Moldava Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southeastern Europe.

Area
33,800 sq km (13,050 sq miles).

Population
4.3 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
127.2 per sq km.

Capital
Chisinau (Kishinev).
Population: 662,200 (official estimate 2004).

Government
Republic since 1991. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. 
Recent history: The Communist party came to power in 2001 and were winners again in the most recent parliamentary elections in March 2005. The Moldovan parliament then returned President Voronin for a second term in April 2005, at which point he said he would focus on European integration, resolving the ongoing conflict with Transnistria and raising the standard of living.

Language
The Constitution of 1994 described the official language as ‘Moldovan’ although it is considered to be virtually identical to Romanian. In 1940, after Soviet annexation, the Cyrillic script was introduced and was referred to as Moldavian up until 1989 when the Latin alphabet was reintroduced. Russian is still the most widely spoken language. The ethnic and linguistic make-up of Moldova is as follows: Moldovans 64.5 per cent, Ukrainians 13.8 per cent, Russians 13 per cent, Gagauz 3.5 per cent, Bulgarians 1.5 per cent, others 3.7 per cent.

Religion
Mostly Eastern Orthodox Christian and other Christian denominations. A small amount of the population are Jewish.

Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev since 2001.

Head of State
President Vladimir Voronin since 2001.

Telephone
Country code: 373. There are two types of payphone: Soviet ones (taking tokens) and modern ones (taking cards).

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone operators. Coverage extends over the central area of the country.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in main towns.

Post
All mail to and from Moldova may be subject to long delays. The postal and telecommunication systems are being modernized. The main post office is at 73 Stefan cel Mare boulevard, 277012 Chisinau. There are express mail services in Chisinau.

Post office hours: Mon-Sun 0900-2000.

Press
• The press is generally uncensored. There are more than a dozen daily newspapers in Moldova, the most popular being Moldova Suverana published in Romanian.
• Other main papers include Dnestrovskaya Pravda, Nezavisimaya Moldova (published in Russian), Trudovoi Tiraspol and Viata Satului.
• English-language publications can sometimes be found at major hotels in Chisinau.
• Western press deliveries are erratic.

Radio
• Teleradio-Moldova runs Radio Moldova.
• Radio Nova is a commercial station.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2007-December 2008 period.

2007
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
7-8 Jan Moldovan Christmas.
8 Mar International Women’s Day.
9 Apr Easter Monday (Orthodox).
1 May Labor Day.
9 May Victory and Commemoration Day.
27 Aug Independence Day.
31 Aug Limba Noastra (National Language Day).

2008
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
7-8 Jan Moldovan Christmas.
8 Mar International Women’s Day.
9 Apr Easter Monday (Orthodox).
1 May Labor Day.
9 May Victory and Commemoration Day.
27 Aug Independence Day.
31 Aug Limba Noastra (National Language Day).

Contact Information:

Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Piata Marii Adunari 1, MD 2033, Mun, Chisinau, Republica Moldova
Tel: (22) 227 620.
Website: www.turism.md

Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the UK
5 Dolphin Square, Edensor Road,Chiswick, London W4 2ST, UK
Tel: (020) 8995 6818.
Website: www.moldovanembassy.org.uk

Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the USA
2101 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 667 1130 or 1137 (ext. 15 for consular section).
Webste: www.embassyrm.org


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