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Related articles: [[Moldovan wine]], [[Moldovan wine producers]].
Related articles: [[Moldovan wine]], [[Moldovan wine producers]].
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Edited by Ghena Ungurean


== Culture ==
== Culture ==

Revision as of 03:37, 1 June 2008

For other uses of "Moldova" and "Moldavia", see Moldova (disambiguation).
Republic of Moldova
Moldova
Republica Moldova
Anthem: Limba noastră  
Our Language
Location of Moldova (orange) in Europe (white)
Location of Moldova (orange)

in Europe (white)

Capital
and largest city
Chişinău
Official languagesMoldovan¹
Recognised regional languagesGagauz, Russian, and Ukrainian
Demonym(s)Moldovan, Moldavian
GovernmentParliamentary republic
• President
Vladimir Voronin
Zinaida Greceanîi
Consolidation
• Moldavia
1365
• Autonomous Bessarabian Oblast
April 29, 1818
December 16, 1917
August 2, 1940
• Independence from the Soviet Union
August 27, 1991 (Declared)
December 25, 1991 (Finalized)
Area
• Total
33,846 km2 (13,068 sq mi) (139th)
• Water (%)
1.4
Population
• 2008[1] estimate
4,128,047 (121st2)
• 2004 census
3,383,3323
• Density
1,219/km2 (3,157.2/sq mi) (87st)
GDP (PPP)2007 estimate
• Total
$9,367 million (141st)
• Per capita
$2,962 (135th)
Gini (2007)37.1
medium inequality
HDI (2007)Increase 0.708
Error: Invalid HDI value (111th)
CurrencyMoldovan leu (MDL)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+3 (EEST)
Calling code373
ISO 3166 codeMD
Internet TLD.md
  1. According to the Article 13, line 1 - of Constitution of Republic of Moldova. See also the respective section below.
  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.

Moldova, or, in full, the Republic of Moldova (Moldovan: Moldova, Republica Moldova) is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south. The country is a parliamentary democracy with a president as its head of state and a prime minister as its head of government. The official state language is Moldovan. Like in all CIS states, Russian is also widely spoken and is the native language for 11% of the population.[2] The capital and largest city of Moldova is Chişinău.

In the Middle Ages, most of the present territory of Moldova was part of the Principality of Moldavia, and was annexed[3][4][5] from the latter, then a vassal of the Ottoman Empire, by the Russian Empire in 1812, under the name of Bessarabia. Upon the dissolution of the Russian Empire in 1917-1918, Bessarabia joined Romania. 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. Moldova declared its independence from the USSR on August 27, 1991. Despite signing international obligations to withdraw[6] Russian military forces have remained on Moldovan territory; since 1993 they have been stationed in the breakaway republic of Transnistria.

Moldova is a member state of the United Nations, WTO, OSCE, GUAM, CIS, BSEC and other international organizations. Moldova has officially been a neutral country since its independence, and an early member of the NATO Partnership for Peace. Moldova currently aspires to join the European Union[7] and is implementing its first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) of the EU.[8]

History

Main article: History of Moldova

Moldova's territory was inhabited in ancient times by Dacians. Due to its strategic location on a route between Asia and Europe, Moldova faced several invasions, including those by the Huns, Kievan Rus' and the Mongols. 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). The principality became a tributary to the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century. In 1775 the northwestern part of Moldavia was annexed by the Habsburg Empire, and called Bukovina.

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). 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. The western part of Moldavia remained an autonomous principality, and in 1859, united with Wallachia to form the Kingdom of Romania. 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.

Upon annexation, after the expulsion of the large Tatar population of Budjak, the Moldovan/Romanian population of Bessarabia was predominant.[9] 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.[10] With the settling of other nationals such as Gagauz, Jews, and Germans, the proportion of the Moldovan population decreased from around 80%[11] to 52% by some sources[12] or to 70% by others[13] during the course of the century. 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. However, the effect was an extremely low literacy rate (in 1897 approx. 18% for males, approx. 4% for females) rather than a denationalization.[14]

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).

