Map of Romania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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.


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Location: Southeastern Europe bordering the Black Sea between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N 25 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 237,500 km²
Land: 230,340 km²
Water: 7,160 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 2,508 km
Border countries: (5) Bulgaria 608 km; , Hungary 443 km; , Moldova 450 km; , Serbia 476 km; , Ukraine (north) 362 km; , Ukraine (east) 169 km

Coastline: 225 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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

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

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m

Natural resources: petroleum (reserves declining) timber natural gas coal iron ore salt arable land: hydropower

Land use
Arable land: 39.49%
Permanent crops: 1.92%
Other: 58.59% (2005)

Irrigated land: 30,770 km² (2003)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources: 42.3 km³ (2003)

Natural hazards: earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides

Geography
Note: controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans Moldova and Ukraine


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Population: 22,246,862 (July 2008 est.)
Growth rate: -0.136% (2008 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Romanian
Adjective: Romanian

Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.5% Hungarian 6.6% Roma 2.5% Ukrainian 0.3% German 0.3% Russian 0.2% Turkish 0.2% other 0.4% (2002 census)

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

Religions: 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)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.6% (male 1,778,864/female 1,687,659)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 7,718,125/female 7,791,102)
65 years and over: 14.7% (male 1,337,915/female 1,933,197) (2008 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 37.3 years
Male: 35.9 years
Female: 38.7 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.136% (2008 est.)

Birth rate: 10.61 births/1000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 11.84 deaths/1000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (2008 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male/female
65 years and over: 0.69 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female (2008 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 23.73 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 26.81 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 20.46 deaths/1000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 72.18 years
Male: 68.69 years
Female: 75.89 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.38 children born/woman (2008 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: less than 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 6,500 (2001 est.)
Deaths: 350 (2001 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 3.5% of GDP (2005)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.3%
Male: 98.4%
Female: 96.3% (2002 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 14 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 14 years (2006)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Romania
Local long form: none
Local short form: Romania

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Bucharest
Geographic coordinates: 44 26 N, 26 06 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

Administrative divisions: 41 counties (judete singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba Arad Arges Bacau Bihor Bistrita-Nasaud Botosani Braila Brasov Bucuresti (Bucharest)* Buzau Calarasi Caras-Severin Cluj Constanta Covasna Dimbovita Dolj Galati Gorj Giurgiu Harghita Hunedoara Ialomita Iasi Ilfov Maramures Mehedinti Mures Neamt Olt Prahova Salaj Satu Mare Sibiu Suceava Teleorman Timis Tulcea Vaslui Vilcea Vrancea

Dependent areas

Independence: 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)

National holiday: Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania) 1 December (1918)

Constitution: 8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003

Legal system: based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004); note - President Traian BASESCU was suspended by vote of parliament on 19 April 2007, but resumed his duties on 23 May 2007 after a popular referendum confirmed that his impeachment should not stand
Head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29 December 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004 with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004 (next to be held in November-December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament
Election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian NASTASE 48.77%

Legislative branch
Elections: Senate - last held 30 November 2008 (next expected to be held in November 2012); Chamber of Deputies - last held 30 November 2008 (next expected to be held November 2012)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PC 34.2%, PDL 33.6%, PNL 18.7%, UDMR 6.4%, other 7.1%; seats by alliance/party - PSD-PC 49, PDL 51, PNL 28, UDMR 9; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PC 33.1%, PDL 32.4%, PNL 18.6%, UDMR 6.2%, ethnic minorities 3.6%, other 6.1%; seats by alliance/party - PSD-PC 114, PDL 115, PNL 65, UDMR 22, ethnic minorities 18

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for three-year terms by the president in consultation with the Superior Council of Magistrates which is comprised of the minister of justice the prosecutor general two civil society representatives appointed by the Senate and 14 judges and prosecutors elected by their peers); a separate body the Constitutional Court validates elections and makes decisions regarding the constitutionality of laws treaties ordinances and internal rules of the Parliament; it is comprised of nine members serving nine-year terms with three members each appointed by the president the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies

Political parties and leaders: Conservative Party or PC [Daniela POPA] (formerly Humanist Party or PUR); Democratic Liberal Party or PDL [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Calin Popescu-TARICEANU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romania Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Mircea Dan GEOANA] (formerly Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR)

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC CE CEI EAPC EBRD EIB ESA (cooperating state) EU (new member) FAO G-9 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC LAIA (observer) MIGA MONUC NAM (guest) NATO NSG OAS (observer) OIF OPCW OSCE PCA SECI UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNMIL UNMIS UNOCI UNOMIG UNWTO UPU WCL WCO WEU (associate partner) WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Adrian Cosmin VIERITA
In the us chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 332-4,846, 4,848, 4,851, 4,852
In the us fax: [1] (202) 232-4,748
In the us consulates general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas F. TAUBMAN
From the us embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
From the us mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Bucharest, US Department of State, 5,260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20,521-5,260 (pouch)
From the us telephone: [40] (21) 200-3,300
From the us fax: [40] (21) 200-3,442

