Moldova (2002) | Vanuatu (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 9 counties (judetele, singular - judetul), 1 municipality* (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit** (unitate teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit*** (unitate teritoriala); Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau*, Edinet, Gagauzia**, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Stinga Nistrului***, Tighina, Ungheni | 6 provinces; Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea, Torba |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 21.7% (male 490,414; female 472,912)
15-64 years: 68.2% (male 1,451,962; female 1,572,561) 65 years and over: 10.1% (male 165,860; female 280,838) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years:
36.35% (male 35,822; female 34,299) 15-64 years: 60.43% (male 59,764; female 56,808) 65 years and over: 3.22% (male 3,348; female 2,869) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk | copra, coconuts, cocoa, coffee, taro, yams, coconuts, fruits, vegetables; fish, beef |
Airports | 30 (2001) | 32 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 7
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (2002) |
total:
2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 23
2,438 to 3,047 m: 4 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 14 (2002) |
total:
30 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 17 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 33,843 sq km
land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km |
total:
12,200 sq km land: 12,200 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes more than 80 islands |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Maryland | slightly larger than Connecticut |
Background | Formerly ruled by Romania, Moldova became part of 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. | The British and French who settled the New Hebrides in the 19th century, agreed in 1906 to an Anglo-French Condominium, which administered the islands until independence in 1980. |
Birth rate | 13.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 25.4 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $536 million
expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues:
$94.4 million expenditures: $99.8 million, including capital expenditures of $30.4 million (1996 est.) |
Capital | Chisinau | Port-Vila |
Climate | moderate winters, warm summers | tropical; moderated by southeast trade winds |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 2,528 km |
Constitution | new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979 | 30 July 1980 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
conventional short form: Moldova local long form: Republica Moldova local short form: none former: Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldova; Moldavia |
conventional long form:
Republic of Vanuatu conventional short form: Vanuatu former: New Hebrides |
Currency | Moldovan leu (MDL) | vatu (VUV) |
Death rate | 12.64 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 8.38 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $1.3 billion (2002) | $48 million (1997 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Pamela Hyde SMITH
embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009 mailing address: use embassy street address; pouch address - American Embassy Chisinau, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7080 telephone: [373] (2) 23-37-72 FAX: [373] (2) 23-30-44 |
the US does not have an embassy in Vanuatu; the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to Vanuatu |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Mihai MANOLI
chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204 |
Vanuatu does not have an embassy in the US, it does, however, have a Permanent Mission to the UN |
Disputes - international | Moldovan difficulties with break-away Transnistria region inhibit establishment of a joint customs regime with Ukraine to curtail smuggling, arms transfers, and other illegal activities | claims Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia |
Economic aid - recipient | $100 million (2000) | $45.8 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | 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, wine, and tobacco. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. Energy shortages contributed to sharp production declines after the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. As part of an ambitious reform effort, Moldova introduced a convertible currency, freed all prices, stopped issuing preferential credits to state enterprises, backed steady land privatization, removed export controls, and freed interest rates. The government entered into agreements with the World Bank and the IMF to promote growth and reduce poverty. The economy returned to positive growth, of 2.1% in 2000 and 6.1% in 2001. Growth remained strong in 2002, in part because of the reforms and because of starting from a small base. Further reforms are in doubt because of strong political forces backing government controls. The economy remains vulnerable to higher fuel prices, poor agricultural weather, and the scepticism of foreign investors. | The economy is based primarily on subsistence or small-scale agriculture which provides a living for 65% of the population. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism, with about 50,000 visitors in 1997, are other mainstays of the economy. Mineral deposits are negligible; the country has no known petroleum deposits. A small light industry sector caters to the local market. Tax revenues come mainly from import duties. Economic development is hindered by dependence on relatively few commodity exports, vulnerability to natural disasters, and long distances from main markets and between constituent islands. The most recent natural disaster, a severe earthquake in November 1999 followed by a tsunami, caused extensive damage to the northern island of Pentecote and left thousands homeless. GDP growth has risen less than 3% on average in the 1990s. In response to foreign concerns, the government is moving to tighten regulation of its offshore financial center. |
