Zambia (2005) | Moldova (2001) | |
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Administrative divisions | 9 provinces; Central, Copperbelt, Eastern, Luapula, Lusaka, Northern, North-Western, Southern, Western | 10 juletule (singular - juletul), 1 municipality*, and 1 autonomous territorial unit**; Balti, Cahul, Chisinau, Chisinau*, Dubasari, Edinet, Gagauzia**, Lapusna, Orhei, Soroca, Tighina, Ungheni |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 46.5% (male 2,626,911/female 2,609,857)
15-64 years: 51.1% (male 2,848,402/female 2,904,376) 65 years and over: 2.4% (male 118,043/female 154,206) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years:
22.44% (male 506,303; female 488,311) 15-64 years: 67.62% (male 1,437,492; female 1,559,090) 65 years and over: 9.94% (male 163,473; female 276,901) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | corn, sorghum, rice, peanuts, sunflower seed, vegetables, flowers, tobacco, cotton, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca); cattle, goats, pigs, poultry, milk, eggs, hides; coffee | vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk |
Airports | 109 (2004 est.) | 30 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 10
over 3,047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
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 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 99
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 62 under 914 m: 32 (2004 est.) |
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 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 752,614 sq km
land: 740,724 sq km water: 11,890 sq km |
total:
33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Texas | slightly larger than Maryland |
Background | The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule, but the subsequent vote in 1996 saw blatant harassment of opposition parties. The election in 2001 was marked by administrative problems with three parties filing a legal petition challenging the election of ruling party candidate Levy MWANAWASA. The new president launched a far-reaching anti-corruption campaign in 2002, which resulted in the prosecution of former President Frederick CHILUBA and many of his supporters in late 2003. Opposition parties currently hold a majority of seats in the National Assembly. | 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 Nistru (Dnister) River supporting the Slavic majority population, mostly Ukrainians and Russians, who have proclaimed a "Transnistria" republic. One of the poorest nations in Europe and plagued by a moribund economy, in 2001 Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist as its president. |
Birth rate | 41.38 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 13.35 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.129 billion
expenditures: $1.307 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues:
$536 million expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
Capital | Lusaka | Chisinau |
Climate | tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April) | moderate winters, warm summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 0 km (landlocked) |
Constitution | 24 August 1991 | new constitution adopted 28 July 1994; replaces old Soviet constitution of 1979 |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Zambia
conventional short form: Zambia former: Northern Rhodesia |
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 |
Currency | - | Moldovan leu (MDL) |
Death rate | 20.23 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 12.6 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $5.353 billion (2004 est.) | $900 million (2000) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Martin George BRENNAN
embassy: corner of Independence and United Nations Avenues mailing address: P. O. Box 31617, Lusaka telephone: [260] (1) 250-955 FAX: [260] (1) 252-225 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Rudolf Vilem PERINA embassy: Strada Alexei Mateevicie, #103, Chisinau 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 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA
chancery: 2419 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 265-9717 through 9719 FAX: [1] (202) 332-0826 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ceslav CIOBANU chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130 FAX: [1] (202) 667-1204 |
Disputes - international | in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections and joined Namibia in supporting plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river; 90,000 Angolan refugees were repatriated from Zambia by 2004, the remaining 160,000 are expected to return in 2005 | separatist Transnistria region, comprising the area between the Nistru (Dniester) River and Ukraine, has its own de facto government, dominated by Moldovan Slavs |
Economic aid - recipient | $651 million (2000 est.) | $100.8 million (1995); note - $547 million from the IMF and World Bank (1992-99) |
Economy - overview | Despite progress in privatization and budgetary reform, Zambia's economic growth remains somewhat below the 5% to 7% needed to reduce poverty significantly. Privatization of government-owned copper mines relieved the government from covering mammoth losses generated by the industry and greatly improved the chances for copper mining to return to profitability and spur economic growth. Copper output increased in 2004 and is expected to increase again in 2005, due to higher copper prices and the opening of new mines. The maize harvest was again good in 2004, helping boost GDP and agricultural exports. Cooperation continues with international bodies on programs to reduce poverty, including a new lending arrangement with the IMF in the second quarter, 2004. A tighter monetary policy will help cut inflation, but Zambia still has a serious problem with fiscal discipline. | 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. Yet these efforts could not offset the impact of political and economic difficulties, both internal and regional. In 1998, the economic troubles of Russia, by far Moldova's leading trade partner, were a major cause of the 8.6% drop in GDP. In 1999, GDP fell again, by 4.4%, the fifth drop in the past seven years; exports were down, and energy supplies continued to be erratic. GDP declined slightly in 2000, with a serious drought hurting agriculture. Growth should turn positive in 2001. |
Electricity - consumption | 5.345 billion kWh (2002) | 5.78 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 2.25 billion kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 1.916 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 8.167 billion kWh (2002) | 4.155 billion kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
93.62% hydro: 6.38% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Zambezi river 329 m
highest point: unnamed location in Mafinga Hills 2,301 m |
lowest point:
Nistru (Dnister) River 2 m highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution and resulting acid rain in the mineral extraction and refining region; chemical runoff into watersheds; poaching seriously threatens rhinoceros, elephant, antelope, and large cat populations; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; lack of adequate water treatment presents human health risks | 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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
Ethnic groups | African 98.7%, European 1.1%, other 0.2% | Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Gagauz 3.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, other 1.7% (1989 est.)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region |
Exchange rates | Zambian kwacha per US dollar - 4,778.9 (2004), 4,733.3 (2003), 4,398.6 (2002), 3,610.9 (2001), 3,110.8 (2000) | lei per US dollar - 12.3728 (January 2001), 12.4342 (2000), 10.5158 (1999), 5.3707 (1998), 4.6236 (1997), 4.6045 (1996); note - lei is the plural form of leu |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); Vice President Lupando MWAPE (since 4 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Levy MWANAWASA (since 2 January 2002); Vice President Lupando MWAPE (since 4 October 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of the National Assembly elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006); vice president appointed by the president election results: Levy MWANAWASA elected president; percent of vote - Levy MWANAWASA 29%, Anderson MAZOKA 27%, Christon TEMBO 13%, Tilyenji KAUNDA 10%, Godfrey MIYANDA 8%, Benjamin MWILA 5%, Michael SATA 3%, other 5% |
chief of state:
President Vladimir VORONIN (since 4 April 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Vasile TARLEV (since 15 April 2001), three Deputy Prime Ministers: Valerian CRISTEA, Andrei CUCU, and Dmitri TODOROGLO (all since 19 April 2001) 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; 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 (moved up a year to February 2001); according to the Moldovan constitution, the president, on consulting with Parliament, will designate a candidate for the office of prime minister; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate will request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister designated on 15 April 2001, cabinet received vote of confidence on 19 April 2001 election results: Vladimir VORONIN elected president; parliamentary votes - Vladimir VORONIN 71, Dumitru BRAGHIS 15, Valerian CHRISTEA 3; Vasile TARLEV elected Prime Minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 75 of 101 |
Exports | NA | $500 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Exports - commodities | copper/cobalt 64%, cobalt, electricity, tobacco, flowers, cotton | foodstuffs 57%, wine, tobacco; textiles and footwear, machinery (1999) |
Exports - partners | South Africa 25.6%, UK 17%, Switzerland 16%, Tanzania 7.4%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 7%, Zimbabwe 5.8% (2004) | Russia 41%, Romania 9%, Germany 8%, Ukraine 7%, Italy, Belarus (1999) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | green with a panel of three vertical bands of red (hoist side), black, and orange below a soaring orange eagle, on the outer edge of the flag | 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 | - | purchasing power parity - $11.3 billion (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 14.9%
industry: 28.9% services: 56.1% (2004 est.) |
agriculture:
31% industry: 35% services: 34% (1998) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $900 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $2,500 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.6% (2004 est.) | -1.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 15 00 S, 30 00 E | 47 00 N, 29 00 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; the Zambezi forms a natural riverine boundary with Zimbabwe | landlocked |
Highways | total: 91,440 km
paved: 20,117 km unpaved: 71,323 km (2001) |
total:
20,000 km paved: 13,900 km (these roads are said to be hard-surfaced, and include, in addition to conventionally paved roads, some that are surfaced with gravel or other coarse aggregate, making them trafficable in all weather) unpaved: 6,100 km (these roads are made of unstabilized earth and are difficult to negotiate in wet weather) (1990) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 1.1%
highest 10%: 41% (1998) |
lowest 10%:
2.7% highest 10%: 25.8% (1992) |
Illicit drugs | transshipment point for moderate amounts of methaqualone, small amounts of heroin, and cocaine bound for Southern Africa and possibly Europe; a poorly developed financial infrastructure coupled with a government commitment to combating money laundering make it an unattractive venue for money launderers | 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 |
Imports | NA | $761 million (f.o.b., 2000) |
Imports - commodities | machinery, transportation equipment, petroleum products, electricity, fertilizer; foodstuffs, clothing | mineral products and fuel 38%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles (1999) |
Imports - partners | South Africa 46.2%, UK 14.2%, UAE 7.1%, Zimbabwe 6% (2004) | Russia 21%, Romania 16%, Ukraine 14%, Germany 12%, Italy 6%, Belarus (1999) |
Independence | 24 October 1964 (from UK) | 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
Industrial production growth rate | 6.9% (2004 est.) | 3% (2000 est.) |
Industries | copper mining and processing, construction, foodstuffs, beverages, chemicals, textiles, fertilizer, horticulture | food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles |
Infant mortality rate | total: 88.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 95.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 80.72 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
42.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 18.3% (2004 est.) | 32% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 2 (1999) |