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side) yellow and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: Romania which joined the European Union on 1 January 2007 began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets. Domestic consumption and investment have fueled strong GDP growth in recent years but have led to large current account imbalances. Romania's macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a middle class and address Romania's widespread poverty. Corruption and red tape continue to handicap its business environment. Inflation rose in 2007 for the first time in eight years driven in part by the depreciation of the currency rising energy costs a nation-wide drought affecting food prices and a relaxation of fiscal discipline. Romania hopes to adopt the euro by 2014.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $247.1 billion (2007 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 6% (2007 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $11,100 (2007 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.9%
Industry: 35.6%
Services: 56.5% (2007 est.)

Agriculture products: wheat corn barley sugar beets sunflower seed potatoes grapes; eggs sheep

Industries: electric machinery and equipment textiles and footwear light machinery and auto assembly mining timber construction materials metallurgy chemicals food processing petroleum refining

Industrial production growth rate: 10.6% (2007 est.)

Labor force: 9.3 million (2007 est.)
By occupation agriculture: 29.7%
By occupation industry: 23.2%
By occupation services: 47.1% (2006)

Unemployment rate: 4.1% (2007 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 1.2%
Highest 10: 20.8% (2006)

Distribution of family income gini index: 31 (2005)

Budget
Revenues: $52.13 billion
Expenditures: $56.01 billion (2007 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt: 13% of GDP (2007 est.)

Revenue

Fiscal year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 4.8% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate: NA

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 13.35% (31 December 2007)

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $58.76 billion (31 December 2007)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $45.42 billion (2007)

Current account balance: -$23.02 billion (2007 est.)

Exports: $40.32 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment textiles and footwear metals and metal products machinery and equipment minerals and fuels chemicals agricultural products
Partners: Italy 17.2% Germany 16.9% France 7.7% Turkey 7% Hungary 5.6% UK 4.1% (2007)

Imports: $64.54 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment fuels and minerals chemicals textile and products metals agricultural products
Partners: Germany 17.2% Italy 12.8% Hungary 6.9% Russia 6.3% France 6.2% Turkey 5.4% Austria 4.8% (2007)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $39.96 billion (31 December 2007)

Debt external: $74.54 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $60.82 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $915 million (2007 est.)

Exchange rates: lei (RON) per US dollar - 2.43 (2007) 2.809 (2006) 3 (2005) 3 (2004) 3 (2003)


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Electricity
Production: 58.25 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Consumption: 48.43 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Exports: 3.362 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Imports: 1.277 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas
Production: 12.5 billion m³ (2006 est.)
Consumption: 17.09 billion m³ (2007)
Exports: 0 m³ (2007 est.)
Imports: 4.8 billion m³ (2007 est.)
Proven reserves: 63 billion m³ (1 January 2008 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.3 million (2007)
Mobile cellular: 22.875 million (2007)

Telephone system
General assessment: domestic and international service improving rapidly, especially in wireless telephony
Domestic: more than 90 percent of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in 2003 is transforming telecommunications; fixed-line teledensity is roughly 20 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity now slightly exceeds 100 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 40; the Black Sea Fiber Optic System provides connectivity to Bulgaria and Turkey; satellite earth stations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2007)

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .ro
Hosts: 2.195 million (2008)
Users: 12 million (2007)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: 1.9% of GDP (2007 est.)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription officially ended October 2006; all military inductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term of service; subsequent voluntary service contracts are for successive 3-year terms until the age of 36 (2006)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 61 (2007)
With paved runways total: 25
With paved runways over 3047 m: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 12
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 36
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 22 (2007)

Heliports: 2 (2007)

Pipelines: gas 3,674 km; oil 2,424 km (2007)

Railways
Total: 11,385 km
Broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
Standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge (3,888 km electrified)
Narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)

Roadways
Total: 198,817 km
Paved: 60,043 km (includes 228 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 138,774 km (2004)

Waterways
Note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and 132 km on canals (2006)

Merchant marine
Total: 17
By type: cargo 11, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1
Registered in other countries: 49 (Cambodia 1, Georgia 16, North Korea 4, Liberia 2, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 3, Panama 7, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Sierra Leone 3, Syria 2) (2008)

Ports and terminals: Braila Constanta Galati Tulcea


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Disputes international: the ICJ gave Ukraine until December 2006 to reply and Romania until June 2007 to issue a rejoinder in their dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitation; Romania also opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant financial center role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering which occurs via the banking system currency exchange houses and casinos