Former Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldova constitutes an independent Republic (Republic of Moldova) within the Community of Independent States (CIS), born from the dissolution of the USSR. The town covers an area of 33,700 km 2 and at the 1989 census it counted 4,335,360 residents (of which 64.5% Moldovans, 13.9% Ukrainians, 13% Russians, 3.5% Gagauzi, 2% Bulgarians and 1.5% Jews). The capital, Kišinev, counted 665,000 residents in 1989. Other important cities…
Read MoreMoldova Overview
Moldova is Europe’s poorest country. Just over a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, most of them in rural areas and in smaller cities. The country borders Ukraine and Romania. Capital: Chisinau Biggest city: Chisinau State: republic, member of the CIS Language: Moldavian (Romanian), Russian Religion: orthodox christian Surface: 33,843 km² Population: 4.1 million (2013) Population density: 128 residents per km² Life expectancy: 71 years Illiteracy: 1%…
Read MoreMoldova Population and Language
Moldova’s population has declined since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The decrease is partly due to emigration and partly because the death toll has exceeded the birth rate for most years. A clear majority of residents are Moldavians, but there are significant minorities of Russians and Ukrainians. Moldova has traditionally had a high population growth, but during the 1990s crisis in connection with the former Soviet Republic’s transition…
Read MoreMoldova History
The history of the area that constitutes the Republic of Moldova from 1991 is part of the history of various political units: the Principality of Moldova (until 1812), Russia (1812-1918), Romania (1918-1940, 1941-1944) and the Soviet Union (1940-1941 and 1944- 1991). In the Transnistria region (highlighted in dark green), Russian Communists declared in 1991 an independent “Dnestr Republic”, with a long-term goal of becoming part of the Russian Federative Republic…
Read MoreLiterature of Moldova
Moldova, as part of the Romanian Principality of Moldova, has a rich cultural past, highlighting the historical and religious literature of the 17th and 18th centuries (Grigore Ureche, Miron Costin and Dimitrie Cantemir). After the land was integrated into Russia in 1812, the poets and translators first and foremost helped to make Russian culture known, also in Romania, while specifically Romanian cultural forms were only expressed through folk art. Following…
Read MoreThe Geography of Moldova
Moldova is a hilly plains country and most of it is less than 400 meters above sea level. Codru (“the forest”) is located in the central part of the country. It is intersected by partly deep valleys. The highest point in the country lies west of this area of Bălăneşti (429 meters above sea level). Further north there is a lower plateau with the wide, undulating Bălţiste (about 150-200 meters…
Read MoreArchitecture in Moldova
In the capital Chişinău, the contrast is great between older and newer architecture. The picture shows the Arc de Triomphe (1840), erected in neoclassical style. In the 9th century AD cities developed, surrounded by fortifications. In the 1400s and 1500s, cities often consisted of citizens with surrounding settlements, and marketplaces began to become commonplace. Fortified citizens were raised in Stary Orkhey, Soroki and Bendery. A local Orthodox church architecture was…
Read MoreMoldova
Moldova is a relatively small country in Eastern Europe. It borders Romania in the west, by the way to Ukraine. As an independent state, Moldova is a young country. The country was a sub-republic in the Soviet Union after World War II and declared independent in 1991. During the interwar period, Moldova was part of Romania. The country’s economy was previously strongly integrated into the Soviet Union and was subjected…
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