Electricity - consumption | 3.655 billion kWh (2000) | 32.6 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 630 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 1.2 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 3.317 billion kWh (2000) | 35 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 90%
hydro: 10% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m |
lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Tabwemasana 1,877 m |
Environment - current issues | heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods | a majority of the population does not have access to a potable and reliable supply of water; deforestation |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 94 signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2% (1989 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region |
indigenous Melanesian 94%, French 4%, Vietnamese, Chinese, Pacific Islanders |
Exchange rates | lei per US dollar - 12.8579 (October 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu | vatu per US dollar - 143.95 (December 2000), 137.82 (2000), 129.08 (1999), 127.52 (1998), 115.87 (1997), 111.72 (1996) |
Executive branch | 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 Vasile IOVV (since NA 2002), Deputy Prime Minister Stefan ODAGIU (since NA 2002) cabinet: selected by prime minister, subject to approval of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 4 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2005); note - presidential elections were scheduled for December 2000, but in July 2000, Parliament canceled direct, popular elections; Parliament's failure to chose a new president in December 2000 led to early parliamentary elections in February 2001; prime minister designated by the president, upon consultation with Parliament; note - 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 elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101 |
chief of state:
President Father John BANI (since 25 March 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Edward NATAPEI (since 16 April 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Serge VOHOR (since 16 April 2001) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister, responsible to Parliament elections: president elected for a four-year term by an electoral college consisting of Parliament and the presidents of the regional councils for a five-year term; election for president last held 25 March 1999 (next to be held NA 2003); following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament from among its members; election for prime minister last held 16 April 2001 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: Father John BANI elected president; percent of electoral college vote - NA%; Edward NATAPEI elected prime minister by Parliament with a total of 27 out of 52 votes note: the government of Prime Minister Barak SOPE was ousted in a no confidence vote on 14 April 2001 and Edward NATAPEI was elected the new prime minister by Parliament |
Exports | $590 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) | $25.3 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | foodstuffs, textiles, and machinery (2001) | copra, kava, beef, cocoa, timber, coffee |
Exports - partners | Russia 43%, Ukraine 10.1%, Italy 8.1%, Germany 7.2%, Romania 6.7% (2001) | Japan 32%, Germany 14%, Spain 8%, New Caledonia 7%, Australia 2% (1997 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | 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 | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and green with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) all separated by a black-edged yellow stripe in the shape of a horizontal Y (the two points of the Y face the hoist side and enclose the triangle); centered in the triangle is a boar's tusk encircling two crossed namele leaves, all in yellow |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $11 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $245 million (1999 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 28%
industry: 23% services: 49% (2000) |
agriculture:
20% industry: 9% services: 71% (1999 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,300 (1999 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2002 est.) | -2.5% (1999 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 47 00 N, 29 00 E | 16 00 S, 167 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone | - |
Highways | total: 20,000 km
paved: 13,900 km (includes some all-weather gravel-surfaced roads) unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990) |
total:
1,070 km paved: 256 km unpaved: 814 km (1996) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2%
highest 10%: 31% (1997) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
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 | $980 million f.o.b. (2002 est.) | $77.2 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Imports - commodities | mineral products and fuel 32%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (2000) | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, fuels |
Imports - partners | Ukraine 18%, Russia 15.1%, Romania 13.1%, Germany 10.5%, Italy 6.4% (2001) | Japan 52%, Australia 20%, New Caledonia, Singapore, New Zealand, France, Fiji (1997 est.) |
Independence | 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) | 30 July 1980 (from France and UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 9% (2002 est.) | 1% (1997 est.) |
Industries | food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles | food and fish freezing, wood processing, meat canning |
Infant mortality rate | 42.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | 61.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.5% (2002 est.) | 2.5% (1999 est.) |
International organization participation | ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO | ACCT, ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, NAM, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIBH, UNTAET, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (1999) | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 3,070 sq km (1998 est.) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature) | Supreme Court (chief justice is appointed by the president after consultation with the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, three other justices are appointed by the president on the advice of the Judicial Service Commission) |
