The Republic of Moldova is a small, densely populated country, witch gained its independence and became a sovereign state in 1991. It is situated in South Eastern Europe, North of the Balkan Peninsula and share borders with Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east and south.
Key facts and figures
Promoting an open economy policy Moldova offers access to a market of almost 1 billion consumers ensured by 43 Free Trade Agreements –among those, the Agreement with the EU countries, CIS, CEFTA, Turkey and GUAM.
Moldova is a gateway between East and West. Having a geostrategic positioning, most of the destinations in EU and CIS can be reached within 2 truck days. This represents a major advantage for many industries such as fashion and automotive.
Chisinau - the capital of the Republic of Moldova won the “Emerging city of the year in SEE” award in one of the most important conferences in the field of Business Process Outsourcing & Shared Service Center – “CEE Business Services Summit and Awards 2020”
Moldova ranks 48 out of 190 analyzed economies in the World Bank report “Ease of doing business 2020”; It takes 3 procedures and 1 day to register a business in Moldova.
According to International Nut and Dried Council, Moldova provides 6% of world walnut exports globally (data for 2018). A local company has the biggest walnut factory in Eastern Europe with 700 ha of walnut growing area.
Ranked 79 out of 193 countries in terms of e-Government Development Index. Moldova has significantly advanced in E-Government by improving innovative e-public services such as online fiscal declarations system, biometric passport, automated border crossing system based on electronic passports, digital map, mobile digital signature and online services.
Moldova is the 20th wine producer in the world
Moldova hosts two world’s largest wine cellars and wine collections.
The cellars of the Milestii Mici wine-making plant in Moldova contain over 1.5 million bottles of wine. The bottles are stored in 55 km of underground galleries excavated in lime mining operations. The first bottle was stored in 1968, and new vintages are added each year. In 2005, Mileștii Mici was registered in the Guinness World Records as the biggest wine collection in the world.
The wine cellars of Cricova are the second largest wine cellar in Moldova, after Milestii Mici (the largest in the world). It boasts 120 kilometres of labyrinthine roadways, versus MM's 200 kilometres (120 mi). Tunnels have existed under Cricova since the 15th century. This "wine city" has its warehouses, tasting rooms and other facilities underground. It goes down to 100 metres below ground and holds 1.25 million bottles of rare wine. The oldest wine dates back to 1902. Legend has it that in 1966 cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin entered the cellars, re-emerging (with assistance) two days later. Russian president Vladimir Putin celebrated his 50th birthday here.
Moldova is number 1 in the world with the highest density of vineyards and 6th in Europe by vines surface.
Castel Mimi is the first wine castle in Moldova, it was founded in 1893 and it is included the top 15 architectural masterpieces in the world of wine.
Every 4th active Moldovan is involved in the wine sector (52 000 viticulturists).
Purcari wines have have enjoyed a Royal following throughout the years and were ordered to the tables of historical figures such as the Russian Emperor Nicolay II, King George V and Queen Victoria. Since 2015, the winery has received a patent confirming its status as the Royal House of Romania’s official supplier.
In 2018, the Republic of Moldova hosted the third edition of the UNWTO Global Conference on Wine Tourism.
The Republic of Moldova benefits from 98% points of presence of fiber optic backbone network (PoP) and 98% coverage of mobile communications networks (4G)
Moldova is ranked Global Top 5 by the accessibility of Gigabit Internet (after Singapore, South Korea, Malta and Monaco)
The longest nanowire produced by the local Moldovan company is to be registered by Guinness Book
Moldova IT Park was awarded with “Best ecosystem practice by International Technology Union” (2019). The Moldova IT Park introduced a single tax of 7% of sales revenue, facilitating immigration documentation of expats, reducing bureaucratic barriers and, of course, the virtual presence.
Center for Nanotechnology and Nanosensors in Moldova is only one in the East European region who can design and fabricate nanosensors on individual nanowires (or nanotubes, nanoflakes, nanorods)
Moldova has Visa Liberalisation for 100 states (EU, UK, CIS, CEFTA, UAE, USA, Canada and others). Moldovan passport is ranked #40 according to the Global Passport Power
The first Moldovan virtual reality animated film, "Aripi" (Wings) is the first VR animated film in Eastern Europe and won prizes at prestigious international film festivals "Festival du Film Merveilleux et Imaginaire" in France and the "International Independent Film Awards" in the U.S., putting Moldova on the map as a regional creative and production hub.
Two waltzes by Moldova’s composer Eugen Doga are in the top 200 best classical works of all time
Andrew Rayel, a Moldovan producer and DJ, was ranked number 77 in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs. He was ranked #28 in 2013, winning the title of "highest climber" in the ranking. His ascent continued in 2014, as being ranked #24. He is signed under the Armada Music label, co-founded by Armin van Buuren.
In 2020 Moldovan’s company Simpals won one of the most prestigious awards in the industrial design field - the Red Dot Design Award, which is like an Oscar in the world of design, at the "Innovative Products" category with their Lobster Neck Weight. It is the World's first adjustable weight system for long underwater dives. The legends of modern freediving. World Record Holder, Belgrade, 2018 Goran Čolak and Julia Kozerska are Lobster users since 2017.
Moldova’s carpets produced by the local company "Carpet Floare" can be found in the Royal House of Great Britain and in most churches and monasteries in Greece. Kings of Africa have carpets with their portraits in their offices, and in Russia, thousands of meters of carpet stretch chambers of the Kremlin, the Russian Metropolis and all the offices of the Civil Registry in St. Petersburg.