Moldova

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 (Nistru) 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	2,283 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