Capital:
Chisinau
Administrative divisions:
32 raions (raioane, singular - raionul), 3 municipalities (municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala)
: counties: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan-Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni
: municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau
: autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia
: territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului
Independence:
27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Location:
Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania
Geographic coordinates:
47 00 N, 29 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 33,843 sq km
land: 33,371 sq km
water: 472 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Maryland
Land boundaries:
total: 1,389 km
border countries: Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km
Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)
Climate:
moderate winters, warm summers
Terrain:
rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Dniester River 2 m
highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m
Natural resources:
lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone
![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/W4iWDLGMkjg/mqdefault.jpg)