22 interesting facts about Moldova

The Republic of Moldova, is a country of delicious wines and amazing landscapes. In places, the common Soviet past is still strongly felt here, but since the collapse of the USSR, this country has been going its own way, steadily developing from year to year.

Facts about Moldova

1. Moldovan wines are not as famous as French or Spanish, and quite unnecessarily. The first vines in these parts appeared more than 9,000 years ago, and the locals began to prepare wine 5,000 years ago.
2. The population of Moldova is 2.5 million people.
3. Every fourth inhabitant of this country is directly or indirectly involved in the wine-making process.
4. The Moldovan winery “Milesti Michi” has the largest wine collection in the world, consisting of more than one and a half million bottles.
5. In terms of popularity among foreign tourists, Moldova ranks last among all European countries. Even more people come to Albania every year than here (facts about Albania).
6. The name of the country comes from the name of the river of Moldova. Moreover, this river, flowing through neighboring Romania, does not enter the Moldovan territory at all.
7. About 12% of the country’s territory is controlled by an unrecognized state — the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic. The conflict has been going on since 1990.
8. Only three countries in the world, including Moldova, have the obverse and reverse sides of the national flag different from each other. The other two are Saudi Arabia and Latin American Paraguay (facts about Paraguay).
9. The Moldovan soil occupies one of the first places in the world in terms of fertility.
10. Almost all Moldovans know at least one foreign language. Many people speak Russian.
11. The Moldovan city of Soroca is the unofficial capital of the Gypsies.
12. One of the symbols of Moldova from time immemorial were bison. They were completely exterminated here, but at the beginning of the XXI century they began to reappear on the Moldovan expanses — they were brought here.
13. In one of the Moldovan villages there is the world’s tallest (28 meters!) building in the form of a bottle.
14. Moldova ranks seventh in the world in the production of walnuts.
15. In Soviet times, it was here that food was produced for astronauts.
16. About a quarter of the entire territory of Moldova is occupied by vineyards.
17. In ancient times, especially large elephants lived here. Unfortunately, they have been extinct for a very long time.
18. Chisinau is one of the greenest European capitals.
19. In rural Moldova, the first thing a guest is treated to is wine. It is not accepted to refuse.
20. A very large number of Moldovans have not only a Moldovan passport, but also a Romanian one.
21. The population density here is the highest among European countries, if you do not take into account dwarf states like Monaco (facts about Monaco).
22. From 2009 to 2012, there was no president in Moldova.