Fast Facts
Official Name: Romania
Location: (Southeastern) Central Europe
Area:
91,725 sq. miles (237,502 sq. km)
Population:
21,700,000 (2002)
Ethnic Groups:
Romanian 89%, Hungarian 7.5%, Gipsy 1.9%, German, Other 1.6%
Religions:
Christian Orthodox 87%, Roman Catholic 5%, Protestant 5%, Jewish
Official Language:
Romanian
German and Hungarian are spoken in some counties
Climate:
Temperate, four distinct seasons: pleasant temperatures during Spring and Fall, hot Summers, cold Winters
Capital:
Bucharest (Bucuresti)
Form of Government:
Republic with two legislative bodies: Senate and Chamber of Deputies
Location
Romania is situated in the southeastern part of Central Europe and shares borders with Hungary to the northwest, Yugoslavia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, the Black Sea and Ukraine to the southeast and to the north and the Republic of Moldova to the east. Roughly, the size of Oregon, Romania is the second largest country in the area, after Poland.
Geographical location of Romania:
Between latitudes 43°37'07" and 48°15'06" North and longitudes 20°15'44" and 29°41'24" East.
Romania extends approximately 300 miles North to South and 400 miles East to West.
Bucharest — the capital city of Romania — is aligned approximately with the cities of Portland, Oregon; Montreal, Canada; Venice, Italy; and Bordeaux, France.
Romania's territory features splendid mountains, beautiful rolling hills, fertile plains and numerous rivers and lakes. The Carpathian Mountains traverse the center of the country bordered on both sides by foothills and finally the great plains of the outer rim. Forests cover over one quarter of the country and the fauna is one of the richest in Europe including bears, deer, lynx, chamois and wolves. The legendary Danube River ends its eight-country journey through eight European countries at the Black Sea by forming one of the biggest and most interesting wetlands in the world, the Danube Delta.
About a third of the country consists of the Carpathian Mountains (also known as the Transylvanian Alps). Another third is hills and plateaus, rich with orchards and vineyards. The final third is a fertile plain, largely devoted to agriculture. The Danube River runs through the country, from northwest to southeast, culminating in the Danube Delta and the Black Sea.
Physical features
• Mountains: 31% of Romania's territory
• Hills and orchards: 36%
• Plains: 33%
• Areas covered by rivers and lakes: 3.7 %
• Total number of lakes: 3,500
• Lakes greater than 250 acres: 300
• Highest mountain peak: Moldoveanu Mt. — 8,349 ft. (2,544 m.)
Climate
Romania has a temperate climate, similar to the northeastern United States, with four distinct seasons.
Spring is pleasant with cool mornings and nights and warm days.
Summer is quite warm, with extended sunny days. The hottest areas in summer are the lowlands in southern and eastern Romania where 100 F is often reached in July and August. Temperatures are always cooler in the mountains.
Autumn is dry and cool, with fields and trees producing colorful foliage, much like New England.
Winters can be cold, especially in the mountains. While not the rule, abundant snowfalls may occur throughout the country, from December to mid-March.
There are significant regional differences of the climate between different regions of Romania.
People
Foreign visitors consider Romanians among the friendliest and most hospitable people on earth. Romanians are by nature fun loving, warm, hospitable, and playful, with an innate sense of humor.
Romania is associated with big names in arts and sports:
Constantin Brancusi — one of the most acclaimed modern sculptors.
Alexandra Nechita — a young Romanian painter living in California, known for her distinct style.
Ilie Nastase — U.S. Open and Roland Garos winner, is still one of crowd's favorites at the U.S. Open.
Nadia Comaneci — the Olympic champion gymnast, saluted by people everywhere.
Other world-renowned Romanian artists include the writer Eugen Ionesco, pan flute virtuoso Gheorghe Zamfir, piano player Radu Lupu and musician George Enescu.
About 21,700,000 people live in Romania
Ethnic breakdown is 89% Romanian 7.5% Hungarian, 1.9% Gypsy, German, Ukrainian, Armenian, Croatian, Serbian and Turkish. More than 55% of Romania's population lives in towns and cities.
There are 263 towns in Romania out of which 25 have a population of more than 100,000 while eight cities count more than 300,000 inhabitants. 45% of Romanians live in rural areas: 2,868 communes and 13,285 villages. The administrative divisions are called "judete" (counties). There are 41 counties in Romania. The capital city, Bucharest, has the status of a county.
Bucharest — the capital of Romania has a population of more than 2,200,000.
Main religions in Romania
Eastern Orthodox 87%, Roman Catholic 5% and Protestant 5%.
Language
Romanian, a Latin based language which is a continuation of the Latin spoken in ancient times in Dacia and Moesia — the eastern provinces of the Roman Empire.
A 31-letter Latin alphabet is in use.
Ethnic minorities (Hungarian and German) use their own languages in school and civil administration.
Literacy rate in Romania is 98%.
Most Romanians living in towns and cities are able to communicate in English, French or German. In smaller villages, only younger people and children speak one or more foreign languages.
Economy
For many centuries, Romania's economy was based on agriculture. In the 1930s, Romania was one of the main European producers of wheat, corn and meats and it used to be called "the bread basket of Europe." In the 1950s, the communist leader of Romania, Gheorghe Gheorghiu Dej, began developing heavy industry.
There has been a shift towards heavy industries since the 1970s but the agriculture is still economically important and employs about one-third of the workforce.
Romania produces coal, natural gas, iron ore and petroleum but most raw material for the country's large industrial capacity potential are imported. Prominent industries include chemical (petrochemical, paints and varnishes), metal processing, machine manufacturing, industrial and transport equipment, textiles, manufactured consumer goods, lumbering and furniture.
