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Transnistria or Trans-Dniester (Russian: Pridn'estrov'e, Romanian: Transnistria) is referred to in Romanian as Stanga Nistrului (Left Bank of the Nistru) by official Moldovan sources. Transnistria is a region in eastern Europe and its name comes from it being the area of Moldova east of the river Nistru (Dniester).

 

Official languages	Moldovan, Russian and Ukrainian
Political status	Autonomous region
Capital	Tiraspol
President	Igor Smirnov
Independence - From Moldova - Recognition	Declared September 2, 1990 none
Area	3,567 km.sq. (2001 est.)
Population	633,600 (2001 est.)
Currency	Transnistrian ruble

Political Status
Transnistria remains to be internationally considered a part of Moldova. It has declared its independence on September 2nd, 1990 but has not received any recognition. The capital of Transnistria is considered to be Tiraspol, one of the principal cities of Moldova, after Chisinau and Balti.

Click here to view a link to the official page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Transnistria

Political Structures
Transnistria is a presidential republic, but despite its democratic institutions there is no chance of tolerated democratic opposition. The Parliament, titled Sovet Narodnich Deputatov (Council of People's Deputies) has 43 members, elected for a four year term.
The leader of the self-declared republic is Igor Smirnov. He has been declared the president of Transnistria following the presidential elections in 1991, 1996 and 2002. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova has not considered them legitimate, along with the elections held in March 2005. The Ministry has declared that any type of international monitoring of the transnistrian elections would signify solidarity with the separatist regime and interference in the internal affairs of Moldova.

Click here to read the Transnistrian Constitution (under Republic)

Main political parties:
• Jedinstvo (Unity)
• Obnovlenije (Renovation)
• People’s Power Party

Click here to view the profile of the president of Transnistria (under President)

Population
According to the 2001 estimations, the population of Transnistria is 633,600 people. At the last census of 1989, the population was 546,400 people. While Transnistria has a majority of Slavic-speaking population (speakers of Russian and Ukrainian) it also has a large proportion of population speaking Moldovan (Romanian). Although the three official languages are Moldavian, Ukrainian and Russian, the latter is highly preffered and dominates the public sphere.

• Moldovans (of Romanian descent): 43%
• Ukrainians: 28%
• Russians: 25%

Economy
The GDP is about $420 million and the GDP per capita, based on the exchange rate, is $662, making the area slightly wealthier than Moldova overall but still one of the poorest parts of Europe.The economy is based on industry. A share of the industry in gross domestic product is 45-55%. Among the most important industries are the labour-intensive and material-intensive machinery construction, food industry and light industry, production of construction materials. Electric power engineering and metallurgy had been developed much. There is also labour-intensive agriculture in the region.

Foreign Policy
As expressed by Transnistrian officials, one of the main goals is the normalization of relations with the Republic of Moldova on the base of Memorandum “Concerning the basis of normalization of relations between the Republic of Moldova and Pridnestrovie”, signed in Moscow on May, 1997. Development of interrelations with the Russian Federation, the Ukraine and Byelorussia are also a priority for Transnistria. Additionally, it fosters friendly and profitable relations to the Republic South Osetia, Abkhazia, and Nagorny Karabakh.

Click here to view the official presidential site of Transnistria

Click here to view the site of the official information agency of Transnistria

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