress towards achieving and retaining macroeconomic and financial stabilization. The Polish chronicler Jan Dugosz mentioned Moldavians as having joined a military expedition in 1342, under King Ladislaus I, against the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}47N 29E / 47N 29E / 47; 29. A parliamentary majority of at least two-thirds is required to amend the Constitution of Moldova, which cannot be revised in times of war or national emergency. [93] On 28 April 2021, Sandu dissolved the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova after the Constitutional Court ended Moldova's state of emergency which had been brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. The first democratic elections for the local parliament were held in February and March 1990. [34][full citation needed] Moldavian chronicler Grigore Ureche mentions that in 1584 some Moldavian villages from beyond the Dniester in the Kingdom of Poland were attacked and plundered by Cossacks. Peter Aaron's rule also signified the beginning of Moldavia's Ottoman Empire allegiance, as the ruler was the first to agree to pay tribute to Sultan Mehmed II. The agreement is part of Moldova's strategy to reform its military and cooperate with its neighbours. [20], The name Moldova is derived from the Moldova River (German: Moldau); the valley of this river served as a political centre at the time of the foundation of the Principality of Moldavia in 1359. [64][65] Along with several other Soviet republics, from 1988 onwards, Moldova started to move towards independence. Slovenia - 2,060,000. The traditional Latin origins of Romanian culture reach back to the 2nd century, the period of Roman colonization in Dacia.. During the centuries following the Roman withdrawal in 271, the population of the region . [132], According to Human Rights Report of the United States Department of State, released in April 2011, "In contrast to the previous year, there were no reports of killings by security forces. [150], After the breakup of the USSR in 1991, energy shortages, political uncertainty, trade obstacles and weak administrative capacity contributed to the decline of Moldova's economy. Belarus - $6,411. During the 1917 Russian Revolution, Bessarabia briefly became an autonomous state within the Russian Republic. Ties between Poland and Moldavia expanded after the founding of the Moldavian state by Bogdan of Cuhea, a Vlach voivode from Maramure who had fallen out with the Hungarian king. The governing body is the Moldovan Football Federation, which belongs to UEFA. In agriculture, the economic reform started with the land cadastre reform. The foreign minister of Moldova, Andrei Stratan, repeatedly stated that the Russian troops stationed in the breakaway region were there against the will of the Moldovan government and called on them to leave "completely and unconditionally". In February 1918, it declared independence and then integrated into Romania later that year following a vote of its assembly. when Bulgaro-Kutrigur and Serbo-Croatian South Slavs settled in Moldova. The Moldova national football team played its first match in 1994, but never qualified to the UEFA European Championship. It ended with a ceasefire and the establishment of a security zone policed by a three-way peacekeeping force of Russian, Transnistrian, and Moldovan personnel. On 23 June 1990, the Parliament adopted the Declaration of Sovereignty of the "Soviet Socialist Republic Moldova", which, among other things, stipulated the supremacy of Moldovan laws over those of the Soviet Union. Moldova has access to the Danube for only about 480m (1,575ft), and Giurgiuleti is the only Moldovan port on the Danube. Deforestation, demographic pressure, as well as excessive hunting eradicated the native saiga herds which is currently threatened with extinction. The 1989 Language Law of the Moldavian SSR, which is still in effect in Moldova, according to the Constitution, asserts a "linguistic Moldo-Romanian identity". In 2010, Oldowan flint tools were discovered at Bayraki that are 800,0001.2 million years old. To bridge this gap with respect to paternal lineages, we analyzed 37 binary and 17 multiallelic (STRs) polymorphisms on the non-recombining portion of the Y chromosome in . The ethnic groups in Moldova include Moldovan (75.1%), Romania (7%), Ukrainian (6.6%), Gagauz (4.6%), Russian (4.1%), and others (3.22%). [67], On 2 January 1992, Moldova introduced a market economy, liberalizing prices, which resulted in rapid inflation. The early 2000s also saw a considerable growth of emigration of Moldovans looking for work (mostly illegally) in Russia (especially the Moscow region), Italy, Portugal, Spain, and other countries; remittances from Moldovans abroad account for almost 38% of Moldova's GDP, the second-highest percentage in the world, after Tajikistan (45%).[68][69]. After 1828 this autonomy was progressively restricted and in 1871 the Oblast was transformed into the Bessarabia Governorate, in a process of state-imposed assimilation, Russification. This makes for a total of 1,682 localities in Moldova, two of which are uninhabited.[137]. Conrad Landin takes a look at the country and its tormented past. For all of his success, it was under the reign of Alexander I that the first confrontation with the Ottoman Turks took place at Cetatea Alb in 1420. [81], In the December 2016 presidential election, Socialist, pro-Russian Igor Dodon was elected as the new president of the republic. [58] Similar events occurred in the 1930s in the Moldavian ASSR. [63] The Commission for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Moldova is assessing the activity of the communist totalitarian regime. Main risks to the near-term outlook relate to serious vulnerabilities and governance issues in the banking sector, policy slippages in the run up to the elections, intensification of geopolitical tensions in the region, and a further slowdown in activity in main trading partners. Moldova. Moldova is a little land-locked country squeezed in between Northern Romania and Southern Ukraine with 2,6 million inhabitants. This expansion was made possible by adequate macroeconomic stabilization measures and ambitious structural reforms implemented in the wake of the crisis under a Fund-supported program. In 1940, as a consequence of the MolotovRibbentrop Pact, Romania was compelled to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, leading to the creation of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (Moldavian SSR). There are 3 historical wine regions: Valul lui Traian (south west), Stefan Voda (south east) and Codru (center), destined for the production of wines with protected geographic indication. [119][120] The European orientation "has been the policy of Moldova in recent years and this is the policy that must continue," Nicolae Timofti told lawmakers before his election in 2012. [175], On 6 June 2012, the Government approved the licensing of 4G / LTE for mobile operators. Mircea Snegur was elected as Speaker of the Parliament, and Mircea Druc as Prime Minister. The Treaty of Paris (1856) returned the southern part of Bessarabia (later organised as the Cahul, Bolgrad and Ismail counties) to Moldavia, which remained an autonomous principality and, in 1859, united with Wallachia to form Romania. In the April 2009 parliamentary elections, the Communist Party won 49.48% of the votes, followed by the Liberal Party with 13.14% of the votes, the Liberal Democratic Party with 12.43%, and the Alliance "Moldova Noastr" with 9.77%. Its identity with the Romanian language was also established.