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.
Moldova, a country in eastern Europe that was once part of the Soviet Union. Moldova lies near the Black Sea and is bordered by Romania and Ukraine. Moldova occupies rich prairie land and is drained by the Prut and Dniester rivers. The area is 13,012 square miles (33,700 km2).
Moldova is divided into 32 districts (Romanian: "raioane", raions), 3 municipalities (Chişinău, Bălţi, and Bender), one "autonomous territorial unit" (Gagauzia), and the territorial unit of Transnistria, the final status of which is yet unclear.