| Geography and Climate |
Moldova is a landlocked country, located in Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania.
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Hawaii. Total land boundary is 1,389 km,
border countries, Romania 450 km and Ukraine 939 km.
Climate is moderate winters, warm summers. Terrain consists of rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea. Elevation extreme has the lowest point in Nistru River 2 m and highest point in Mount Balaneshty 430 m. Natural resources are lignite, phosphorites, gypsum. Land use:
arable land: 53%, permanent crops: 14%, permanent pastures: 13%, forests and woodland: 13%,
other: 7% (1993 est.). Irrigated land: 3,110 sq km (1993 est.).
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.
Ref. Anonymous, 1999 |