Map of Romania | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
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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 were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under 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: 238,391 km²
Land: 229,891 km²
Water: 8,500 km²
Rank: 84
Comparative: twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 2,844 km
Border countries: (5) Bulgaria 605 km; Hungary 424 km; Moldova 683 km; Serbia 531 km; Ukraine 601 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 Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Elevation
Mean elevation: 414 m
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m: highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 60.7%
Forest: 28.7%
Other: 10.6%

Irrigated land: 31,490 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

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

Geography
Note: controls the most easily traversable land route between the Balkans Moldova and Ukraine; the Carpathian Mountains dominate the center of the country while the Danube River forms much of the southern boundary with Serbia and Bulgaria


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Population
Distribution: urbanization is not particularly high and a fairly even population distribution can be found throughout most of the country with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; Hungarians the country's largest minority have a particularly strong presence in eastern Transylvania: 21,529,967 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 58
Growth rate: -0.33% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 220
Below poverty line: 22.4% (2012 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Romanian
Adjective: Romanian

Ethnic groups: Romanian 83.4% Hungarian 6.1% Romani 3.1% Ukrainian 0.3% German 0.2% other 0.7% unspecified 6.1% (2011 est.)
Note: Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 5–11% of Romania's population

Languages: Romanian (official) 85.4% Hungarian 6.3% Romani 1.2% other 1% unspecified 6.1% (2011 est.)

Religions: Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 81.9% Protestant (various denominations including Reformed and Pentecostal) 6.4% Roman Catholic 4.3% other (includes Muslim) 0.9% none or atheist 0.2% unspecified 6.3% (2011 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 14.35%
15-24 years: 10.6%
25-54 years: 46.03%
55-64 years: 12.61%
65 years and over: 16.41% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 48
Youth dependency ratio: 22.8
Elderly dependency ratio: 25.2
Potential support ratio: 4

Median age
Total: 41.1 years
Male: 39.7 years
Female: 42.6 years
Rank: 42

Population growth rate: -0.33% (2017 est.)
Rank: 220

Birth rate: 8.9 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 209

Death rate: 12 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 22

Net migration rate: -0.2 migrant(s)/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 113

Population distribution: urbanization is not particularly high and a fairly even population distribution can be found throughout most of the country with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; Hungarians the country's largest minority have a particularly strong presence in eastern Transylvania

Urbanization
Urban population: 54.9% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.05% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: BUCHAREST (capital) 1.868 million (2015)

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
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.05 male/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male/female
55-64 years: 0.88 male/female
65 years and over: 0.68 male/female
Total population: 0.95 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth: 26.7 years (2014 est.)

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 9.4 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 10.7 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 8 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 144

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.4 years
Male: 71.9 years
Female: 79 years
Rank: 108

Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 214

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.67 physicians/1000 population (2013)

Hospital bed density: 6.1 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access:

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2016 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 104
People living with hivaids: 16,000 (2016 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 81
Deaths: 200 (2016 est.)

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 22.5% (2016)
Rank: 76

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures: 2.9% of GDP (2012)
Rank: 104

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.8%
Male: 99.1%
Female: 98.5%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 15 years

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Romania
Local long form: none
Local short form: Romania
Etymology: the name derives from the Latin 'Romanus' meaning 'citizen of Rome' and was used to stress the common ancient heritage of Romania's three main regions - Moldavia Transylvania and Wallachia - during their gradual unification between the mid-19th century and early 20th century

Government type: semi-presidential republic

Capital
Name: Bucharest
Geographic coordinates: 44 26 N 26 06 E
Time difference: UTC+2
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 Dambovita Dolj Galati Gorj Giurgiu Harghita Hunedoara Ialomita Iasi Ilfov Maramures Mehedinti Mures Neamt Olt Prahova Salaj Satu Mare Sibiu Suceava Teleorman Timis Tulcea Vaslui Valcea Vrancea

Dependent areas

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

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

Constitution
History: several previous; latest adopted 21 November 1991 approved by referendum and effective 8 December 1991
Amendments: initiated by the president of Romania through a proposal by the government by at least one-fourth of deputies or senators in Parliament or by petition of eligible voters representing at least one-half of Romania’s counties; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by both chambers or – if mediation is required - by three-fourths majority vote in a joint session followed by approval in a referendum; articles including those on national sovereignty form of government political pluralism and fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended 2003

