The Republic of Moldova lies in the central part of Europe in the northeastern Balkans. Moldova occupies an area of 33,843.5 km2. The capital of Moldova is Chisinau. On the North, East and South Moldova is surrounded by Ukraine, and on the West it is separated from Romania by the Prut River.

The total length of the national boundaries is 1,389 km, including 939 km with Ukraine and 450 km with Romania. The most northerly point is the village of Naslavcea, while the most southerly point, Giurgiulesti, which is the only settlement on the bank of the Danube. The most westerly point is the village of Criva and the most easterly point is the village of Palanca.

The physical and geographical position of the Republic of Moldova has determined the specific features of its natural conditions.The relief of the country represents a hilly plain sloping from the northwest to the southeast and having an average elevation of around 147 m above the sea level. The central part is occupied by Codrii woods, the most elevated topographical region with the maximum altitude of 429.5 m at Hill Balanesti, Nisporeni Raion (district) and a terrain strongly fragmented by valleys and dales.

The mineral resources of the Republic of Moldova are mainly represented by sedimentary rocks, such as limestone, chalk, gypsum, sand, sandstone, bentonite, tripoli, and diatomite, which can be used in construction, cement and glass production, food processing, chemical and metallurgical industries etc.

The climate of the Republic of Moldova is moderately continental. It is characterized by a lengthy frost-free period, short mild winters, lengthy hot summers, modest precipitation, and long dry periods in the south. The average annual temperature increases southward from around 8-9°C in the north to around 10-11°C in the south. The average annual precipitation varies between 600-650 mm in the north and the center and 500-550 mm in the south and the southeast.

The hydrographic network includes more than 3,000 rivers and rivulets, of which 10 exceed a length of 100 km. The main rivers are the Nistru (1,352 km, including 657 km within the borders of the country), the Prut (976 km, including 695 km within the borders of the country), the Raut (286 km), the Cogalnic (243 km, including 125 km within the borders of the country), the Bic (155 km), and the Botna (152 km). Moldova has about 60 natural lakes and 3,000 reservoirs. The largest Moldovan lakes are Beleu, Dracele, Rotunda, Fontan, Bic and Rosu, each with a water surface area exceeding 1 km2.

The flora of the Republic of Moldova is rich and includes more than 5.5 thousand species of wild-growing plants. The rich natural botanical diversity of the Republic of Moldova is strongly influenced by its geographic position and the characteristics of its topography and climate. At the landscape level, the territory of the Republic of Moldova is situated within three natural zones – forest, forest-steppe and steppe. Forests occupy around 11% of Moldovan territory. Broad-leaved forests typical for Central Europe predominate. The largest forest tracts represented by the forest reservations Codrii Moldovei and Plaiul Fagului are located in the center of the country. The forest ecosystems of the country contain 45 native species of trees, 81 native species of shrubs and 3 native species of woody vines.

The fauna of the Republic of Moldova is relatively rich and diverse. More than 15.5 thousand species of animals exist in the Republic of Moldova including 461 species of vertebrates and more than 15,000 species of invertebrates. The vertebrates are represented by 70 species of mammals, 281 species of birds, 14 species of reptiles, 14 species of amphibians and 82 species of fish.