26 08/2016

Administrative-territorial organization of Moldova

The territory of the Republic of Moldova is organized administratively in administrative-territorial units: districts, cities and villages. The statute of village (commune), sector, city (municipality) is elaborated based on the   framework statute, approved by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova and it is approved by the local Council.  The administrative territorial organization of the Republic of Moldova is made on 2 levels: villages (communes), sectors and cities (municipalities) constitute the first level, districts, Chisinau municipality, Balti municipality constitute the second level.

Village is an administrative territorial unit which comprises the rural population united by the territory, geographical conditions, economic, social-cultural relations, traditions and customs. Two or more villages, depending on the economic, social-cultural, geographical and demographical conditions, can be united forming a single administrative territorial unit called commune. The commune is the administrative territorial unit which comprises the rural population united by the community of interests and customs. 

City is the territorial administrative unit which is more developed than the village from the economic and social cultural point of view which comprises the urban population with corresponding economic, industrial and commercial structures whose population is employed mostly in industry, in the field of public services and in different fields of intellectual activity, in cultural and political life.  

Municipality is a locality of urban type with a special role in the economic, social-cultural, scientific, political and administrative life of the country, with important industrial, commercial structures and institutions in the field of education, protection of health and culture.

District is a territorial administrative unit made up of villages (communes) and cities united by the territory, economic and social cultural relations.

After adopting the law on regional development of the Republic of Moldova (2006) there were established the regions of development which will have the goal to stimulate the fundraising and investments and to assure a durable development.

In this way, the Republic of Moldova is divided into:

32 districts (Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarași, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincești, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Rișcani, Singerei, Soroca, Straseni, Soldanești, Stefan Voda, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni);

5 municipalities (Chisinau, Balti, Tighina, Tiraspol, Comrat);

2 regions with special status (Autonomous Territorial Unit Gagauzia, Territorial administrative units from the left part of Nistru river, generically known as Transnistria).

Transnistria is a part of the Republic of Moldova, but this region is not controlled by the its government. The so-called Moldovan Republic of Transnistria has self-proclaimed its independence in 1990, which is not recognized by any state. Tiraspol municipality is in fact the capital of Transnistria which comprises 5 districts (Camenca, Ribnița, a part of Dubasari, Grigoriopol, Slobozia) and two municipalities (Tiraspol and Tighina).