ies: oil, gas, coal, steel, machinery, foodstuffs,
automobiles, and other consumer durables
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Romania, Germany

Debt - external: $950.7 million (of which $240 million to Russia)
(1996 est.)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: commitments, $1,335 million ($500 million disbursements),
1992-95

Currency: the Moldovan leu (MLD) (plural lei) was introduced in late
1993

Exchange rates: lei (MLD) per US$1 (end of period) - 4.6870 (January
1997), 4.6743 (1996), 4.4990 (1995), 4.2700 (1994), 3.6400 (1993),
0.4145 (1992); period average - 4.6121 (August 1996), 4.4958 (1995)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Moldova:Communications

Telephones: 600,000 (1996 est.)

Telephone system: telecommunication system not well developed; 215,000
unsatisfied requests for telephone service (1991 est.); in early 1997,
Chisinau was considering privatizing its state-owned telephone company
domestic: NA
international: international connections to other former Soviet
republics by landline and microwave radio relay through Ukraine and to
other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international
gateway switch; satellite earth stations - 1 Eutelsat and 1 Intelsat

Radio broadcast stations: AM 9, FM 5, shortwave NA (1994)

Radios: NA

Television broadcast stations: 2 (one national and one private) (1995)

Televisions: NA

@Moldova:Transportation

Railways:
total: 1,328 km
broad gauge: 1,328 km 1.520-m gauge (1992)

Highways:
total: 12,259 km
paved: 10,690 km
unpaved: 1,569 km (1995 est.)

Waterways: 424 km (1994)

Pipelines: natural gas 310 km (1992)

Ports and harbors: none

Airports: 26 (1994 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 8
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
under 914 m : 3 (1994 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 18
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m : 5
under 914 m: 8 (1994 est.)

Military

Military branches: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republic
Security Forces (internal and border troops)

Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,134,619 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 894,337 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 37,689 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: 203 million lei (1995); note -
conversion of defense expenditures