Location: Eastern Europe, north-east of Romania

Geographic coordinates: 45^o28’ - 48^o28’ N, 26^o40’ - 30^o06’ E

Area:
total: 33,843 sq. km
land: 33,371 sq. km
water: 472 sq. km (main rivers: Danube, Nistru, Prut, Raut; main lakes: Beleu, Bic, Dracele)

Population: 4,264,300 inh. (126,2 inh./1 sq. Km)

Land boundaries:
total: 1,389 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Coastline: 200 m at the south extreme point (Giurgiulesti) with the delta of the Danube river

Extreme points:
lowest point: Nistru River -2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti +430 m
north point: Naslavcea
south point: Giurgiulesti
west point: Criva
east point: Palanca

Main cities: Chisinau, Balti, Tighina (Bender), Tiraspol

Climate: moderate winters (in January -4 -7 ^oC), warm summers (in July +25 +28 ^oC)

Terrain: Hilly steppes in the north & center (Codru), plain in the south (Bugeac Plain)

Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 53%
permanent crops: 14%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 9%
others: 11%

Soils: chernozemic (black soil), podzolic (forester soil)

Flora: 2300 species of wild plants (oak, beech, maple, linden)

Fauna: 68 species of mammals (fox, roe buck, deer, wild boar), 270 species of birds and more than 10 thousand species of invertebrates

Tags: Moldova Geography