Legal system: civil law system

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Romania
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Klaus Werner IOHANNIS
Head of government: Prime Minister Mihai TUDOSE ; Deputy Prime Minister Sevil SHHAIDEH and Deputy Premier Gratiela GAVRILESCU (since 3 April 2017)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 2 November 2014 with a runoff on 16 November 2014 (next to be held in November 2019); prime minister appointed by the president with consent of Parliament
Election results: Klaus IOHANNIS elected president; percent of vote in runoff - Klaus IOHANNIS 54.4% Victor PONTA (PSD) 45.6%; Mihai TUDOSE approved as prime minister 275-102

Legislative branch
Description: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (329 seats 17 reserved for non-Hungarian national minorities and 4 for the diaspora; members serve 4-year terms); in 2016 the elections returned to a party list vote-proportional representation voting system
Elections: Senate - last held on 11 December 2016 ; Chamber of Deputies - last held on 11 December 2016 (next to be held by December 2020)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PSD 45.7% PNL 20.4% USR 8.9% UDMR 6.2% ALDE 6% PMP 5.7% other 7.1%; seats by party - PSD 67 PNL 30 USR 13 UDMR 9 ALDE 9 PMP 8; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PSD 45.5% PNL 20% USR 8.9% UDMR 6.2% ALDE 5.6% PMP 5.4% other 8.4%; seats by party - PSD 154 PNL 69 USR 30 UDMR 21 ALDE 20 PMP 18 minorities 17

Judicial branch
Highest court: High Court of Cassation and Justice ; Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)
Judge selection and term of office: High Court of Cassation and Justice judges appointed by the president upon nomination by the Superior Council of Magistracy a 19-member body of judges prosecutors and law specialists; judges appointed for 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court members - 6 elected by Parliament and 3 appointed by the president; members serve 9-year nonrenewable terms
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; regional tribunals; first instance courts; military and arbitration courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: Australia Group BIS BSEC CBSS (observer) CD CE CEI EAPC EBRD ECB EIB ESA EU FAO G-9 IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (national committees) ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS IHO ILO IMF IMO IMSO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU ITUC (NGOs) LAIA (observer) MIGA MONUSCO NATO NSG OAS (observer) OIF OPCW OSCE PCA SELEC UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNHCR UNIDO Union Latina UNMIL UNMISS UNOCI UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador George Cristian MAIOR
In the us chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 332-4,846 4,848 4,851 4,852
In the us FAX: [1] 232-4,748
In the us consulate general: Chicago Los Angeles New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Hans G. KLEMM
From the us embassy: 4-6 Dr. Liviu Librescu Blvd. District 1 Bucharest 15,118
From the us mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest US Department of State 5,260 Bucharest Place Washington DC 20,521-5,260
From the us telephone: [40] 200-3,300
From the us FAX: [40] 200-3,442

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of cobalt blue (hoist side) chrome yellow and vermilion red; modeled after the flag of France the colors are those of the principalities of Walachia (red and yellow) and Moldavia (red and blue) which united in 1862 to form Romania; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed
Note: now similar to the flag of Chad whose blue band is darker; also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova

National symbols: golden eagle; national colors: blue yellow red

National anthem
Name: 'Desteapta-te romane!'
Lyrics and music: Andrei MURESIANU/Anton PANN
Note: adopted 1990; the anthem was written during the 1848 Revolution

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 43

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 42

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2016 dollars
Rank: 83

Gross national saving:
Rank: 67

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 68.5%
Government consumption: 7.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 22.7%
Investment in inventories: 2.4%
Exports of goods and services: 41.4%
Imports of goods and services: -42.3%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4.4%
Industry: 34.2%
Services: 63.3%

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

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

Industrial production growth rate: 1.5% (2016 est.)
Rank: 130

Labor force: 8.979 million (2016 est.)
Rank: 55
By occupation agriculture: 28.3%
By occupation industry: 28.9%
By occupation services: 42.8%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 78

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 22.4% (2012 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 15.3%
Highest 10: 7.6%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 136

Budget
Revenues: $55.12 billion
Expenditures: $59.62 billion
Surplus or deficit: -2.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 98

Taxes and other revenues: 29.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
Rank: 83

Public debt:
Note: defined by the EU's Maastricht Treaty as consolidated general government gross debt at nominal value outstanding at the end of the year in the following categories of government liabilities: currency and deposits securities other than shares excluding financial derivatives and loans; general government sector comprises the subsectors: central government state government local government and social security funds
Rank: 141