Irrigated land | 460 sq km (1998 est.) | 3,110 sq km (1993 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (the final court of appeal; justices are appointed by the president); High Court (has unlimited jurisdiction to hear civil and criminal cases) | Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature) |
Labor force | 4.63 million (2004 est.) | 1.7 million (1998) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 85%, industry 6%, services 9% | agriculture 40%, industry 14%, other 46% (1998) |
Land boundaries | total: 5,664 km
border countries: Angola 1,110 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,930 km, Malawi 837 km, Mozambique 419 km, Namibia 233 km, Tanzania 338 km, Zimbabwe 797 km |
total:
1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km |
Land use | arable land: 7.08%
permanent crops: 0.03% other: 92.9% (2001) |
arable land:
53% permanent crops: 14% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 13% other: 7% (1993 est.) |
Languages | English (official), major vernaculars - Bemba, Kaonda, Lozi, Lunda, Luvale, Nyanja, Tonga, and about 70 other indigenous languages | Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect) |
Legal system | based on English common law and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in an ad hoc constitutional council; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | 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 |
Legislative branch | unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 27 December 2001 (next to be held December 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - MMD 45.9%, UPND 32.4%, UNIP 8.8%, FDD 8.1%, HP 2.7%, PF 0.7%, ZRP 0.7%, independents 0.7%; seats by party - MMD 68, UPND 48, UNIP 13, FDD 12, HP 4, PF 1, ZRP 1, independents 1; seats not determined 2 |
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 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 39.7 years
male: 39.43 years female: 39.98 years (2005 est.) |
total population:
64.6 years male: 60.15 years female: 69.26 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write English
total population: 80.6% male: 86.8% female: 74.8% (2003 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96% male: 99% female: 94% (1989 est.) |
Location | Southern Africa, east of Angola | Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania |
Map references | Africa | Commonwealth of Independent States |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | none (landlocked) |
Military branches | Zambian National Defense Force (ZNDF): Army, Air Force, Police, National Service | Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $106.8 million (2004) | $6 million (FY99) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.8% (2004) | 1% (FY99) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
1,164,018 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
921,210 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males:
42,268 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 24 October (1964) | Independence Day, 27 August (1991) |
Nationality | noun: Zambian(s)
adjective: Zambian |
noun:
Moldovan(s) adjective: Moldovan |
Natural hazards | periodic drought, tropical storms (November to April) | landslides (57 cases in 1998) |
Natural resources | copper, cobalt, zinc, lead, coal, emeralds, gold, silver, uranium, hydropower | lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Pipelines | oil 771 km (2004) | natural gas 310 km (1992) |
Political parties and leaders | Agenda for Zambia or AZ [Inonge MBIKUSITA-LEWANIKA]; Forum for Democracy and Development or FDD [Christon TEMBO]; Heritage Party or HP [Godfrey MIYANDA]; Liberal Progressive Front or LPF [Roger CHONGWE, president]; Movement for Multiparty Democracy or MMD [Levy MWANAWASA, acting president]; National Leadership for Development or NLD [Yobert SHAMAPANDE]; National Party or NP [Dr. Sam CHIPUNGU]; Patriotic Front or PF [Michael SATA]; Zambian Republican Party or ZRP [Benjamin MWILA]; Social Democratic Party or SDP [Gwendoline KONIE]; United National Independence Party or UNIP [Francis NKHOMA, president]; United Party for National Development or UPND [Anderson MAZOKA] | Braghis Alliance [Dumitru BRAGHIS]; Popular Christian Democratic Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Communist Party or PCM [Vladimir VORONIN, first chairman] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 11,261,795
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.) |
4,431,570 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 86% (1993) | 75% (1999 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.12% (2005 est.) | 0.05% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Mpulungu | none |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 19, FM 5, shortwave 4 (2001) | AM 7, FM 50, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | - | 3.22 million (1997) |
Railways | total: 2,173 km
narrow gauge: 2,173 km 1.067-m gauge note: includes 891 km of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) (2004) |
total:
1,328 km broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992) |
Religions | Christian 50%-75%, Muslim and Hindu 24%-49%, indigenous beliefs 1% | Eastern Orthodox 98.5%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist (only about 1,000 members) (1991) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
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 (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: facilities are aging but still among the best in Sub-Saharan Africa
domestic: high-capacity microwave radio relay connects most larger towns and cities; several cellular telephone services in operation; Internet service is widely available; very small aperture terminal (VSAT) networks are operated by private firms international: country code - 260; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 1 Atlantic Ocean) |
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 |
Telephones - main lines in use | 88,400 (2003) | 627,000 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 241,000 (2003) | 2,200 (1997) |
Television broadcast stations | 9 (2002) | 1 (plus 30 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains | rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea |
Total fertility rate | 5.47 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.67 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 50% (2000 est.) | 1.9% (includes only officially registered unemployed; large numbers of underemployed workers) (November 2000) |
Waterways | 2,250 km
note: includes Lake Tanganyika and the Zambezi and Luapula rivers (2003) |
424 km (1994) |