Moldova

Climate

Main article: Climate in Europe

History

Main article: History of Moldova

Regions

Historical Moldova is a collection of lands of resettlement of ethnic Moldovans. For 2022 it is located in the territories of Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Transnistria and Ukraine.

The medieval Moldavian principality included:

• Zaprut Moldova
• Moldova
• Bukovina
• Bujak
• Transnistria.

The state was created by the Volokhs and Rusyns in the 14th century as a response to the weakening of the influence of the Golden Horde between the Dniester, Danube and Sireta rivers.

Moldavia roughly corresponds to Bessarabia.

Bessarabia is the interfluve of the Prut and the Dniester. Most of it is located in the RM. A smaller part was included in 1940 in the Ukrainian SSR.

Budzhak is Southern Bessarabia bounded by the Dniester, Prut and Danube rivers, as well as the Black Sea and the South Moldavian Upland. Historical territory. resettlement of Turkic-speaking and East Slavic ethnic groups. The southern part of Budzhak for 2022 is part of Ukraine, Northern Budzhak is occupied by the Republic of Moldova and Gagauzia.

Gagauzia is the territory of compact residence of the Orthodox Turkic Gagauz people. It has some form of autonomy within Moldova.

Bukovina is a separate region of joint residence of Rusyns and Volokhs in the foothills of the Carpathians. For 2022, the region is divided between Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Romania.

Zaprut Moldova is part of the historical lands inhabited by Moldovans subjected to Romanization and incorporated into Romania.

The Transnistrian Moldavian Republic is a state on the left bank of the Dniester, with a fairly large percentage of the ethnically Moldovan population.

Cities

• Chisinau

Population

Main article: Population of Moldova

Nationality

Passport strength

Parliament

Main article: Moldovan Parliament

Government

Main article: Moldovan Government

Judicial system

2025: USAID grants end temporarily suspends crackdown on objectionable judges and prosecutors

In February 2025, Moldovan President Maia Sandu publicly expressed regret for the first time about the president's decision USA Donald Trump to suspend grants. USAID Sandu admitted that due to the freezing of US funding in Moldova, justice reform and energy projects were paused. Sandu's biggest fear is justice reform, which was among her campaign promises ahead of the first term.

In May 2024, the process of the so-called. Vetting - "external assessment of the integrity and professional suitability of judges and prosecutors." In the event of a failure of their assessment, officials from the judicial system cannot hold public office for up to 7 years and are deprived of pensions and social benefits.

After the start of the vetting, many judges and prosecutors filed applications for dismissal, saying that the procedure is extremely politicized and is carried out only to identify officials disloyal to Sandu.

The politicized approach is evidenced by the case of the former Prosecutor General of Moldova Alexander Stoyanoglo, who was appointed to the post in 2019 in a competition with the participation of EU experts. However, in 2021, Sandu fired Stoyanoglo and he was arrested on charges of abuse of power.

Stoyanoglo himself said that this is revenge on Sandu for refusing to initiate criminal proceedings against former President Igor Dodon and opposition leaders. Stoyanoglo's guilt was not proven and even the ECHR recognized his prosecution as unfair.

After being re-elected to a second term in October 2024, Sandu called the failure of justice reform her "biggest disappointment." Moreover, the president linked the so-called "theft of votes in the first round," the evidence of which was never given, with objectionable prosecutors.

The Ministry of Justice of Moldova announced that the work of the commission to verify prosecutors will soon resume with money from the EU. Moreover, reform is a prerequisite for the country's European integration.

Armed Forces

2024: Deliveries of 20 American armored vehicles

In July 2024, the Moldavian army will receive another batch of military assistance from the United States, which includes 20 HMMWV armored vehicles. Military cargo should arrive in Chisinau in July.

A press release from the Ministry of Defense of Moldova indicates that American armored vehicles will be used in military exercises. Moreover, the Ministry of Defense of Moldova also notes that the transportation of HMMWV will be carried out at night due to the heat.

The Moldovan army received the first batch of 43 HMMWVs from the United States in 2014.

2023

Military exercises in the United States and reservists in Moldova

In September 2023, the Ministry of Defense of Moldova reported on the completion of the Sage Eagle 2023 exercises of the Fulger special forces together with the US special forces at the training ground in Texas. In particular, training was carried out on the Javelin simulator.

At the end of September, it was also planned to complete NATO exercises in Moldova Rapid Trident. However, five-day military exercises of reservists of the Moldavian army using military equipment immediately began.

