Geography of Moldova
Location: | Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania |
Geographic coordinates: | 47 00 N, 29 00 E |
Map references: | Europe |
Area: | total: 33,843 sq km land: 33,371 sq km water: 472 sq km |
Area - comparative: | slightly larger than Maryland |
Land boundaries: | total: 1,389 km border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 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 River 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: | 3,000 sq km (2003) |
Natural hazards: | landslides (57 cases in 1998) |
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 |