The Destination: Part One

The BBC's Country Profile on Moldova is very useful to those of us who couldn't find Moldova on a map!

Here are a couple of choice extracts:

Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova emerged as an independent republic following the collapse of the USSR in 1991.

Two-thirds of Moldovans are of Romanian descent, the languages are virtually identical and the two countries share a common cultural heritage.

Moldova is one of the very poorest countries in Europe and has a large foreign debt and high unemployment. Its once-flourishing wine trade has been in decline and it is heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies.

• Population: 4.3 million (UN, 2005)
• Capital: Chisinau
• Area: 33,800 sq km (13,050 sq miles)
• Major languages: Moldovan, Russian
• Major religion: Christianity
• Life expectancy: 64 years (men), 71 years (women)
• Monetary unit: 1 leu = 100 bani
• Main exports: Foodstuffs, animal and vegetable products, textiles
• GNI per capita: US $880 (World Bank, 2006)
• Internet domain: .md
• International dialling code: +373

Last year, Moldova was in the international press following a dispute with Russia over gas prices and suffered for a time without its much needed gas supply before compromises were made on both sides.