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. 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). 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. The conditions were dropped after Bukovina and Transylvania also joined the Kingdom of Romania.[15][16][17][18][19] The union was recognized in the Treaty of Paris (1920),[20] which, however, has never came into force since it was not ratified by Japan.[21] The newly-communist Russia did not recognize the Romanian rule over Bessarabia.[22] 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. 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.

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%. 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.[23] The literacy rate grew from 10.5%[24] to 37% by 1930; however the region still remained lagging in the aspect of education, compared to a 60% literacy rate country average.[citation needed] In an attempt to separate the Bessarabian ethnic minorities from the Russian influence, the Romanian authorities allowed education in any language desired. [citation needed] Romanian replaced Russian in cities, the authorities sought to reduce the number of people in minority-language education and educate them in Romanian. [citation needed]

Stephen the Great was Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 and the most prominent representative of the House of Muşat

Soviet era

Following the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact (Article 4 of the secret Annex to the Treaty), Bessarabia was annexed by the USSR. 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. 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.[25][26] On June 28, 1940, these territories were occupied by the Soviet Union. 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.[27] 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. 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.

By participating in the 1941 Axis invasion of the Soviet Union, Romania seized the territory of the MSSR, and re-established its administration there. In occupied Transnistria, Romanian forces, working with the Germans, deported or exterminated 300,000 Jews, including 147,000 from Bessarabia and Bukovina. [28] The Soviet Army reconquered and re-annexed the area in February-August 1944.

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. [29] According to Russian historians, in 1940-1941, ca. 90,000 inhabitants of the annexed territories were subject to political persecutions.[30] 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.[30] Similar events occurred in 1930s in the Moldavian ASSR.[30] 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.[30]

The postwar period saw a wide scale migration of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians into the new Soviet republic, especially into urbanized areas.

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). Moldovan was written in the Cyrillic alphabet, in contrast with Romanian, which was written in the Latin alphabet since 1860, to distinguish the two. 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/.

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.[citation needed] This influx of investments was stopped in 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, when Moldova became independent.

Independent Moldova

Transdnestrian 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.[31] 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. 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. Three months later, the country achieved formal recognition as an independent state at the United Nations.

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. This caused a brief military conflict between Moldova and forces supporting the secession of Transnistria in 1992. 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.[32][33] 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 March 1994 referendum for a new constitution that stated the independence of the republic saw an overwhelming majority of voters in support.

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. The political flux was cleared in 2001 when elections saw the Party of Communists of Moldova win the majority of seats in the Parliament. Its leader Vladimir Voronin was appointed president. 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. Ethnically, 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. 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,[citation needed] 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,[34][35] and implement its first three-year Action Plan within the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) of the EU.[36][37]

Government

Main article: Politics of Moldova
File:Vladimir voronin.jpg
The President of Moldova, Vladimir Voronin

Moldova is a unitary parliamentary representative democratic republic. The Constitution of Moldova, adopted in 1994 sets the framework for the government of the country. 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.[38]

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. 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). 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. 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. 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.[38]

Currently, the President of Moldova is Vladimir Voronin. 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. 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. 17 deputies to parliament are independents.[39]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign Relations of Moldova

After achieving independence from the Soviet Union, Moldova established relations with other European countries. A course for European Union integration and neutrality define the country's foreign policy guidelines. In 1995 the country became the first post-Soviet state admitted to the Council of Europe. 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. 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.[40] 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. 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.[32]

Administrative divisions

Administrative divisions of Moldova
Main article: 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). 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. The status of Transnistria is however under dispute. 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.

# City Population Year
1. Chişinău[41] 647,513 2005
2. Tiraspol[42] 159,163
3. Bălţi [41] 122,778 2005
4. Tighina[42] 97,027 2004
5. Rîbniţa[42] 53,648 2004

Geography

General map of Moldova
Main article: Geography of Moldova

The largest part of the country lies between two rivers, the Dniester and the Prut. 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.

The western border of Moldova is formed by the Prut river, which joins the Danube before flowing into the Black Sea. 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. While the northern part of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed 430 meters (1,411 ft)—the highest point being the Dealul Bălăneşti. The country's main cities are the capital Chişinău, in the center of the country, Tiraspol (in Transnistria), Bălţi and Tighina.

