Capital

Republik Moldau

name: Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian)

geographic coordinates: 47 00 N, 28 51 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: origin unclear but may derive from the archaic Romanian word chisla ("spring" or "water source") and noua ("new") because the original settlement was built at the site of a small spring

note: pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov)

Libanon

name: Beirut

geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: derived from the Canaanite or Phoenician word "ber'ot," meaning "the wells" or "fountain," which referred to the site's accessible water table

Citizenship

Republik Moldau

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Moldova

dual citizenship recognized: no

residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Libanon

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: the father must be a citizen of Lebanon

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: unknown

Legal system

Republik Moldau

civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

Libanon

mixed legal system of civil law based on the French civil code, Ottoman legal tradition, and religious laws covering personal status, marriage, divorce, and other family relations of the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian communities

Suffrage

Republik Moldau

18 years of age; universal

Libanon

21 years of age; authorized for all men and women regardless of religion; excludes persons convicted of felonies and other crimes or those imprisoned; excludes all military and security service personnel regardless of rank

Area

Republik Moldau

total: 33,851 sq km

land: 32,891 sq km

water: 960 sq km

Libanon

total: 10,400 sq km

land: 10,230 sq km

water: 170 sq km

Land use

Republik Moldau

agricultural land: 74.9% (2018 est.)

arable land: 55.1% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 9.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 10.7% (2018 est.)

forest: 11.9% (2018 est.)

other: 13.2% (2018 est.)

Libanon

agricultural land: 63.3% (2018 est.)

arable land: 11.9% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 12.3% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 39.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 13.4% (2018 est.)

other: 23.3% (2018 est.)

Location

Republik Moldau

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Libanon

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Age structure

Republik Moldau

0-14 years: 18.01% (male 301,432/female 284,034)

15-64 years: 66.37% (male 1,087,397/female 1,069,902)

65 years and over: 15.62% (2023 est.) (male 203,889/female 303,878)

Libanon

0-14 years: 19.21% (male 524,172/female 500,185)

15-64 years: 71.69% (male 1,929,150/female 1,892,806)

65 years and over: 9.1% (2023 est.) (male 208,436/female 276,454)

Birth rate

Republik Moldau

8.6 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Libanon

12.9 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Republik Moldau

14.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Libanon

5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Republik Moldau

Moldovan/Romanian 80.2% (official) (56.7% identify their mother tongue as Moldovan, which is virtually the same as Romanian; 23.5% identify Romanian as their mother tongue), Russian 9.7%, Gagauz 4.2% (a Turkish language), Ukrainian 3.9%, Bulgarian 1.5%, Romani 0.3%, other 0.2% (2014 est.); note - data represent mother tongue; as of March 2023, Romanian replaced Moldovan as the name of Moldova's official language

major-language sample(s):
Cartea informativa a lumii, sursa indispensabila pentru informatii de baza. (Moldovan/Romanian)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Libanon

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

major-language sample(s):
كتاب حقائق العالم، المصدر الذي لا يمكن الاستغناء عنه للمعلومات الأساسية (Arabic)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Republik Moldau

total population: 69.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 65.8 years

female: 73.9 years

Libanon

total population: 79 years (2023 est.)

male: 77.6 years

female: 80.5 years

Major urban areas - population

Republik Moldau

488,000 CHISINAU (capital) (2023)

Libanon

2.421 million BEIRUT (capital) (2023)

Median age

Republik Moldau

total: 39.4 years (2023 est.)

male: 38.1 years

female: 40.8 years

Libanon

total: 35.8 years (2023 est.)

male: 35.1 years

female: 36.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Republik Moldau

25.2 years (2019 est.)

Net migration rate

Republik Moldau

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Libanon

-0.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Republik Moldau

pockets of agglomeration exist throughout the country, the largest being in the center of the country around the capital of Chisinau, followed by Tiraspol and Balti

Libanon

the majority of the people live on or near the Mediterranean coast, and of these most live in and around the capital, Beirut; favorable growing conditions in the Bekaa Valley, on the southeastern side of the Lebanon Mountains, have attracted farmers and thus the area exhibits a smaller population density

Population growth rate

Republik Moldau

-0.58% (2023 est.)

