Moldova

Located between Ukraine and Romania, Moldova was a historic passageway between Asia and southern Europe. An independent Moldovan state emerged in the 14th century, but fell to the Ottoman Turks in the 16th century. During the interwar period Moldova was a part of Romania, but it was incorporated into the Soviet Union at the close of WWII. Russian forces have maintained a presence in Moldova since independence in 1991, and Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a Communist president in 2001. Now one of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova must import all of its energy supplies and the economy continues to rely heavily on agriculture. Striving to join the European Union (EU) the country has implemented some market-oriented reforms, although corruption has slowed their progress. Counterpart International (Counterpart) has facilitated pharmaceutical airlifts, equipped and supplied medical facilities and partnered with local organizations to improve the provision of primary health services.

Map and country information, The World Factbook 2009. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009.