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

Economy

Moldovan leu.
Main article: Economy of Moldova

Moldova enjoys a favorable climate and good farmland but has no major mineral deposits. As a result, the economy depends heavily on agriculture, featuring fruits, vegetables, Moldovan wine, and tobacco. The country is considered to have the cleanest air in the world.[43] Moldova must import all of its supplies of petroleum, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. After the break up of the Soviet Union in 1991, energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines. 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. The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the IMF to promote growth. 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 4.5 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.[44]

The GDP in 2007 constituted $4,104 mln.[45] That constituted a grow with 3% from the 2006 indicator.

Information technology and telecommunications

Main article: Communications in Moldova

The number of mobile telephony users in Moldova increased by 47.3 % in the first quarter of 2008 against the last year and exceeded 2 mln 88.6 thousand.

In 2004, the volume of investment in the telecommunications and information market in Moldova increased by 30.1% in comparison with 2003, achieving 825.3 million lei (65.5 million US dollars). The representatives of the National Agency for Telecommunications and Information Regulation stated that 451 million lei (35.9 million dollars) were invested in the field of fixed telephone communication. Investments constituted 330 million lei (26.2 million dollars) in the field of mobile telephony, 24.2 million lei (1.9 million dollars) in the field of Internet services, 19.1 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.

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.

Demographics

Main article: Demography of Moldova

Ethnic composition

Ethnic composition in 1989.

The last reference data is that of the 2004 Moldovan Census[46] and the 2004 Census in Transnistria:

# Ethnicity Mold. census % Mold Transnistrian census % Tran Total %
1. Moldovans 2,564,849 75.8% 177,156 31.9% 2,742,005 69.6%
2. Ukrainians 282,406 8.3% 159,940 28.8% 442,346 11.2%
3. Russians 201,218 5.9% 168,270 30.3% 369,488 9.4%
4. Gagauzians 147,500 4.4% 11,107 2.0% 158,607 4.0%
5. Romanians 73,276 2.2% NA NA 73,276 1.9%
6. Bulgarians 65,662 1.9% 11,107 2.0% 76,769 1.9%
7. Others 48,421 1.4% 27,767 5.0% 76,188 1.9%
8. TOTAL 3,383,332 100% 555,347 100% 3,938,679 100%

Religion

Organization of the Metropolis of Bessarabia
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 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.

Judaism is practiced by the Jewish population estimated at 1.5% as of 2000.[citation needed]

Wine

Vineyards in Moldova
Main article: Moldovan wine

Moldova is famous for its wines. For many years viticulture and winemaking in Moldova were the general occupation of the population. Evidence of this is in historical memorials and documents, folklore, and the Moldovan spoken language.

The country has a well established wine industry. 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 for export. Many families have their own recipes and strands of grapes that have been passed down through the generations.

Related articles: Moldovan wine, Moldovan wine producers.
Edited by Ghena Ungurean

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.

Prince Dimitrie Cantemir was one of the most important figures of Moldavian culture of the 18th century. He wrote the first geographical, ethnographical and economic description of the country in his Descriptio Moldaviae (Berlin, 1714).[47]

Mihai Eminescu was a late romantic poet, probably the best-known and most influential Romanian language poet.

Eugen Doga is the most famous Moldovan contemporary composer, whose works are recognized worldwide.

Languages

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

The Constitution of Moldova, as well as all Moldavian laws declare the Moldovan language to be the state language.[48] The law regarding approval of the National Political Conception of the Republic of Moldova stipulates that

The conception is rooted in the historically established truth and confirmed by the common literary treasure: Moldavian nation and Romanian nation use a common literary form "which is based on the live spring of the popular talk from Moldova" - a reality which impregnates the national Moldavian language with a specific peculiar pronunciation, a certain well known and appreciated charm. Having the common origin; common basic lexical vocabulary, the national Moldavian language and national Romanian language keep each their lingvonim/glotonim as the identification sign of each nation: Moldavian and Romanian.

The Moldavian language, having status of the state language, is used in all spheres of political, economic, social and cultural life. On eof the priorities of the national politics of the Republic of Moldova is insurance of existence of the Moldavian language.