Labor force | 1.7 million (1998) (1998) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 40%, industry 14%, services 46% (1998) (1998) | agriculture 65%, services 32%, industry 3% (1995 est.) |
Land boundaries | total: 1,389 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 54.08%
permanent crops: 12.1% other: 33.82% (1998 est.) |
arable land:
2% permanent crops: 10% permanent pastures: 2% forests and woodland: 75% other: 11% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian (official), Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) | English (official), French (official), pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) |
Legal system | based on civil law system; Constitutional Court reviews legality of legislative acts and governmental decisions of resolution; it is unclear if Moldova accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction but accepts many UN and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) documents | unified system being created from former dual French and British systems |
Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; parties and electoral blocs, as well as independent candidates, elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 25 February 2001 (next to be held NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - PCM 50.1%, Braghis Alliance 13.4%, PPCD 8.2%, other parties 28.3%; seats by party - PCM 71, Braghis Alliance 19, PPCD 11 |
unicameral Parliament (52 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 March 1998 (next to be held NA 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - VP 18, UMP 12, NUP 11, other and independent 11; note - political party associations are fluid; there have been four changes of government since the November 1995 elections note: the National Council of Chiefs advises on matters of custom and land |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 64.74 years
male: 60.39 years female: 69.31 years (2002 est.) |
total population:
60.95 years male: 59.58 years female: 62.39 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94% (1989 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 53% male: 57% female: 48% (1979 est.) |
Location | Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to Australia |
Map references | Europe | Oceania |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
contiguous zone: 24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | - | total:
54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,067,384 GRT/1,330,543 DWT ships by type: bulk 23, cargo 7, chemical tanker 3, combination bulk 2, container 1, liquefied gas 3, petroleum tanker 2, refrigerated cargo 7, vehicle carrier 6 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Australia 2, Canada 1, China 1, France 1, Greece 1, Hong Kong 1, Japan 22, Netherlands 1, Norway 1, Switzerland 1, US 4 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Ground Forces (includes Air and Air Defense Forces), Republic Security Forces (includes paramilitary Internal Troops and Border Troops) | no regular military forces; Vanuatu Police Force (VPF; includes the paramilitary Vanuatu Mobile Force or VMF) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $6 million (FY01) | $NA |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.4% (FY01) | NA% |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 1,172,714 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 929,316 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 42,268 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 27 August (1991) | Independence Day, 30 July (1980) |
Nationality | noun: Moldovan(s)
adjective: Moldovan |
noun:
Ni-Vanuatu (singular and plural) adjective: Ni-Vanuatu |
Natural hazards | landslides (57 cases in 1998) | tropical cyclones or typhoons (January to April); volcanism causes minor earthquakes |
Natural resources | lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone | manganese, hardwood forests, fish |
Net migration rate | -0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | natural gas 310 km (1992) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Social Democratic Union (composed of Braghis Alliance and the Democratic Party of Moldova) [leader NA] | Melanesian Progressive Party or MPP [Barak SOPE]; National United Party or NUP [Willie TITONGOA]; Union of Moderate Parties or UMP [Serge VOHOR]; Vanuaaku Party (Our Land Party) or VP [Edward NATAPEI]; Vanuatu Republican Party [Maxime Carlot KORMAN] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 4,434,547 (July 2002 est.) | 192,910 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 80% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 0.09% (2002 est.) | 1.7% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | none | Forari, Port-Vila, Santo (Espiritu Santo) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998) | AM 2, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Radios | 3.22 million (1997) | 62,000 (1997) |
Railways | total: 1,328 km
broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (2001) |
0 km |
Religions | Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000) | Presbyterian 36.7%, Anglican 15%, Roman Catholic 15%, indigenous beliefs 7.6%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6.2%, Church of Christ 3.8%, other 15.7% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: inadequate, outmoded, poor service outside Chisinau, some effort to modernize is under way
domestic: new subscribers face long wait for service; mobile cellular telephone service being introduced international: service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik |
general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 627,000 (1997) | 4,000 (1996) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,200 (1997) | 154 (1996) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995) | 1 (1997) |
Terrain | rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea | mostly mountains of volcanic origin; narrow coastal plains |
Total fertility rate | 1.71 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 3.19 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 8% (roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad) (2002 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | 424 km (1994) | none |