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Moldova is landlocked. The Prut River separates it from Romania in the west. In the north and east, the Dniester River forms its approximate boundary with Ukraine, on which it also borders in the south; in the east there is a narrow strip of Moldovan terrritory between the Dniester and the Ukraine border (the predominantly Russian and Ukrainian Trans-Dniester Region). Mostly a hilly plain, Moldova occupies all but the southernmost and northernmost sections of former Bessarabia. Its proximity to the Black Sea gives it a mild climate.
About 65% of the population is Moldovan; Ukrainians and Russians make up more than a quarter of the people, and there are several smaller minorities, including the Turkish-speaking Gagauz, Bulgarians, and Jews. The Moldovan language, the official tongue, is virtually indistinguishable from Romanian, and the two groups are ethnically identical. Most of the people belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Moldova is governed under the constitution of 1994. It has an elected 104-member parliament and a popularly elected president who serves as head of state.
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