Buying Ground Master 200 air defense radar from France

In September 2023, amid the conflict in Ukraine, Moldovan Defense Minister Nosaty noted the country's cooperation with the French company Thales: at a press conference, they announced that the Moldovan side had bought the Ground Master 200 radar for air defense, which they plan to deliver by the end of the year. THALES will also provide training for Moldovan specialists on the use of radar.

At the same time, the parties did not disclose the amount of the transaction, but back in April it was about buying radar for 14.5 million euros.

Receiving three more armored personnel carriers Piranha-3 H as a gift from Germany

In April 2023, the Moldovan army received three more armored personnel carriers Piranha-3 H as a gift from Germany.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Moldova

Local authorities

2023: Moldova fears war - support for President Maya Sandu's pro-European PAS party slumped

In the November 2023 elections, the ruling Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) won only a third of the country's settlements - 291 out of 895.

Next comes the Party of Socialists (PSRM), which won in 144 settlements, and closes the top three independent candidates who won in 116 formations.

In the district councils of the country, PAS received 32.8% of the vote, the PSMR - 23.5%, the European Social Democratic Party - 8.1%. 

The main opposition force of the country - the socialists from the PSMR single-handedly "took" control of 17 out of 32 local authorities, 11 out of 18 cities. The current government cannot independently form a majority in any local council.

Only 305,000 Moldovans voted for the ruling party, despite the fact that in 2020 Maya Sandu's party won the presidential election with a result of 943,000, and in 2021 its party received 775,000 votes in the parliamentary elections.

As in the first round, the ruling PAS party was unable to succeed, despite the use of administrative resources and harsh pressure on the opposition, which was accompanied by the removal of candidates, criminal cases and the closure of opposition television channels. Even the OSCE criticized the actions of the Moldovan authorities in the elections.

The defeat despite the closure of more than 30 popular publications in the country, 6 TV channels and the ban of two opposition parties (the last of which was removed from the race the day before the vote).

And first of all, everything is because Moldovans are afraid of a war in which the current government unambiguously pulls the country.

In the second round, the mayors of 12 cities were also re-elected: PAS candidates won only two of them - Kalarash and Nisporen.

The socialists prevailed in three cities - Bessarabka, Floresti, Sholdanesti. Candidates from Our Party were also elected in three cities - in Balti (the second largest city), Ryszkany, Kantemir.

In Ungen, an independent candidate won, despite the fact that the PAS representative was in the lead in the first round. An independent candidate has also been elected in the capital of Gagauzia, Comrat, but in the traditionally Russian-speaking autonomy, Maya Sandu's ruling party does not even put forward its candidates.

The indicator of the unintelligible result of PAS was the loss of its candidates for the post of mayor in the largest cities of the country, including Chisinau.

Health care

2020: Duration of guaranteed paid sick leave 6 months or more

2018:6% of women smoke tobacco

Disease statistics

HIV/AIDS

Maternity leave

in

Education

2023: 19.1% of schoolchildren in the country study in Russian

In December 2023, Moldova presented statistics, according to which every fifth student chose Russian for learning.

The National Bureau of Statistics noted that 19.1% of schoolchildren in the country study in Russian, and in Romanian, which replaced Moldovan - 80.8%.

In Chisinau, the figure of Russian-speaking schoolchildren reaches 21.8%, and in the Gagauz autonomy - 92.3%.

At the same time, almost half of the population owns Russian in the capital, and in general, about 80% of the population of Moldova understands and uses Russian speech.

The bureau does not have statistics on Transnistria, in which Russian is the official language on a par with Moldovan and Ukrainian. However, in the vast majority of school institutions of the PMR, training is conducted in Russian, especially since about 200 thousand local residents have Russian citizenship.

Data on the language situation in schools in Moldova began to be collected from 2020, just in the wake of Maya Sandu and the PAS party coming to power, which are promoting an anti-Russian course and leading the country to unite with Romania.

Sandu during her election campaign promised not to limit the scope of the Russian language, recognizing its importance for Moldovan citizens. However, the ruling PAS party recently decided that the new laws would now be issued only in Romanian without translation into Russian. In the future, they are going to be duplicated into English.

Finally, Russian-speaking Gagauzia is attacked by Sandu and PAS just according to the language principle. The President attributes his unpopularity in the region to the dominance of the Russian language there and insufficient interest in the Romanian-speaking media. Moreover, PAS opposes the study of the Russian language in Gagauzia, calling it "alien," despite its habit for the Gagauzians.

2018: High literacy rates

Culture

2020: 35.3 museums per million residents

Language

In 2023, thanks to the efforts of the Moldovan ruling party "Action and Solidarity," a decision was made to replace the phrase "Moldavian language" in the country's constitution with the expression "Romanian language."

