Moldova is a landlocked Eastern European country, independent since 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to its north, east, and south. A significant challenge is the breakaway state of Transnistria, located east of the Dniester River. As one of Europe's poorest countries with an economy heavily reliant on agriculture, Moldova is a parliamentary republic with its capital in Chișinău, facing economic challenges, energy dependence, and a complex political landscape, despite its EU candidacy.