Russian language, which in accordance with the valid legislation has status of the interethnic communication, is also used in different fields of life of the society and of the state. Russian-Moldavian bilingualism is characteristic for Moldova. It is necessary, in present conditions, to create real possibilities to make sure the Russian-Moldavian bilingualism becomes the reality.

On the territory of the Autonomous Territorial Unit Gagauzia (Gagauz-Yeri), the status of official language is awarded to Gagauz, Moldavian and Russian languages. In eastern cantons of the Republic of Moldova function Moldavian, Ukrainian and Russian languages.[49]

The declaration of independence of Moldova names "Romanian" the state language. [50][51]

Military

See also

References

  1. ^ Template:Ro iconPreliminary number of the stable population of the Republic of Moldova at January 1, 2008 and 2004 census of Transnistrian region: http://pridnestrovie.net/facts.html#population
  2. ^ a b Template:Ro iconNational Bureau of Statistics of Moldova
  3. ^ Moldova on worldstatesmen.org
  4. ^ The Nationalism Project: Book Review of "The Moldovans" by Charles King
  5. ^ Moldova.org: "88 years ago Bessarabia voted the unification with Romania"
  6. ^ The 1999 OCSE Istanbul Summit Decisions on Moldova and Georgia: Prospects for Implementation at Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
  7. ^ "Moldova will prove that it can and has chances to become EU member," Moldpress News Agency, June 19, 2007
  8. ^ "Moldova-EU Action Plan Approved by European Commission", moldova.org, December 14 2004, retrieved July 2 2007
  9. ^ Bessarabia by Charles Upson Clark, 1927, chapter 8: "The first Russian census after the annexation (1816) revealed a province almost solidly Romanian-of a population of about half a million, 921/2 % Moldavian and Ukrainian, 11/2 % Lipovans (Russian heterodox), 41/2% Jews, 1.6% other races."
  10. ^ Bessarabia by Charles Upson Clark, 1927, chapter 8: "Today, the Bulgarians form one of the most solid elements in Southern Bessarabia, numbering (with the Gagaoutzi, Turkish-speaking Christians also from the Dobrudja) nearly 150,000. Colonization brought in numerous Great Russian peasants, and the Russian bureaucracy imported Russian office-holders and professional men; according to the Romanian estimate of 1920, the Great Russians were about 75,000 in number (2.9% ), and the Lipovans and Cossacks 59,000 (2.2% ) ; the Little Russians (Ukrainians) came to 254,000 (9.6%). That, plus about 10,000 Poles, brings the total number of Slavs to 545,000 in a population of 2,631,000, or about one-fifth"
  11. ^ Ion Nistor, Istoria Bassarabiei, Cernauti, 1921
  12. ^ Template:De icon Flavius Solomon, Die Republik Moldau und ihre Minderheiten (Länderlexikon), in Ethnodoc-Datenbank für Minderheitenforschung in Südostosteuropa, p. 52
  13. ^ Bessarabia by Charles Upson Clark, 1927, chapter 7
  14. ^ Bessarabia by Charles Upson Clark, 1927, chapter 10: "Naturally, this system resulted not in acquisition of Russian by the Moldavians, but in their almost complete illiteracy in any language."]
  15. ^ Template:Ro iconprm.md:"Sfatul Tarii ... proclaimed the Moldavian Democratic Republic"
  16. ^ Charles Upson Clark (1927). "24:The Decay of Russian Setiment". Bessarabia: Russia and Romania on the Black Sea - View Across Dniester From Hotin Castle. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  17. ^ Pelivan (Chronology)
  18. ^ Cazacu (Moldova, pp. 240-245).
  19. ^ Cristina Petrescu, "Contrasting/Conflicting Identities:Bessarabians, Romanians, Moldovans" in Nation-Building and Contested Identities, Polirom, 2001, pg. 156
  20. ^ Malbone W. Graham (October 1944). "The Legal Status of the Bukovina and Bessarabia". The American Journal of International Law. 38 (4). Retrieved 2007-12-08. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |pubisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ Ioan Bulei (March. 1998). "Roma, 1924-1927". Magazin Istoric (3). Retrieved 2008-02-26. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |pubisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ Wayne S Vucinich, Bessarabia In: Collier's Encyclopedia (Crowell Collier and MacMillan Inc., 1967) vol. 4, p. 103