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 5

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 119

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 126

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 56

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 60

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 62

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 59

Current account balance:
Rank: 172

Exports:
Rank: 45
Commodities: machinery and equipment other manufactured goods agricultural products and foodstuffs metals and metal products chemicals minerals and fuels raw materials
Partners: Germany 21.5% Italy 11.6% France 7.2% Hungary 5.2% UK 4.3% (2016)

Imports:
Rank: 41
Commodities: machinery and equipment other manufactured goods chemicals agricultural products and foodstuffs fuels and minerals metals and metal products raw materials
Partners: Germany 20.5% Italy 10.3% Hungary 7.5% France 5.6% Poland 5.1% China 5.1% Netherlands 4.1% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 43

Debt external:
Rank: 50

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 50

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 69

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100%
Production: 62.16 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 47
Consumption: 48.28 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 51
Exports: 11.22 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 20
Imports: 4.492 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Imports rank: 43
Installed generating capacity: 24.03 million kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 37
Generation sources fossil fuels: 46.7% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 155
Generation sources nuclear: 5.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 22
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 28% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 76
Generation sources other renewable sources: 18.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 33

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 77,910 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 47
Crude oil exports: 1049 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 71
Crude oil imports: 145,500 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 38
Crude oil proven reserves: 600 million bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 46

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 228,100 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 48
Products consumption: 182,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 58
Products exports: 80,400 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 47
Products imports: 40,940 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 92

Natural gas
Production: 11.17 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Production rank: 41
Consumption: 17.33 billion m³ (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 46
Exports: 1.078 million m³ (2015 est.)
Exports rank: 55
Imports: 728 million m³ (2015 est.)
Imports rank: 64
Proven reserves: 105.5 billion m³ (1 January 2017 es)
Proven reserves rank: 52

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 76 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 48

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 4.11 million
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19
Fixed lines rank: 33
Mobile cellular total: 22.9 million
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 106
Mobile cellular rank: 53

Telephone system
General assessment: the telecommunications sector is being expanded and modernized; domestic and international service improving rapidly especially mobile-cellular services
Domestic: fixed-line teledensity is about 20 telephones per 100 persons; mobile market served by five mobile network operators; mobile-cellular teledensity over 105 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 40; the Black Sea Fiber-Optic Cable System provides connectivity to Bulgaria and Turkey; satellite earth stations - 10; digital international direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest

Broadcast media: a mixture of public and private TV stations; there are 7 public TV stations (2 national 5 regional) using terrestrial broadcasting and 187 private TV stations (out of which 171 offer local coverage) using terrestrial broadcasting plus 11 public TV stations using satellite broadcasting and 86 private TV stations using satellite broadcasting; state-owned public radio broadcaster operates 4 national networks and regional and local stations having in total 20 public radio stations by terrestrial broadcasting plus 4 public radio stations by satellite broadcasting; there are 502 operational private radio stations using terrestrial broadcasting and 26 private radio stations using satellite broadcasting (2014)

Internet
Country code: .ro
Users total: 12,852,696
Users percent of population: 59.5%
Users rank: 44

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 69

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: conscription ended 2006; 18 years of age for male and female voluntary service; all military inductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term of service with subsequent successive 3-year terms until age 36 (2015)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 5
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 51
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 3,636,642
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 4,691,280 mt-km

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YR (2016)

Airports: 45 (2013)
Rank: 96
With paved runways total: 26
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 11
With paved runways under 914 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 19
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 14

Heliports: 2 (2013)

Pipelines: gas 3,726 km; oil 2,451 km (2013)

Railways
Total: 11,268 km
Broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
Standard gauge: 10,781 km 1.435-m gauge
Narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge
Rank: 23

Roadways
Total: 84,185 km
Paved: 49,873 km
Unpaved: 34,312 km
Rank: 57

Waterways: 1731 km (includes 1075 km on the Danube River 524 km on secondary branches and 132 km on canals) (2010)
Rank: 45

Merchant marine
Total: 5
By type: cargo 1 passenger/cargo 2 petroleum tanker 1 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 1
Registered in other countries: 31 (2010)
Rank: 128

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Constanta Midia
River port: Braila Galati Mancanului (Giurgiu) Tulcea (Danube River)


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Disputes international: the ICJ ruled largely in favor of Romania in its dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitation; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 249

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