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Transnistria
Transnistria, also known as Trans-Dniester, Transdniestria, and Pridnestrovie is a disputed region in Eastern Europe. Since the declaration of independence by the de facto local regime in 1990, followed by the War of Transnistria in 1992, it is governed by the unrecognized Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), which claims the left bank of the river Dniester and the city of Bendery within the former Moldavian SSR. The modern Republic of Moldova does not recognize the secession and considers PMR-controlled territories to be a part of Moldova's sovereign territory.
Transnistria is located mostly in a strip between the Dniester River and Ukraine. After the dissolution of the USSR, Transnistria declared independence, leading to a war with Moldova that started in March 1992 and was concluded by the ceasefire of July 1992. As part of that agreement, a three-party (Russia, Moldova, PMR) Joint Control Commission supervises the security arrangements in the demilitarized zone, comprising 20 localities on both sides of the river. Although the ceasefire has held, the territory's political status remains unresolved: De jure part of Moldova, Transnistria is a de facto independent state.
Transnistria is organised as a presidential republic, with its own government, parliament, military, police, postal system, and currency. Its authorities have adopted a constitution, flag, national anthem, and a coat of arms.
Transnistria is sometimes compared with other post-Soviet frozen conflict zones such as Nagorno-Karabakh, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia.
The latter two - which are recognized only by a select group including Russia, Nicaragua, and each other - have recognised Transnistria as an independent state and plan to establish diplomatic relations (in return for Transnistria's recognition of them). At present it is unlikely that many other countries will join this small club.
Transnistria appears to function as a state and mostly has control of its borders, even though these are completely indefensible and cut through towns, villages and fields somewhat at random - it is not simply the case that the river Dniester is the border with (the rest of) Moldova as many outsiders think. There are newspapers, internet, television and most other components of modern life. The travel guide at http://wikitravel.org/en/Transnistria indicates that not all is as simple as the web sites (especially those run or supported by PMR suggest.
e-learning
There are several universities.
However, it is at schools level where the mix of ethnicities, languages and scripts cause many difficulties - well documented at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldovan_schools_in_Transnistria