Country facts

State symbols | Population indices | National government | Economy | Education | Media | Geography | Climate | Public holidays | Political parties

Name, long form: Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica
Name, short form: Pridnestrovie
Also known as: Transnistria (incorrect)

Type: Republic

Total area: 4,163 km²

Area-comparative: Slightly smaller than Delaware. Almost twice the size of Luxembourg

Official languages: Russian, Moldavian, Ukrainian

Currency: 1 Pridnestrovian Ruble = 100 kopeks

Capital: Tiraspol (population 159,163)

Other major towns and cities: Bender, Rybnitsa, Dubossary, Grigoriopol, Kamenka, Slobozya

Time zone: Eastern European Time (EEST) with daylight savings time, GMT +2:00

Location: Eastern Europe, between Moldova and Ukraine

Border countries: Moldova 411 km, Ukraine 405 km

Land boundaries: 816 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

National flag: The colors of the flag are red, green and red

National coat of arms: Modified MSSR

National anthem: "We Glorify You, Pridnestrovie"

Independence: 2 September 1990

National holiday: 2 September (Independence Day)

Motto: "For the right to live on this land"

Population: 555,347 people

Population-comparative: Approximately twice of Iceland or Belize. Slightly less than Guyana

Slavs: 59.2% (Russians 30.4%, Ukrainians 28.8%)
Moldavians: 31.9%
Others: 8.9%

Note: 35 nationalities live in Pridnestrovie (incl Poles, Bulgarians, Jews, Gagausians, Germans, others)

Population density: 134 inhabitants per km²

Population distribution: 68% urban, 32% rural

Religions: Christian (Orthodox 91%, Catholic 4%, Baptist 1%, other 2%), Jewish 2%

State system: Democratic, - Constitutional independent state

Head of state: President (Igor Smirnov, current term 2006-2011)

Legislative branch: One-chamber Parliament, 43 members, democratically elected
Members of Parliament are elected for five-year terms on the basis of universal direct and equal suffrage by secret ballot

Executive branch: President, Vice president and the Cabinet of Ministers.
The cabinet includes thirteen ministries.
President is elected for a five-year term on the basis of universal direct and equal suffrage by secret ballot

Judicial branch: Supreme Court and lower courts

GDP growth, 2000-2005: 209.6%

Per capita GDP growth: 223.0%

Economic activity: Industrial/Agroindustrial state. The leading branches of economy are engineering, metalworking, food-processing and light industries, production of building materials and highly intensive agriculture

Energy: Gas, hydroelectric

Exports: More than 90% of industrial and agricultural production is exported

Main export categories: Steel, machinery, light industry, food industry, electric power, textiles, cotton fibre, chemicals.
Pridnestrovie does not export weapons

Foreign trade partners: Worldwide, 99 countries trade with Pridnestrovie

Foreign trade turnover: $1,310,795,000 USD (2005)

National government budget: $250,000,000 USD (2007, excl. local budgets)

Previous year: $146,000,000 USD (2006, excl. local budgets)

Registered private companies: 3,000+

Individual private sector entrepreneurs: approx 9,000

GDP per capita: USD $990 (01/2006 - 09/2006)

Historic (2000) labor productivity, per capita: USD $970

Actual (2005) labor productivity, per capita: USD $2,655

Privatizations, 2006: 130 companies

Literacy rate: 99.6%

Basic education:
183 state run primary and secondary schools, 15 private schools

Higher education:
1 university;
1 university-level music conservatory;
5 branches of Russian college;
1 branch of Ukrainian college;
16 technical education institutions (7 tecnical schools, 2 agricultural schools, 5 colleges, 2 higher training schools),
9 vocational education institutions

News agencies: Olvia Press, RIA Dnestr, New Region Press

TV stations: TV-PRM, TVS

Newspapers: "Tiraspol Times", "Pridnestrovie", "Gomin", "Adevarul Nistrean", others

Magazines: "Ekonomika Pridnestrovya", "Bulleten' Ekonomicheskoy i Pravovoy Informatsyi", others

Description: Flat relief with some ravines. More than 80% of the soil is arable. 10% of the territory is forest

Animal life: Hare, partridge, pheasant, fox, otter, ermine (in forests), fish, including sturgeon (in Dniester river)

Main feature: Dniester River, 398 km (navigable to the Black Sea)

Infrastructure: Three international trunk gas lines, two main highways of international significance, two international railroads, paved road system, airport

Public transportation: Bus system, train system, trolley bus network

Distances, other European countries:
Poland: 400 km (250 miles)
Slovakia: 400 km (250 miles)
Hungary: 400 km (250 miles)
Romania: 200 km (125 miles)

Climate type: Continental temperate. Moderate winters, long warm summers

Average temperature, winter: -3.9°C

Average temperature, summer: +21.0°C

Date	Name
January 1 and 2	New Year
January 7	Orthodox Christmas
February 23	Day of the Defenders of the Motherland
March 8	Women's Day
May 1 and 2	International Labor Day(s)
May 9	Victory Day
September 2	Independence Day
November 7	October Revolution Day
December 24	Constitution Day
December 25	Catholic Christmas
Movable	Easter
9 days after Orthodox Easter	Commemoration Day

• Republic (Respublica)
• Renewal (Obnovleniye)
• Patriotic Party of Pridnestrovie (PPP)
• Liberal Democratic Party of Pridnestrovie (LDP-P)
• People's Will of Pridnestrovie (Narodnaya Volya)
• Breakthrough (Proriv)
• Pridnestrovie Communist Party (PKP)
• Communist Party of Pridnestrovie (KPP-CPSU)
• Social Democratic Party (SDPP)