Moldova is a country located in eastern Europe. The country shares its borders with Ukraine on the north, east and south. On the west, Moldova shares its border with Romania. Chisinau is the capital of the country. Moldova is a country with a total population of 2.6 million where several ethnic groups live such as Moldovans, Romanians, Ukrainians, etc. The official language of the country is Romania. Moldova has a unitary parliamentary constitutional political system in the country. The president of Moldova is the head of the state while the prime minister of the country is the head of the government. Today in this article, we will discuss some interesting facts about Moldova.
Moldova Facts
1. Moldova has the world’s largest wine cellar
Milestii Mici is a wine cellar located in the Milestii Mici area of the country. An interesting fact about Moldova is that this wine celler is known as the world’s largest wine cellar. It was established in 1969. This great wine cellar contains around two million wine bottles. These wine bottles are kept in the underground galleries lined with limestone. The limestone in the galleries provide optimum conditions of temperature and humidity to the wine so that it can mature. The wine of Milestii Mici is one of the top-selling and highly-priced wines in the world.
2. Moldova’s wine cannot be sold in Russia
It is surprising to know that the wine made in Moldova is banned in Russia. It is not due to the poor quality of the wine. Rather, it is due to a diplomatic dispute that occurred in 2006. Russia was the biggest export market of Moldova’s wine. Around 90% of the wine made in Moldova was being exported to Russia at that time. After this ban, Moldova suffered great economic loss. However, Moldova still remains one of the largest wine-producing countries in the world.
3. Moldova has the lowest tourist among other European countries
In contrary to the other European countries, Moldova receives a very small number of tourists every year. It might be due to the fact that Moldova has only a few tourist sites in the entire country. According to a report, Moldova is ranked 3rd country in the world with the lowest number of tourists, an interesting Moldova fact. Bangladesh and Guinea are the top two countries with respect to the lowest number of tourists per resident.
4. Moldova is the poorest country in Europe
Moldova is known as the poorest country in Europe because it has the least GDP among all the European countries. The nominal per capita GDP of Moldova is less than $3,4000, which is very low compared to its neighboring European countries. For example, the per capita GDP of Romania is $10,238. This decrease in GDP pf Moldova is also linked with the wine export ban imposed by Russia.
5. Moldova has no beach
Moldova is a landlocked country, whch means it is surrounded by borders of other European countries on all sides. It has no coastline, no port, and no beach. All the trade is done via land routes or airways. The people of Moldova have to travel to other European countries if they want to enjoy a picnic on a beach.
6. Moldova had no President for almost three years
An interesting political fact about Moldova is that it is the only European country that had no president for almost three years. Moldova went through a political deadlock in 2009. The country had no leader for the next three years. Finally, in 2012, the people of Moldova elected a judge as their president. After three years, the country finally had a leader to represent their nation in 2012.
7. Moldova’s capital was destroyed in 1940
Chisinau, the capital of Moldova, suffered great destruction in 1940. In early 1940, it was invaded by the Red Army and many structures of the city were destroyed. Later, in the same year, the city suffered a heavy earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale. This earthquake resulted in a great loss of lives, wealth, and buildings. In the later year, the German Airforce arrived and destroyed the rest of the city. The city was almost destroyed to the ground in those two years.
8. Moldova has a disputed territory
Transnistria is a disputed territory of Moldova. It is known as the breakaway state of Moldova. The people of Transnistria fought an independence war with Moldova in 1990. After the war of Transnistria, the people established their own hold in the region. This state has its own currency and the political system. They claim to be a separate state. However, their claim is not acknowledged by the United Nations. The UN still treats Transnistria as a breakaway state of Moldova, rather than an independent state.
9. Moldova’s people drink too much wine
An interesting fact about Moldova is that they consume too much alcohol. Moldova’s people not only produce a large amount of wine, but they also consume a great amount of alcohol. According to the World Health Organization, the Moldovans are the second-largest alcohol consuming nations of the world. Only the Belarus consume more alcohol than the Moldovans. According to a report, the Moldovans consume more than 15 liters of alcohol per capita per year.
10. Moldova’s people celebrate a special wine day
Moldova’s people have such a great love for wine that they celebrate a National Wine Day. It is actually a two days festival celebrated on the 3rd and 4th of October. On these days, the winemakers open cellars and wineries to the people. Wine tasting is either free or is very cheap as compared to the normal days.
Conclusion
Moldova is a small, landlocked European country located in the neighborhood of Ukraine and Romania. The country is famous for having the world’s largest wine cellar, but its wine cannot be sold to Russia. Moldova is a poor country with the least number of tourists as compared to other European countries. The capital of the country was destroyed in World War II. The country went through a political deadlock in 2009 and had no president for the next three years. The people of Moldova drink too much wine and celebrate a special wine day.
I hope that this article on Moldva facts was helpful! If you are interested, visit the Country Facts Page!
