Religion: Almost the entire population are Orthodox Chistian. There is a small
Jewish minority.
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Capital: Chisinau
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Political history
The territory which is now Moldova is the eastern half of the mediaeval Romanian
principality of Moldavia, which came under Ottoman rule in the early 16th century. It
was ceded to Russia in 1812 and remained part of the Russian Empire until 1918, while
retaining its Romanian language and identity. In 1918 the territory, then known as
Bessarabia, was awarded to Romania by the victorious allies.
In 1940 the Soviet Union demanded the return of Bessarabia and Bukovina, and
the Romanians were powerless to resist. In 1941, however, Romanian joined Germany's
attack on the Soviet Union and reclaimed the lost territory. In 1944 Soviet forces
recaptured it and in 1947 it officially became the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1991 the Moldovans joined the other Soviet republics in declaring their
independence. It was widely expected that Moldova would choose to be re-united with
Romania, but instead the Moldovans have opted to retain their independence. This is partly because a
separate sense of Moldovan ethnicity developed during the decades of Soviet rule,
partly because of apprehension about the economic costs of unification with chaotic
post-communist Romania, and partly because the opposition of the Ukrainian, Russian
and Turkish minorities.
Independent Moldova has been plagued by ethnic divisions. In 1991 ethnic
Ukrainians and Russians declared an independent republic in the border region of
Transnistria, and the Turkish Gagauz also declared their autonomy. These two regions
now have local self-government.
The dominant party in Moldova is the revived
Communist Party, which holds the presidency and a
majority in the legislature, though there is little specifically communist about its
policies, apart from opposition to reunification with Romania. The communists are
opposed by a large collection of smaller parties, the largest of these being the
Christian-Democratic People's Party, the
Democratic Party of Moldova and the
Social-Democratic Party.
In 1940 the Soviet Union demanded the return of Bessarabia and Bukovina, and the Romanians were powerless to resist. In 1941, however, Romanian joined Germany's attack on the Soviet Union and reclaimed the lost territory. In 1944 Soviet forces recaptured it and in 1947 it officially became the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1991 the Moldovans joined the other Soviet republics in declaring their independence. It was widely expected that Moldova would choose to be re-united with Romania, but instead the Moldovans have opted to retain their independence. This is partly because a separate sense of Moldovan ethnicity developed during the decades of Soviet rule, partly because of apprehension about the economic costs of unification with chaotic post-communist Romania, and partly because the opposition of the Ukrainian, Russian and Turkish minorities.
Independent Moldova has been plagued by ethnic divisions. In 1991 ethnic Ukrainians and Russians declared an independent republic in the border region of Transnistria, and the Turkish Gagauz also declared their autonomy. These two regions now have local self-government.
The dominant party in Moldova is the revived Communist Party, which holds the presidency and a majority in the legislature, though there is little specifically communist about its policies, apart from opposition to reunification with Romania. The communists are opposed by a large collection of smaller parties, the largest of these being the Christian-Democratic People's Party, the Democratic Party of Moldova and the Social-Democratic Party.