The Republic of Moldova (conventional long form, conventional short form: Moldova, local official long form: Republica Moldova) is a landlocked country in eastern Europe, located between Romania to the west and Ukraine to the east. Historically part of Romania it was reunited with Romania in 1918, then it was annexed with force and war by the Communist Soviet Union in 1945 after the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, during 1940-1941, 1945-1991 as the Moldavian SSR. It declared its independence from the USSR on 27 August 1991 and hopes to join EU in 2010.
Moldova's relationship with Romania, which is set to become a European Union (EU) member in 2007, has also been strained, with Moldova publicly making various accusations against Romania. The prospect of union with Romania is constantly an issue, though certainly not an imminent prospect as of 2005. In September 2005, President of Moldova Voronin met Romanian President Traian Băsescu and he declared textually "We go with Romania until the end" meaning that Romanians and Moldovans are the same nation (albeit separate states) and will have a common future.
The government has stated that Moldova has European aspirations but there has been little progress toward EU membership. Once Romania joins the EU, any unification between the two countries would presumably bring Moldova into the EU if it later unified with Romania, just as East Germany entered the EU when it reunified with West Germany in 1990.
On May 1, 2004 many EU enthusiasts waving the EU flags found their flags confiscated by police and some were arrested under the clause of "anti-nationalism." At present, Moldova remains one of the poorest country in Europe, with rampant corruption and a sadly booming trade in people.
The largest part of the country lies between two rivers, the Nistru and the Prut. Moldova's rich soil and temperate continental climate have made the country one of the most productive agricultural regions and a major supplier of agricultural products in the region.
The western border of Moldova is formed by the Prut river, which joins the Danube before flowing into the Black Sea. In the north-east, the Dniester is the main river, flowing through the country from north to south.
The country is landlocked, even though it is very close to the Black Sea. While the northern part of the country is hilly, elevations never exceed 430 m (the highest point being the Dealul Bălăneşti).
Moldova has a temperate continental climate, with warm summers, but mild winters.
The country's main cities are the capital Chişinău, in the centre of the country, Tiraspol (in Transnistria), Bălţi and Bender.
The Culture of Moldova has been influenced primarily by the Romanian origin, the roots of which, reach back to the second century A.D., the period of Roman colonization in Dacia. This is due to the fact that the majority population of Moldova, Moldovans are of common ethnicity with Romanians.
During the centuries following the Roman withdrawal in 271 A.D., the population of the region was influenced by contact with the Byzantine Empire, neighboring Slavic and Magyar populations, and later the Ottoman Turks. Beginning in the nineteenth century, a strong West European (particularly French) influence came to be evident in Romanian literature and the arts. The resulting mélange has produced a rich cultural tradition. Although foreign contacts were an inevitable consequence of the region's geography, their influence only served to enhance a vital and resilient popular culture.
The regional population had come to identify itself widely as "Moldovan" by the fourteenth century, but continued to maintain close cultural links with other Romanian groups. The eastern Moldovans, however, those inhabiting Bessarabia and Transnistria, were also influenced by Slavic culture from neighboring Ukraine. During the periods 1812-1917, and 1944-1989, the eastern Moldovans were influenced by Russian and Soviet administrative control, as well and by ethnic Russian immigration.
Bessarabia was one of the least-developed, and least-educated European regions of the Russian Empire. In 1930, its literacy rate was only 40 percent, according to a Romanian census. Although Soviet authorities promoted education (not the least to spread communist ideology), they also did everything they could to break the region's cultural ties with Romania. With many ethnic Romanian intellectuals, either fleeing, being killed, or being deported both during and after World War II, Bessarabia's cultural and educational situation worsened.
To fill the gap, Soviet authorities developed urban cultural and scientific centres and institutions that were subsequently filled with Russians, and with other non-Romanian ethnic groups, but this culture was superimposed and alien. Urban culture came from Moscow; the rural ethnic Romanian population was allowed to express itself only in folklore or folk art.
Although the folk arts flourished, similarities with Romanian culture were hidden. Music and dance, particularly encouraged by Soviet authorities, were made into a showcase, but were subtly distorted to hide their Romanian origins. An example is the national folk costume, in which the traditional Romanian moccasin (opinca) was replaced by the Russian boot.
Moldova's folk culture is extremely rich, and the ancient folk ballad, the "Mioriţa", "Meşterul Manole" plays a central role in the traditional culture. Folk traditions, including ceramics and weaving, continue to be practiced in rural areas. The folk culture tradition is promoted at the national level and is represented by, among other groups, the republic's dance company, Joc, and by the folk choir, Doina.
The first Moldovan books (religious texts) appeared in the mid-seventeenth century. Prominent figures in Moldova's cultural development include prince and scholar, Dimitrie Cantemir (1673-1723), historian and philologist Bogdan P. Hasdeu (1836-1907), author Ion Creangă (1837-89), and poet Mihai Eminescu (1850-89).
Prominent modern writers include Vladimir Besleagă, Pavel Boţu, Aureliu Busuioc, Nicolae Dabija, Ion Druţă, Victor Teleuca and Grigore Vieru. In 1991, a total of 520 books were published in Moldova, of which 402 were in Romanian, 108 in Russian, eight in Gagauz, and two in Bulgarian.
In the early 1990s, Moldova had twelve professional theaters. All performed in Romanian, except the A.P. Chekhov Russian Drama Theater in Chişinău, and the Russian Drama and Comedy Theater in Tiraspol, both of which performed solely in Russian, and the Licurici Republic Puppet Theater (in Chişinău), which performed in both Romanian and Russian. Although, among those controlled tendencies by Soviets, real artists in music formed real art-bands, such as "Ciocîrlia" led by Serghei Lunchevici (Loonkevich),and "Lăutarii" of Nicolae Botgros. Members of ethnic minorities manage a number of folklore groups and amateur theaters throughout the country.
Things you should know when travelling to Moldova
You are advised against all travel to the northeastern Transnistria region. The security situation is unstable and unpredictable, and the region is not under government control. There are frequent checkpoints. Visitors who must travel in this region should register with the Embassy of Canada in Bucharest, Romania.
Violent crime has increased, particularly in Chisinau. Street crime, such as mugging, pickpocketing, and purse-snatching, is prevalent. Exercise normal safety precautions and ensure personal belongings, passports, and other travel documents are secure. Do not show signs of affluence. Theft on trains and from hotel rooms is common. Do not travel alone after dark. Demonstrations can occur and should be avoided. Local police can be contacted at 902, and ambulance services at 903. However, most dispatchers only speak Moldovan (Romanian) or Russian.
