Officially name: The Republic of Moldova
Capital: Chişinău
Largest city: Chişinău
Official language: Moldovan (Romanian)
Government: Parliamentary republic
The Republic of Moldova is one of the most densely populated European countries. Its population grew from 3 million in 1961 to nearly 4.3 million in 1995. Population density increased, respectively, from 88 to 129 persons per square kilometre.
Landlocked and bounded by Romania and Ukraine, with the ethnic divisions to prove it, Moldova has come a long way in a short time and is arguably more advanced than EU-friendly Romania in many respects.