Romania

Location:

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Border Countries:

Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km

Terrain:

central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Geography:

controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine

Capital:

Bucharest

About Romania

The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist people's republic in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.

Population:

22,246,862 (July 2008 est.)

Language:

Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%

Religion:

Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)

Phone Service:

rapidly improving domestic and international service, especially in wireless telephony

Currency:

new leu (RON) was introduced in 2005; old leu (ROL) was phased out in 2006; note - because of currency revaluation, 10,000 ROL = 1 RON

Climate:

temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

Natural Hazards:

earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides