Equatorial Guinea (2006) | Moldova (2008) | |
Administrative divisions | 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas | 32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989)
15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 16.5% (male 365,733/female 347,305)
15-64 years: 72.6% (male 1,520,094/female 1,616,014) 65 years and over: 10.9% (male 175,113/female 296,231) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber | vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk |
Airports | 4 (2006) | 10 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 6
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
Area | total: 28,051 sq km
land: 28,051 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 33,843 sq km
land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | slightly larger than Maryland |
Background | Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards. | Formerly part of Romania, Moldova was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of World War II. Although independent from the USSR since 1991, Russian forces have remained on Moldovan territory east of the Dniester River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist as its president in 2001. |
Birth rate | 35.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 10.88 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.973 billion
expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $1.764 billion
expenditures: $1.771 billion (2007 est.) |
Capital | name: Malabo
geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Chisinau (Kishinev)
note: pronounced kee-shee-now geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical; always hot, humid | moderate winters, warm summers |
Coastline | 296 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995 | new constitution adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994; replaced old Soviet constitution of 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea
conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale former: Spanish Guinea |
conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: Moldova former: Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic |
Death rate | 15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 10.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $353 million (2005 est.) | $2.774 billion (30 June 2007) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea
embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 220 15 00 FAX: [237] 220 16 20 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Michael D. KIRBY
embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [373] (22) 40-8300 FAX: [373] (22) 23-3044 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO
chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicolae CHIRTOACA
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204 |
Disputes - international | in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay | Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor the transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region, which remains under OSCE supervision |
Economic aid - recipient | $33.8 million $NA | $191.8 million (2005) |
Economy - overview | The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993, because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the second highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg. | Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite recent progress from its small economic base. It 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, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import almost all of its energy supplies. Moldova's dependence on Russian energy was underscored at the end of 2005, when a Russian-owned electrical station in Moldova's separatist Transnistria region cut off power to Moldova and Russia's Gazprom cut off natural gas in disputes over pricing. Russia's decision to ban Moldovan wine and agricultural products, coupled with its decision to double the price Moldova paid for Russian natural gas, slowed GDP growth in 2006. However, in 2007 growth returned to the 6% level Moldova had achieved in 2000-05, boosted by Russia's partial removal of the bans, solid fixed capital investment, and strong domestic demand driven by remittances from abroad. Economic reforms have been slow because of corruption and strong political forces backing government controls. Nevertheless, the government's primary goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress. The granting of EU trade preferences and increased exports to Russia will encourage higher growth rates in 2008, but the agreements are unlikely to serve as a panacea, given the extent to which export success depends on higher quality standards and other factors. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the skepticism of foreign investors. Also, the presence of an illegal separatist regime in Moldova's Transnistria region continues to be a drag on the Moldovan economy. |
Electricity - consumption | 27.37 million kWh (2003) | 5.551 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 220 million kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 3.361 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 29.43 million kWh (2003) | 3.881 billion kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m |
lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m |
Environment - current issues | tap water is not potable; deforestation | heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish | Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region |
Exchange rates | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001) | lei per US dollar - 12.177 (2007), 13.131 (2006), 12.6 (2005), 12.33 (2004), 13.945 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup)
head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud |
chief of state: President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001); First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida GRECIANII (since 10 October 2005) cabinet: Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 4 April 2005 (next to be held in 2009); note - prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated 15 April 2001; cabinet received a vote of confidence 19 April 2001 election results: Vladimir VORONIN reelected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 75, Gheorghe DUCA 1; Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101 |
Exports | NA bbl/day | 31.69 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa | foodstuffs, textiles, machinery |
Exports - partners | US 25.8%, China 22.9%, Spain 11.4%, Canada 7.7%, Taiwan 7.5%, Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, France 4.2% (2005) | Russia 22.8%, Germany 12.2%, Italy 11.1%, Romania 9.7%, Ukraine 9.6%, Belarus 5.7% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice) | same color scheme as Romania - three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized ox head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 3%
industry: 90.6% services: 6.2% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 18.4%
industry: 22.4% services: 59.2% (2007 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 18.6% (2005 est.) | 6% (2007 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 2 00 N, 10 00 E | 47 00 N, 29 00 E |
Geography - note | insular and continental regions widely separated | landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 26.4% (2003) |
Illicit drugs | - | limited cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis, mostly for CIS consumption; transshipment point for illicit drugs from Southwest Asia via Central Asia to Russia, Western Europe, and possibly the US; widespread crime and underground economic activity |
Imports | NA bbl/day | 14,200 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | petroleum sector equipment, other equipment | mineral products and fuel, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles |
Imports - partners | US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.7%, UK 7% (2005) | Russia 20.8%, Ukraine 16.9%, Romania 13.4%, Germany 8.7%, Italy 6.1%, Poland 4.4% (2006) |
Independence | 12 October 1968 (from Spain) | 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
Industrial production growth rate | 30% (2002 est.) | 6% (2007 est.) |
Industries | petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas | sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles |
Infant mortality rate | total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 13.88 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.35 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.33 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5% (2005 est.) | 12.5% (2007 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer) | ACCT, BSEC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
Irrigated land | NA | 3,000 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Tribunal | Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature) |
Labor force | NA | 1.333 million (2007 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 40.7%
industry: 12.1% services: 47.2% (2005 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 539 km
border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km |
total: 1,389 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km |
Land use | arable land: 4.63%
permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2005) |
arable land: 54.52%
permanent crops: 8.81% other: 36.67% (2005) |
Languages | Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo | Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) |
Legal system | partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom | based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, CPDS 2 note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president |
unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 March 2005 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - PCRM 46.1%, Democratic Moldova Bloc 28.4%, PPCD 9.1%, other parties 16.4%; seats by party - PCRM 56, Democratic Moldova Bloc 34, PPCD 11 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 49.54 years
male: 48 years female: 51.13 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 70.2 years
male: 66.51 years female: 74.11 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85.7% male: 93.3% female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.1% male: 99.7% female: 98.6% (2005 est.) |
Location | Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon | Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania |
Map references | Africa | Europe |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
none (landlocked) |
Merchant marine | total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT
by type: cargo 1 (2006) |
total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 15,668 GRT/17,585 DWT
by type: cargo 8 foreign-owned: 3 (Ukraine 3) (2007) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air Force (2005) | National Army: Ground Forces, Rapid Reaction Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (2006) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $152.2 million (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.1% (2005 est.) | 0.4% (2005 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 12 October (1968) | Independence Day, 27 August (1991) |
Nationality | noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s)
adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean |
noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan |
Natural hazards | violent windstorms, flash floods | landslides (57 cases in 1998) |
Natural resources | petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay | lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | -1.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | condensate 46 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 47 km; oil 31 km (2006) | gas 1,980 km (2007) |
Political parties and leaders | Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Victorino Bolekia BONAY]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO] | Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]; Democratic Party or PD [Dumitru DIACOV]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLDM [Vladmir FILAT]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]; Our Moldova Alliance or AMN [Serafim URECHEAN]; Party for Social Democracy or PDSM [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Social Liberal Party or PSL [Oleg SEREBRIAN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 540,109 (July 2006 est.) | 4,320,490 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | 29.5% (2005) |
Population growth rate | 2.05% (2006 est.) | -0.11% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002) | AM 2, FM 29, shortwave NA (2006) |
Railways | - | total: 1,138 km
broad gauge: 1,124 km 1.520-m gauge standard gauge: 14 km 1.435-m gauge (2006) |
Religions | nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices | Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.053 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.941 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.591 male(s)/female total population: 0.912 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal adult | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: poor system with adequate government services
domestic: NA international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way
domestic: depending on location, new subscribers may face long wait for service; multiple private operators of GSM mobile cellular telephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; a CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007 international: country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik (2006) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 10,000 (2005) | 1.018 million (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 96,900 (2005) | 1.358 million (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 40 (2006) |
Terrain | coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic | rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea |
Total fertility rate | 4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 1.25 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 30% (1998 est.) | 2.1%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad (2007 est.) |
Waterways | - | 424 km (on Dniester and Prut rivers) (2007) |