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ThoughtheRepublicofMoldovahasnotyetattainedtheworldwidefameofa
greatvacationland,ithasenoughhistoricalsights,ruins,archeological
excavations,churches,verdantvalleysandmarvelouslandscapestoattracttourists.
ForoverseventyyearsinthetwentiethcenturyMoldovawaspartofthecountry
whoseofficialnamewastheUnionofSovietSocialistRepublics.Beingpartofthe
SovietUnionMoldovawasoneofthemostfamoustouristattractions.Tensof
thousandsofholidaymakersvisitedMoldovaannually.SuchtoursasMoldovan
Codry,DniesterDanubeBlackSea,Transnistria,etc.,wereverypopularwith
guestsandacquaintedthemwiththerichculturalandhistoricwealthofthis
country,itsuniquearchitecturalmonuments,picturesquelandscapes,andold
Moldovancustoms.TodayMoldovaopensthedoorswiderforvisitorsandmakesit
quiteclearthatitisalandofwarmgenerosityandwelcominghospitality.Moldova
isalandofcharmingdiversity.Itsplains,itsforests,itsclimateeverything
combinestomakemildnessaparamountcharacteristicofMoldova.Thereareno
extremesofcoldandheattherearenodesertsorcompletelywildareas.
Moldovasmostimportantriver,theDniester,wasdescribedinHerodotusHistory
(theancientGreekHerodotusisoftenreferredtoasthefatherofallhistorians).
TheDniesterRiverflowsthroughthewholeterritoryoftherepublicandit
experiencedmuchduringitslonghistory.ItsbankswerecolonizedbytheGreeks
andlaterbytheRomans.IncomparisonwiththeUS,Moldovaisasmallcountry,
butwithavastcultureandamazingplaces.ForexempletohospitalityinMoldova
isreallydiferentcomparetoUS.
Thistongueincheekcomparisonbetweenthe
unplannedvisitandinvasionbyMongolianTatariantribessignifiesatleasttwo
aspectsofMoldovanhospitality.First,thetreatmentofguestsinone'shome
followsaculturalnormthatprescribesnotonlytheattitudetowardvisitors,but
alsotheprotocolofahost'sbehavior.Moldovanrulesofhospitalityprovidehosts
withguidelinesforpropercomportmentduringavisit.Second,theadagesuggests
thatguestscanexpecttheirhosttoadheretoatraditionalstandardofhospitable
conduct.Thishelpstoeliminatetheuncertaintyguestsmightexperiencein
someoneelse'shomeandalertsthemtotheeffortstheirhostexertsontheirbehalf.
IntheUnitedStates,hospitalityisalsohighlyvalued.However,normsforahost's

conductarelikelytorangewidelygiventhemanyculturesthatshapeAmerican
society.WhereasinMoldovansocietysedulouscareispaidtostayingwith,
entertaining,andfeedingeachguest,suchconstantinvolvementwithaguestinthe
UnitedStatesislikelytobeperceivedasoppressive.Inthelattercontext,itismost
desirabletoprovideforthepersonalwellbeingofguests,whilesimultaneously
respectingtheirfreedomandindividualchoice.
BasicEconomy.
Thenational
currencyisthe
leu
(100
bani
).Besidesgypsumandverysmallgasandoil
reserves,thecountryhasnonaturalresourcesandistotallydependentonenergy
imports,mainlyfromRussia.Moldovahasexperiencedasharpdownturninits
economyinthelasttenyears.In1998,thegrossdomesticproduct(GDP)was35
percentofthe1989level,andthestateisunabletopaypensionsandsalarieson
time.Asaresult,morepeopleproducefoodandothernecessitiesforthemselves
nowthaninthe1980s.Thisincludesvirtuallytheentireruralpopulationandmany
citydwellerswhoownsmallgardensinthecountryside.Theparalleleconomyis
estimatedtoaccountfor20to40percentoftheGDP.ComparetoMoldovathe
UnitedStates
istheworld'slargestnationaleconomy,representing22%of
nominal
globalGDP
and17%of
globalGDP(PPP)
.TheUnitedStates'GDPwasestimated
tobe$17.914trillionasofQ22015.The
U.S.dollar
isthe
currency
mostusedin
internationaltransactions
andistheworld'sforemost
reservecurrency
.Several
countries
useitastheirofficialcurrency
,andinmanyothersitisthe
defacto
currency
.
T
heUShasabundant
naturalresources
,awelldevelopedinfrastructure,
andhighproductivity.Ithastheworld'sninthhighest
percapitaGDP(nominal)
andtenthhighest
percapitaGDP(PPP)
asof2013.Americanshavethehighest
average
household
and
employee
incomeamongOECDnations,andin2010had
thefourthhighest
medianhouseholdincome
,downfromsecondhighestin2007.It
hasbeentheworld'slargestnationaleconomy(notincludingcolonialempires)
sinceatleastthe
1890s
.WhatInoticedcommonbetweenMoldovaandtheUSAis
thefriendlyattitudeofpeople,interestinotherculturesandtraditions.Alsoboth
USpopulationandMoldovahaveapoororganizationofthehealthinsurance
system,whichalsomadememoredeeplyanalyzethissituation,knowingthatthe
USisacountrywithahigheconomicandpoliticalsystemisorganized.Butin
conclusionIrealizedthatinbothcountriesthehealthinsurancesystemistakenasa
businessforprofitnottoprovidemedicalaid.