Country name:
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conventional long form: Republic of Moldova
conventional short form:
Moldova
local long form:
Republica Moldova
local short form:
Moldova
former:
Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic
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Government type:
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republic
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Capital:
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name: Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)
note:
pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyev)
geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 28 51 E
time difference:
UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time:
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
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Administrative divisions:
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32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
raions:
Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
municipalities:
Balti, Bender, Chisinau
autonomous territorial unit:
Gagauzia
territorial unit:
Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)
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Independence:
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27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 27 August (1991)
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Constitution:
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adopted 29 July 1994; effective 27 August 1994; note - replaced 1979 Soviet Constitution
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Legal system:
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civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts
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International law organization participation:
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has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal
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Executive branch:
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chief of state: President Nicolae TIMOFTI (since 23 March 2012)
head of government:
Prime Minister Vladimir FILAT (since 25 September 2009); reelected/confirmed on 14 January 2011
cabinet:
Cabinet selected by president, subject to approval of Parliament
(For more information visit the World Leaders website )
elections:
president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 March 2012 (next to be held in March 2016); note - prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence from the Parliament regarding his/her work program and entire cabinet; prime minister (re)designated on 31 December 2010; the prime minister and cabinet received a vote of confidence 14 January 2011
election results:
Nicolae TIMOFTI elected president; parliamentary votes - 62 of 101 votes Vladimir FILAT (re)designated prime minister; parliamentary votes of confidence - 59 of 101
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or Parlamentul (101 seats; members elected on an at-large basis by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections:
last held on 28 November 2010 (next to be held in 2014); note - this was the third parliamentary election in less than two years; the earlier parliaments (elected 5 April 2009 and 29 July 2009) were dissolved after they could not agree on a presidential candidate
election results:
percent of vote by party - PCRM 39.3%, PLDM 29.4%, PD 12.7%, PL 10%, other 8.6%; seats by party - PCRM 42, PLDM 32, PD 15, PL 12; note - in November of 2011, 3 legislators defected from the Communist Party (PCRM) and voted with the PLDM, PD, and PL governing coalition - termed the Alliance for European Integration (AEI) - to reach a 62-seat majority sufficient to elect a new president; the 3 former PCRM legislators are now aligned with the Party of Socialists, and in 2012 an additional 5 legislators defected from the PCRM; 1 PLDM legislator also defected and is independent
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court; Constitutional Court (the sole authority for constitutional judicature)
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Political parties and leaders:
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represented in Parliament: Communist Party of the Republic of Moldova or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]; Democratic Party or PD [Marian LUPU]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLDM [Vladimir FILAT]; Liberal Party or PL [Mihai GHIMPU]; Alliance for European Integration or AEI (coalition of the PD, PLDM, and PL)
not represented in Parliament:
Christian Democratic People's Party or PPCD [Iurie ROSCA]; Conservative Party or PC [Natalia NIRCA]; Ecological Party of Moldova "Green Alliance" or PEMAVE [Vladimir BRAGA]; European Action Movement or MAE [Veaceslav UNTILA]; For Nation and Country Party or PpNT [Sergiu MOCANU]; Humanist Party of Moldova or PUM [Valeriu PASAT]; Labor Party or PM [Gheorghe SIMA]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Vitalia PAVLICENKO]; Party of Socialists or PSRM [Igor DODON]; Patriots of Moldova Party or PPM [Mihail GARBUZ]; Popular Republican Party or PPR [Nicolae ANDRONIC]; Republican Party of Moldova or PRM [Andrei STRATAN]; Roma Social Political Movement of the Republic of Moldova or MRRM [Ion BUCUR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Victor SELIN]; Social Political Movement "Equality" or MR [Valeriy KLIMENCO]; United Moldova Party or PMUEM [Vladimir TURCAN]
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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NA
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International organization participation:
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BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CIS, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, GUAM, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador Igor MUNTEANU
chancery:
2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone:
[1] (202) 667-1130
FAX:
[1] (202) 667-2624
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of mission: Ambassador William H. MOSER
embassy:
103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
mailing address:
use embassy street address
telephone:
[373] (22) 40-8300
FAX:
[373] (22) 23-3044
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Flag description:
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three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; emblem in center of flag is of a Roman eagle of gold outlined in black with a red beak and talons carrying a yellow cross in its beak and a green olive branch in its right talons and a yellow scepter in its left talons; on its breast is a shield divided horizontally red over blue with a stylized aurochs head, star, rose, and crescent all in black-outlined yellow; based on the color scheme of the flag of Romania - with which Moldova shares a history and culture - but Moldova's blue band is lighter; the reverse of the flag does not display any coat of arms
note:
one of only three national flags that differ on their obverse and reverse sides - the others are Paraguay and Saudi Arabia
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National symbol(s):
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aurochs (a type of wild cattle)
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National anthem:
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name: "Limba noastra" (Our Language)
lyrics/music:
Alexei MATEEVICI/Alexandru CRISTEA
note:
adopted 1994
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