Information About The Moldavian Republic
Moldova (Moldavia)
Declared Independence: Aug. 27, 1991
Population: 4,362,000
Area: 13,000 sq. Miles
Capital and Largest City: Kishinev (pop. 676,000)
Main industry: Agriculture (grapes, canned fruits, vegetables, tobacco, grain)
Ethnic Composition: Moldovan 64%, Ukrainian 14%, Russian 13%, other 9%
The Moldova Republic (formerly Moldavia) lies east of Romania across the Prut River. Moldova is sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania. Moldovans share a common heritage with the Romanian people and their language is a Romanian dialect, the most eastern of the languages descended from Latin. For centuries Moldova was an integral part of Bessarabia, which Romania ruled politically and culturally. The long years of rule by imperial Russia and the Soviet Union never completely severed the ethnic, political, and economic bonds between Moldova and Romania.
Moldova is the second smallest of the former Soviet Union republics. The land slopes gently downward from the Carpathian Mountains in the west. The favorable climate, broad treeless plains, rolling hills, and wide river valleys have made Moldova a rich agricultural area. Several large hydroelectric projects meet its domestic energy needs but it is not self-sufficient in fossil fuels and has few raw materials of any type. Its industrial base focuses primarily on small-scale manufacturing ( shoes, clothing, electrical appliances) and food processing.
Moldova’s ethnic Romanian majority is increasingly nationalistic today. Many want to reunify with neighboring Romania. “We are Romanians first and Moldovans second,” said one Moldovan.