One of the poorest nations in Europe, in 2001 Moldova became the first former Soviet state to elect a communist as its president. The economy depends heavily on agriculture. Moldova must import all of its supplies of oil, coal, and natural gas, largely from Russia. In 1998 the economic troubles of Russia, by far Moldova's leading trade partner, were a major cause of the 8.6% drop in GDP. In 1999 GDP fell again, by 4.4%, the fifth drop in the past seven years; exports were down, and energy supplies continued to be erratic. GDP declined slightly in 2000, with a serious drought hurting agriculture. In 2000 the estimated GDP per capita was US$2,500. The estimated inflation rate is 32%.13
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