Moldova Geography Profile 2009

Location

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Geographic coordinates

47 00 N, 29 00 E

Map references

Europe

Area

total: 33,851 sq km
land: 32,891 sq km
water: 960 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Maryland

Land boundaries

total: 1,390 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 940 km

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Climate

moderate winters, warm summers

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Natural resources

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

Land use

arable land: 54.52%
permanent crops: 8.81%
other: 36.67% (2005)

Irrigated land

3,000 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

11.7 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.31 cu km/yr (10%/58%/33%)
per capita: 549 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards

landslides

Environment - current issues

heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater; extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

landlocked; well endowed with various sedimentary rocks and minerals including sand, gravel, gypsum, and limestone