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Moldova 2012

Moldova

Chisinau, Moldova

The afternoon silence is torn by the rolling thunder of wheel on rail as the train trundles into the station in Chisinau, Moldova, the capital of Europe’s poorest country. The locomotive chokes to a stop, towering over the central platform. Patient, a woman waits as the hiss of the diesel engine fades to silence and stillness reclaims the afternoon. Deliberate, she stands and walks purposefully to the train’s door. Slow. Steady. She grabs the handrail, steps up, and boards the train. All are aboard, waiting to depart.
– Leo D. Redmond ©2009
Peace Corps Volunteer (Agroforestry/Food), Paraguay 2002-04, Panama 2006, Guatemala 2008

Republic of Moldova/Republica Moldova
In Eastern Europe; moderate rolling steppe, slopes south to Black Sea; 33,851 km2 (slightly > MD), 54.5% arable.

Capital Chisinau (.07M)

Population 4.3M (53/km2)

Life expectancy 71 years

HIV/AIDS 0.4%

Literacy 99%

Languages Moldovan (official), virtually like the Romanian language, Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Religions Eastern Othodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5%

Ethnic Groups Moldovan/Romanian 78%, Ukrainian 8%, Russian 6%, Gagauz 4%, Bulgarian 2%, other 2%

Gov’t Republic

GDP/cap $2,500

PCVs 1993 to present; economic and organizational development, English, health education, agriculture & agrobusiness (Volunteers in country: 117; total to date: 1,033)

Nat’l holiday Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

Adult Books

Lost Province: Adventures in a Moldovan Family
by Stephen Henighan

Paperback: 184 pages
Publisher: Dundurn; 1 edition (November 15, 2002)
Language: English
ISBN-13: 978-0888784322

Book Description
One of the best travelogues about Moldova, it follows a Canadian’s experiences teaching English in this forgotten country and is humorous and touching while bringing up astute, even disturbing points about Soviet cultural colonization and the inter-ethnic tension he finds there.

Kids' Books

Moldova
by Patricia Sheehan and Lynette Quek

Format: Library binding, 144 pages
ISBN: 978-0-89239-150-9
Interest Level: 5-8
Age Range: 10–14 years
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, p2011, c2011

Films

Film: Lullaby
Director: Mihail Kalik (1960)

Music

Focus Word

Focus Word for 2012 - "Freedom"

Moldovan/Romanian: libertate (lee-bare-ta-tay)

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