Moldova, a tiny landlocked nation sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, declared its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

However, the intervening years have been blighted by its struggle to manage its affairs post-Communism, and the decision of pro-Moscow Slavs living on the east bank of the Dniestr river to declare their independence.

This sparked a short guerrilla war that killed several hundred people and injured many others before a ceasefire came into effect in the summer of 1992.

Despite long-term mediation by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), every attempt to resolve the conflict has failed and talks broke off in 2006.

Moldova's severe economic difficulties are not helped by the fact that it has no control over a tenth of its territory, leading to an increase in smuggling and human trafficking - a situation that has caused mounting concern since Romania joined the European Union in 2007.

Population in 2007	3.8 million (U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2006)
Number working abroad as economic migrants	800,000 (Source: International Organisation for Migration 2006)
Number of Russian troops on disputed territory	1,200 (Source: OSCE Mission to Moldova)
Amount of former Soviet artillery on disputed territory	20,000 tonnes (Source: OSCE)