Libanon

0.64% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Republik Moldau

1.25 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Libanon

1.71 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Republik Moldau

urban population: 43.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.09% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Libanon

urban population: 89.4% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: -1.23% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Republik Moldau

6.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Libanon

1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Republik Moldau

total: 14 years

male: 14 years

female: 15 years (2021)

Libanon

total: 11 years

male: 12 years

female: 11 years (2014)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Republik Moldau

-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Libanon

-6.9% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Republik Moldau

-0.67% (2021 est.)

Libanon

-6.85% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Republik Moldau

810,000 (2021 est.)

Libanon

1.719 million (2021 est.)

note: excludes as many as 1 million foreign workers and refugees

Population below poverty line

Republik Moldau

7.3% (2018 est.)

Libanon

27.4% (2011 est.)

Unemployment rate

Republik Moldau

3.96% (2021 est.)

3.82% (2020 est.)

5.1% (2019 est.)

Libanon

14.49% (2021 est.)

13.3% (2020 est.)

11.35% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Republik Moldau

33.01% of GDP (2020 est.)

24.95% of GDP (2019 est.)

27.02% of GDP (2018 est.)

Libanon

146.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

145.5% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover central government debt and exclude debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Republik Moldau

5.11% (2021 est.)

3.77% (2020 est.)

4.84% (2019 est.)

Libanon

154.76% (2021 est.)

84.86% (2020 est.)

3.01% (2019 est.)

Exports

Republik Moldau

$4.197 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.222 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$3.662 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Libanon

$10.147 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$8.773 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$18.208 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Republik Moldau

Romania 27%, Russia 9%, Italy 9%, Germany 9%, Turkey 6%, Poland 5% (2019)

Libanon

Switzerland 27%, United Arab Emirates 15%, South Korea 11%, Saudi Arabia 7%, Kuwait 6% (2019)

Imports

Republik Moldau

$7.915 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$5.918 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$6.608 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Libanon

$17.383 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$15.206 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$31.147 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Republik Moldau

Romania 20%, Russia 10%, Ukraine 9%, Germany 8%, China 7%, Turkey 6%, Italy 6% (2019)

Libanon

United Arab Emirates 11%, China 10%, Italy 8%, Greece 8%, Turkey 7%, United States 6% (2019)

Airports

Republik Moldau

7 (2021)

Libanon

8 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Republik Moldau

total: 719,001 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2020 est.)

Libanon

total: 432,070 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 6 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Republik Moldau

total: 1.891 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 61% (2021 est.)

Libanon

total: 4.872 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 87% (2021 est.)

Railways

Republik Moldau

total: 1,171 km (2014)

standard gauge: 14 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

broad gauge: 1,157 km (2014) 1.520-m gauge

Libanon

total: 401 km (2017)

standard gauge: 319 km (2017) 1.435-m gauge

narrow gauge: 82 km (2017) 1.050-m gauge

note: rail system is still unusable due to damage sustained from fighting in the 1980s and in 2006

Roadways

Republik Moldau

total: 9,352 km (2012)

paved: 8,835 km (2012)

unpaved: 517 km (2012)

Libanon

total: 21,705 km (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

Republik Moldau

total subscriptions: 1,000,228 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2021 est.)

Libanon

total subscriptions: 880,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Republik Moldau

total subscriptions: 3,900,179 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2021 est.)

Libanon

total subscriptions: 4.3 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 77 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Republik Moldau

558 km (2011) (in public use on Danube, Dniester and Prut Rivers)

Disputes - international

Republik Moldau

Moldova-Romania: none identified

Moldova-Ukraine: Ukraine and Moldova signed an agreement officially delimiting their border in 1999, but the border has not been demarcated due to Moldova's difficulties with the break-away region of Transnistria; Moldova and Ukraine operate joint customs posts to monitor the transit of people and commodities through Moldova's break-away Transnistria region, which remains under the auspices of an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-mandated peacekeeping mission comprised of Moldovan, Transnistrian, Russian, and Ukrainian troops

Libanon

Lebanon-Syria: lacking a treaty or other documentation describing the boundary, portions of the Lebanon-Syria boundary are unclear with several sections in dispute; in March 2021, Syria signed a contract with a Russian company for oil and gas exploration in a maritime area Lebanon claims as its own based on a 2011 map sent to the UN

Lebanon-Israel: Lebanon has claimed Shab'a Farms area in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights; Lebanon and Israel resumed negotiations over their maritime border in 2020, but their efforts were derailed when Lebanon argued that the map the UN was using needed modifications