Chișinău, Moldova

Chişinău is the capital, commercial center, and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. It has been known for generations for its lush, green parks and successful wine-making industry. The origin of the name of the city has a variety of possible meanings, but the city itself touts the meaning of the word as spring, pump, or pipe.

Landscape

Chişinău is located near the center of Moldova. The city is situated along seven hills and is crossed by both the Bîc and Isnovat Rivers. Chişinău covers an area of about 120 square kilometers (46 square miles) and is divided into five sectors: Buiucani, Rîşcani, Ciocana, Botanica, and Centre. The Greater Chişinău area also includes a total of eighteen territorial administrative areas.

Chişinău has a moderate climate with four distinct seasons. During the winter months, temperatures may drop as low as -20 degrees Celsius (-4 degrees Fahrenheit) but generally remain around -4 degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit). Summer temperatures can range from 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), and droughts are common in the region.

People

Chişinău has a population of 488,000, according to a 2023 estimate by the US Central Intelligence Agency. It is the largest and most densely populated of the eight metropolitan cities of Moldova. According to the Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook, about 43.4 percent of the population of Moldova lived in urban locations as of 2023.

The ethnic diversity of Chişinău is primarily limited to Slavic persons from former Soviet states. As of the 2014 census, a little over 82 percent of the Moldovan population as a whole is Moldovan or Romanian, about 6 percent is Ukrainian, about 4 percent is Russian, and about 6 percent is Gagauzian or Bulgarian. In Chişinău, just over 67 percent of the population was Moldovan while over 14 percent was Romanian.

The majority of the residents of Chişinău are either Christian or Jewish; most Christians are members of the Russian Orthodox Church. Freedom of religion is fully guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic of Moldova.

While the national language of Moldova is Moldovan, which is virtually the same as Romanian, it is common to also hear Russian, Ukrainian, French, English, Italian, and German.

Economy

While most of Moldova's economy is based in agriculture, Chişinău is Moldova's industrial center. The city contributes to the country's light engineering needs through the manufacturing of measuring equipment, machine tools, tractors, pumps, refrigerators, washing machines, and insulated wiring. On the agricultural front, Chişinău is known for its wine-making, flour milling, and tobacco processing. In terms of education, Chişinău serves Moldova with its academy of sciences and other institutions for higher education. Since the nation gained its independence from the former Soviet Union, Chişinău has also seen a steady increase in the service industries, retail business, and tourism. According to the National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova, in 2016 manufacturing and wholesale and retail trade represented the most significant percentages of the city's gross domestic product (GDP) in terms of economic activities.

Chişinău is particularly important to the wine-making industries of Moldova; it is the nation's export outlet. Moldova is among the world's top wine exporters. While the industry experienced hurdles when Russia, one of its biggest markets, imposed embargoes on the product in 2006 and 2013, it adjusted by focusing more on exporting to European Union countries, successfully diversifying its market by 2018.

The nation of Moldova is connected to the major cities of Europe and the Middle East through the Chişinău International Airport. Although the airport is physically smaller, it has undergone renovations and expansions over the years. Within the city of Chişinău, public transportation is available through buses, minibuses, and taxis.

Landmarks

While many cities of Europe are known for their impressive monuments, cathedrals, and museums, the most notable landmarks of Chişinău are the city's two beautiful green parks. The Cathedral Park was founded in 1836 and is located near the center of the city. It covers an area of over nine hectares (twenty-two acres) and includes eight different entrances. The many pathways of the Cathedral Park all converge at the front of the historic Christmas Cathedral, built to honor the Christian nativity. The Stefan cel Mare Park is smaller but no less famous. The park includes a central fountain, smaller gardens, and monuments to fifteenth-century monarch Stefan the Great and nineteenth-century writer Alexander Pushkin.

The most significant street in Chişinău is Stefan cel Mare Boulevard. The avenue stretches nearly four kilometers (2.4 miles) and is home to the most important national administrative buildings and cultural centers of Chişinău including the presidential and parliamentary buildings, national theatre, organ hall, ballet, and opera house. The boulevard also offers a wide variety of shops and restaurants. During World War II, the central portion of Stefan cel Mare Boulevard was nearly destroyed, but it has since been rebuilt.

The National Museum of Ethnography and Natural History of the Republic of Moldova is also located in this capital city. This museum is the largest, oldest, and most visited museum in Moldova. Most of the museum's collections relate to the natural and anthropological history of the Moldovan region and include zoological, botanical, paleontological, archeological, and ethnographical specimens.

History

The earliest references to the city of Chişinău date from 1466, when the city functioned as a small Christian monastic community within a province known as Bessarabia. From 1457 to 1504, the region of Moldova was successfully governed under the leadership of Stefan the Great. After his death in 1504, Moldova was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1512 and remained a tributary state under the empire for three hundred years, during which time the region was often invaded by Turks, Crimean Tatars, and Russians.

During the nineteenth century, Chişinău grew in size, population, and significance. In the early decades of the century, the city was established as center of Bessarabia, a newly established province of Moldova annexed by Russia at the end of the Russo-Turkish War in 1812. During this time, limestone was mined from surrounding areas, and great buildings were erected in the new city centre of Chişinău. The Triumphal Arch and the Russian Orthodox Cathedral were built in Chişinău between 1835 and 1840. In 1856, Bessarabia was returned to Moldova, and the united territories formed the Kingdom of Romania in 1861, with Bucharest as the capital. In 1878, Russia again annexed the region of Bessarabia. It remained under the rule of the czars of the Russian Empire until the Russian Revolution of 1917. Chişinău remained the center of the Bessarabian region throughout this period.

After the Russian Revolution, Chişinău, along with the rest of present-day Moldova, experienced a variety of territorial shifts as Romania, Bessarabia, and Moldova were continuously ripped apart and rejoined until the entire region eventually fell under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic (USSR). In 1918, the Bessarabian legislature voted in favor of unification with Romania, and in 1924, a Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) was established. In 1939, Bessarabia was given to the United Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Soviet forces occupied the region and ultimately created the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR), abolishing the former Moldavian ASSR. Romania occupied the Moldavian SSR as an Axis power from 1941 until 1944, when Soviet forces retook the territory. Ultimately, Moldova was integrated into the USSR, with Chişinău as its capital. During the war, the city had experienced significant losses as a result of Nazi air raids and a brief period of German occupation. The Jewish population of Chişinău had been decimated during the Holocaust, and the city was in ruins. After the war, Chişinău was rebuilt by the USSR. The new constructions conformed to the architecture already employed in many other Soviet cities.

An independent Moldovan republic was established following the collapse of the USSR, and Chişinău was named as the capital of the new nation. Shortly after obtaining its independence, Moldova joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and in 1992 became a member of the United Nations. Since that time, Chişinău has worked to establish itself as a vibrant European city.

In June 2018, Moldovan citizens were gathering in mass in Chişinău to protest the country's Supreme Court's ruling that invalidated the result of the city's mayoral election earlier that month, in which a pro-Europe candidate won; the situation was closely monitored amid building accusations of government corruption and concerns regarding the country's commitment to democracy.

Moldova applied for membership in the European Union in March 2022, not long after Russia invaded its neighbor Ukraine. The European Council granted the country candidate status three months later.

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