The breakaway republic 

of Transnistria

(adapted from wikipedia)

Transnistria  (the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic) is a landlocked self-proclaimed state situated between the River Dniester and the border with Ukraine not internationally.

Although the region is considered by the UN to be part of Moldova because the people in that región speaks mainly russian they decided to separate from the Republic of Moldova whose main language is Moldavian (a dialect of Romanian). The political separation of Transnistria has been probably influenced by Russia.  Transnistria controls a narrow strip of territory (4,163 km2) to the east of the River Dniester and also the city of Bender and its surrounding localities on the west bank, in the historical region of Besarabia. The capital is Tiraspol (125,000 inhabitants).

The total population of its territory is 475,000 inhabitants.

After the dissolution of the USSR, tensions between Moldova and the breakaway Transnistrian territory grew into military conflict that started in March 1992 and was concluded by a ceasefire in July of the same year. As part of that agreement, a three-party (Russia, Moldova, Transnistria) Joint Control Commission supervises the security arrangements in the demilitarsed zone comprising twenty localities on both sides of the river. Although the ceasefire has held, the territory's political status remains unresolved: Transnistria is an unrecognised but de facto independent presidential republic with its own government,m parliament, police, postal system, currency and license plates.

Its authorities have adopted a constitution, flat, national anthem and coat of arms. It is the only country still using the hammer and sickle on its flag.

After a 2005 agreement between Moldova and Ukraine, all Transnistrian companies that seek to export goods through the Ukrainian border must be registered with the Moldovan authorities.  Most Transnistrians also have Moldovan citizenship and many other also have Russian or Ukranian. The largest ethnic group is Moldovans (32.1%), who historically had a higher share of the population, up to 49.4% in 1926.

Transnistria together with other partially recognized states (Nagorno- Kaarabakh, abkhazia and South Ossetia)maintain friendly relations with each other and form the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations.

(From Wikipedia, modified)