  23. ^ Cristina Petrescu, "Contrasting/Conflicting Identities:Bessarabians, Romanians, Moldovans" in Nation-Building and Contested Identities, Polirom, 2001, pg. 159
  24. ^ Ion Nistor, Istoria Basarabiei, Cernauti, 1921
  25. ^ Goma, Paul (2006). Săptămâna Roşie. p. 23.
  26. ^ Nagy-Talavera, Nicolas M. (1970). Green Shirts and Others: a History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania. p. 305.
  27. ^ Paul Goma (2006). Săptămâna Roşie. p. 206.
  28. ^ Tismăneanu Report, pages 585
  29. ^ Template:Ro icon Tismăneanu Report, pages 584 and 587
  30. ^ a b c d Template:Ro icon Comisia Prezidenţială pentru Analiza Dictaturii Comuniste din România: Raport Final / ed.: Vladimir Tismăneanu, Dorin Dobrincu, Cristian Vasile, Bucureşti: Humanitas, 2007, 879 pp., ISBN 978-973-50-1836-8 (Tismăneanu Report)
  31. ^ Legea cu privire la functionarea limbilor vorbite pe teritoriul RSS Moldovenesti Nr.3465-XI din 01.09.89 Vestile nr.9/217, 1989 (Law regarding the usage of languages spoken on the territory of the Republic of Moldova): "Moldavian SSR supports the desire of the Moldovans that live across the borders of the Republic, and considering the existing linguistical Moldo-Romanian identity - of the Romanians that live on the territory of the USSR, of doing their studies and satisfying their cultural needs in their maternal language."
  32. ^ a b Statement by H.E. Mr. Andrei Stratan at the General Debate of the Sixty Second Session of the UN General Assembly, New-York, 1 October 2007: "I would like to reiterate on this occasion the position of the Republic of Moldova according to which the withdrawal of the Russian troops that remain on the Moldovan territory against its will, in conformity with the obligations assumed by the Russian Federation in 1999 in Istanbul, would create the necessary premises for ratifying and applying the Adapted CFE Treaty."
  33. ^ http://www.jamestown.org/edm/article.php?article_id=2368523 Jamestown: "MOLDOVAN PRESIDENT WANTS OUT OF RUSSIA'S ORBIT"
  34. ^ http://www.moldpres.md/default.asp?Lang=en&ID=68715 ( "Voronin highlighted, that we will strive for becoming an EU member")
  35. ^ Itar-Tass
  36. ^ Moldova-EU Action Plan Approved by European Commission, http://www.azi.md, 14 December 2004, retrieved 2 July 2007
  37. ^ http://ec.europa.eu/world/enp/pdf/action_plans/moldova_enp_ap_final_en.pdf EU/MOLDOVA ACTION PLAN
  38. ^ a b Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. The Constitution of the Republic of Moldova 2000. Retrieved 11-14, 2007
  39. ^ Parliament of the Republic of Moldova. Parliamentary Factions Retrieved 11-14, 2007
  40. ^ Bilateral agreement of cooperation between the Republic of Moldova and the International Parliament for Safety and Peace of the States, new Society of the Nations.
  41. ^ a b World Gazetteer. Moldova:largest cities 2004. Retrieved 11-14, 2007
  42. ^ a b c Pridnestrovie.net 2004 Census 2004. Retrieved 11-14, 2007
  43. ^ GRÜN und lebenswert: Eine Rangliste der besten (und schlechtesten) Länder, (deutsch)
  44. ^ CIA - The World Factbook - Moldova 6 September 2007
  45. ^ 2007 evaluation
  46. ^ Official results of 2004 Moldovan census
  47. ^ Template:La icon Descriptio Moldaviae at Latin Wikisource
  48. ^ Article 13, line 1 - of Constitution of Republic of Moldova
  49. ^ Template:Ro icon "Concepţia politicii naţionale a Republicii Moldova" Moldovan Parliament
  50. ^ Declaraţia de independenţa a Republicii Moldova, Moldova Suverană
  51. ^ A Field Guide to the Main Languages of Europe - Spot that language and how to tell them apart, on the website of the European Commission

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