st of Romania

Geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 33,843 sq km water: 472 sq km land: 33,371 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries: total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km,
Ukraine 939 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: moderate winters, warm summers

Terrain: rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dniester River 2 m highest point:
Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

Land use: arable land: 54% permanent crops: 12% other: 34% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 3,070 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: landslides (57 cases in 1998)

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

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

Geography - note: landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary
rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone

People Moldova

Population: 4,434,547 (July 2002 est.)

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.)

Population growth rate: 0.09% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 13.82 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 12.64 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

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.)

Infant mortality rate: 42.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 69.31 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 1.71 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 4,500 (1999 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)

Nationality: noun: Moldovan(s) ad