How far is Moldova?

Although Moldova is by far the most densely populated of the former Soviet republics (129 inhabitants per square kilometer in 1990, compared with thirteen inhabitants per square kilometer for the Soviet Union as a whole), it has few large cities. The largest and most important of these is Chişinău, the country's capital and its most important industrial center. Founded in 1420, Chişinǎu is located in the center of the republic, on the Bîc (Russian: Бык, in Russian) River, and in 1990 had a population of 676,000. The city's population was slightly more than 50 % ethnic Moldovans, with ethnic Russians constituting approximately 25 % and Ukrainians 13 %. The proportion of ethnic Russians and Ukrainians in the capital's population decreased in the years immediately after 1989 because of the emigration resulting from Moldova's changing political situation and civil unrest.