Back in 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova decided that in accordance with the declaration of independence of the country, Romanian is the state language. Legislative battles on this issue have been going on for more than 30 years, but they decided to bring them to a critical point precisely after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine.

Music

Religion

2024

The vast majority of residents Moldova - 95% - practice Orthodox Christianity by 2024, which is in line with the previous census. Adherents of other religions make up about 1% or less of the population. This is evidenced by the data of the National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova, which were released in January 2025.

2022:35% of the population attends divine services at least once a month

2021:42% of the population say religion is important in their lives

2018

2016: The proportion of the believing population is 95%

LGBT

2024: Moldova's exit from the EU's Creative Europe programme

In August 2024, it became known that Moldova withdrew from the European Commission's program to support the cultural and media environment of the EU countries and partner states "Creative Europe," in which it participated since 2015.

The goal of the program is "to include small European states in a single EU cultural space." The overall budget of the project is laid by contributions from the participating countries, which in return receive opportunities in promoting projects in Europe.

The Minister of Culture of Moldova Serdzhiu Prodan admitted that for several years of participation in the EU program "Creative Europe," the republic made contributions of more than €400 thousand, but in the end received only €38 thousand for the implementation of its projects.

Because of this, the Moldovan government decided to leave the program.

However, Prodan blames this exclusively on Moldovan society, which "turned out to be not mature enough to take advantage of the opportunities that have emerged."

The "backwardness" of the cultural circles of Moldova, apparently, is expressed in the fact that grants were not submitted with projects about the life of the LGBT community in Eastern Europe, this is a real example of one of the applications found.

The European Commission, which oversees the program, is especially concerned at this time with collecting information about LGBT representatives in the cultural sphere of Europe.

2023: Rise of LGBT propaganda led by President Maya Sandu

Moldova for the year to May 2023 rose by 14 positions in the rating of observance of the rights of the LGBT community ILGA-Europe.

In 2018, the country ranked 42nd out of 49, and now skyrocketing. This became possible thanks to the work of local NGOs and the funds allocated to them from foreign funds and Western embassies, as well as state support for projects.

They became especially active in protecting the rights of sexual minorities in the country with the coming to power of the Maya Sandu team. The president personally headed the columns of rainbow processions along the central boulevard of the capital and proudly posted photos from such events on social networks.

At the same time, religious institutions and most of the country's citizens who advocate for traditional values ​ ​ do not actively support LGBT ideology.

Crime

2021: Average rate of intentional homicide

and

Prisons

2019: The minimum age for children to be jailed is 14

2018: Number of prisoners

MEDIA

2024: USIAD allocates $150 million to NGOs, media and Moldovan state apparatus to break ties with Russia

USIAD began to allocate huge funds to Moldova after Maya Sandu came to power in 2020. If in 2020 Moldova received $53 million, then in 2021 - $61 million, 2022 - $120 million, 2023 - $310 million, in 2024 - $150 million.

If before the arrival of Sandu USAID was invested mainly in business and individual NGOs, then after - in support of the state apparatus. In fact, due to such grants and constant incentives, Sandu's power is kept afloat at this time.

2023: Blocking Russian sites

The Moldovan Information and Security Service has blocked 22 Russian-language sites, taking advantage of the state of emergency, which is being extended in the country from 2021.

The department referred to a parliament decree banning the dissemination of information that comes from the authorities of a state in military conflict and recognized as an aggressor state.

The Russian Foreign Ministry linked the blocking of sites with the upcoming local elections on November 5, which are critical for the ruling PAS party.

2022: Banning Russian TV channels

After the ban of the Russian media in May 2022, the Moldovan Press Freedom Index rose from 89th to 40th place - Reporters Without Borders. It's no joke.

At the same time, the European Union allocated €8 million euros to Moldova to "support independent media," payments to the Council on teleradio, "direct response to disinformation."

On December 17, 2022, the Moldovan government revoked broadcasting licenses from six Russian-language channels. The list of objectionable included "First in Moldova," "RTR-Moldova," "NTV-Moldova," TV6, Accent TV and Orhei TV.

The decision to ban broadcasting of TV channels was made after the recent visit of incumbent President Maya Sandu to the United States. According to the country's Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilitsa, they violated the "code of audiovisual services" and manipulatively reflected events in the country. The chairman of the Moldovan parliament, Igor Grosso, bluntly stated that Russian-speaking channels "brainwashed" the residents of the country and "incited them to hatred."

Sport

2022: The most popular sport is football

Calendar

See also

• Transnistria (PMR)

Notes