Moldava Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southeastern Europe.

Area
33,800 sq km (13,050 sq miles).

Population
4.3 million (UN estimate 2005).

Population Density
127.2 per sq km.

Capital
Chisinau (Kishinev).
Population: 662,200 (official estimate 2004).

Government
Republic since 1991. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Language
Moldovan (official), although considered to be virtually identical to Romanian. Russian is still the most widely-spoken language.

Religion
Mostly Eastern Orthodox Christian and other Christian denominations. A small amount of the population are Jewish.

Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. European plugs with two circular metal pins are used.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev since 2001.

Head of State
President Vladimir Voronin since 2001.

Recent History
The Communist Party came to power in 2001 and were winners again in the most recent parliamentary elections in March 2005. The Moldovan parliament then returned President Voronin for a second term in April 2005, at which point he said he would focus on European integration, resolving the ongoing conflict with Transnistria and raising the standard of living.

Telephone
Country code: 373. Local payphones are cheap and plentiful. They work by phonecards available at kiosks.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone operators. Coverage is generally good all over the country.

Internet
There are Internet cafes in main towns.

Media
The Moldovan constitution guarantees freedom of the press, but laws prohibit defamation and insulting the state. Political parties publish their own newspapers, which often criticize the government. Moldovan editions of Russian titles are among the most-popular Russian-language publications.

Post
All mail to and from Moldova may be subject to long delays. There are express mail services in Chisinau.

Post office hours: Daily 0900-2000.

Press
• Russian language papers include Kommersant Moldoviy, Komsomolskaya Pravda, and Nezavisimaya Moldova.
• Timpul and Flux are Moldovan.

Radio
• Teleradio-Moldova runs Radio Moldova.
• Radio Nova is a commercial station.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1 Jan New Year's Day.
7-8 Jan Moldovan Christmas.
8 Mar International Women's Day.
20 Apr Easter Monday (Orthodox).
1 May Labor Day.
9 May Victory and Commemoration Day.
27 Aug Independence Day.
31 Aug Limba Noastra (National Language Day).

2010
1 Jan New Year's Day.
7-8 Jan Moldovan Christmas.
8 Mar International Women's Day.
28 Apr Easter Monday (Orthodox).
1 May Labor Day.
9 May Victory and Commemoration Day.
27 Aug Independence Day.
31 Aug Limba Noastra (National Language Day).

Contact Information:

Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Piata Marii Adunari 1, Chisinau, MD 2033, Moldova
Tel: (22) 227 620.
Website: www.turism.md

Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the UK
5 Dolphin Square, Edensor Road, London W4 2ST, UK
Tel: (020) 8995 6818.
Website: www.moldovanembassy.org.uk

Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in the USA
2101 S Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 667 1130 or 1137 (ext. 15 for consular section).
Webste: www.embassyrm.org


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