Moldova

In brief

Moldova is a country in Eastern Europe. Its capital is Chișinău. With 2.4 million inhabitants in 2025, it ranks 143rd in the world by population, out of the 195 countries recognised by the UN. Its area is 33,846 km². Landlocked, it shares land borders with Romania and Ukraine.

GDP per capita stands at $8,622 (2025), 89th in the world. Life expectancy at birth is 71.3 years (2024). 44% of the population lives in cities.

History of Moldova

The Principality of Moldavia emerged in the 14th century; its prince Stephen the Great long resisted the Ottomans, whose vassal it nonetheless became. In 1812 its eastern part, Bessarabia, was annexed by Russia. United with Romania in 1918, it was occupied by the USSR in 1940 and became a Soviet republic. Independent since 27 August 1991, Moldova does not control Transnistria, a breakaway region since the 1992 war. It has been an EU candidate since 2022.

Geography of Moldova

Squeezed between Romania and Ukraine with no sea access, Moldova is a land of hills and plains with very fertile soils, covered in vineyards and orchards. The Prut marks the western border, and the Dniester flows in the east.

Map of Moldova

Download the map (SVG)Interactive world map

Flag of Moldova

The flag of Moldova is red, blue and yellow. Its official proportions are 1:2 (height to width).

• Red34%
• Blue34%
• Yellow27%
• Orange3%
• Green2%

Share of the flag’s surface taken by each colour.

What the flag stands for

Blue, yellow and red like the Romanian flag, with the coat of arms added: an eagle holding a cross in its beak, with an aurochs head on its breast, the historic emblem of Moldavia.

Sources: Wikipedia, articles “Moldova” and “Flag of Moldova”.

See also: flags with an eagle.

Download the flag (SVG) All 10 red, blue and yellow flags All the flags of the world

Fact file

Economy and society