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

@Moldova:Economy

Economy - overview: 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
stable 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; the value of the currency in
relation to the dollar fell by half. In 1999, GDP fell again, by 4.4%,
the fifth drop in the past six years; exports were down, and energy
supplies continued erratic. GDP is expected to remain at about the
same level in 2000.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $9.7 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: -4.4% (1999 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,200 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
industry: 35%
services: 34% (1998)

Population below poverty line: 75% (1999 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 25.8% (1992)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 38% (1999 est.)

Labor force: 1.7 million (1998)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40.2%, industry 14.3%, other
45.5% (1998)

Unemployment rate: 2% (includes only officially registered unemployed;
large numbers of underemployed workers) (September 1998)

Budget:
revenues: $536 million
expenditures: $594 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1998 est.)

Industries: food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry
equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery,
sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles

Industrial production growth rate: -10% (1999 est.)

Electricity - production: 5.661 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - produc