A separatist region located in eastern Moldova, it declared its independence unilaterally in 1991. It is not recognized by any member state of the United Nations or any international organization.
The region enjoys Russian economic, political, and military support, and includes 3 main ethnicities: Moldavians, Russians, and Ukrainians. Russian is the dominant language in the region, while the official languages, according to the Transnistrian authorities, are Moldovan, Russian, and Ukrainian. Orthodox Christianity is the most common religion in the area.