Background: Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a communist Peoples Republic in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of President Nicolae CEAUSESCU became increasingly draconian through the 1980s. He was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the EU.

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 and Montenegro 476 km; (all with Serbia), Ukraine (north) 362 km; , Ukraine (south) 169 km

Coastline: 225 km

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

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

Land use
Arable land: 41%
Permanent crops: 3%
Permanent pastures: 21%
Forests and woodland: 29%
Other: 6% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 31,020 km² (1993 est.)

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

Population: 22,463,077 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: -0.28% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Romanian(s)
Adjective: Romanian

Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.1%, Hungarian 8.9%, German 0.4%, Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian, Turk, and Gypsy 1.6%

Languages: Romanian, Hungarian, German

Religions: Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 6% (of which 3% are Uniate), Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 18%

Age structure
0-14 years: 19% (male 2,223,136; female 2,130,497)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,586,237; female 7,679,992)
65 years and over: 13% (male 1,186,948; female 1,656,267) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.28% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 9.8 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 11.75 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -0.88 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Environment
Current issues: soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 19.6 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.11 years
Male: 66.28 years
Female: 74.13 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.23 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97%
Male: 98%
Female: 95% (1992 est.)

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Bucharest

Administrative divisions: 40 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu; Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea

Independence: 1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947)

National holiday: National Day of Romania, 1 December (1990)

Constitution: 8 December 1991

Legal system: former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the Constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emil CONSTANTINESCU (since 29 November 1996)
Head of government: Prime Minister Victor CIORBEA (since 12 December 1996)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 3 November 1996, with runoff between the top two candidates held 17 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); prime minister appointed by the president
Election results: percent of vote - Emil CONSTANTINESCU 54.4%, Ion ILIESCU 45.6%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (143 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (343 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation to serve four-year terms)
Elections: Senate - last held 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); Chamber of Deputies - last held 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - CDR 30.7%, PDSR 23.1%, USD 13.2%, UDMR 6.8%, PRM 4.5%, PUNR 4.2%, others 17.5%; seats by party - CDR 53, PDSR 41, USD 23, UDMR 11, PRM 8, PUNR 7; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - CDR 30.2%, PDSR 21.5%, USD 12.9%, UDMR 6.6% PRM 4.5%, PUNR 4.4%, others 19.9%; seats by party - CDR 122, PDSR 91, USD 53, UDMR 25, PRM 19, PUNR 18, ethnic minorities 15

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice, judges are appointed by the president on recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates

International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Mircea Dan GEOANA
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
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 232-4,748
In the us consulates general: Los Angeles and New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alfred H. MOSES
From the us embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
From the us mailing address: American Consulate General (Bucharest), Unit 1315, APO AE 9,213-1315
From the us telephone: [40] (1) 210 01 49, 210 40 42
From the us FAX: [40] (1) 210 03 95
From the us branch office: Cluj-Napoca

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 flags of Andorra and Chad

Economy overview: Romania, one of the poorer countries in Central and Eastern Europe, began the transition from Communism with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. Over the past seven years, economic restructuring has lagged behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, economic performance is declining, with slowing GDP growth, ballooning budget deficits, accelerating inflation, a plunging exchange rate, and anemic foreign investment. Unemployment was low at about 6% at the end of 1996, but the rate will rise when restructuring gets underway. A new government elected in November 1996 promises to accelerate economic reform, restructuring, and privatization, introduce fiscal and monetary austerity, reduce the state's role in the economy, and open Romania to foreign investment. The government will tackle its formidable economic problems in two stages, with an emergency plan over the winter of 1996/97 to ensure social and political stability, followed by a radical structural reform program over its remaining three-and-one-half years aimed eventually at EU accession. At the same time, it wants to keep campaign promises to increase benefits to disadvantaged groups. Bucharest hopes to receive financial and technical assistance from international financial institutions and western governments and negotiations over a new IMF standby agreement are underway. If reform stalls, however, Romania's bond rating - just below investment grade - could fall and needed capital from both public and private sources could quickly dry up. Rich agricultural and oil resources are strengths for the future.

Real gdp growth rate: 4.1% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,200 (1996 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 20%
Industry: 33.4%
Services: 46.6% (1995)

Agriculture products: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; milk, eggs, meat

Industries: mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum production and refining

Industrial production growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)

Labor force
Total: 10.1 million (1996 est.)
By occupation industry: 28.8%
By occupation agriculture: 36.4%
By occupation other: 34.8% (1994)

Unemployment rate: 6.1% (1996 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $6 billion
Expenditures: $7.3 billion, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1996 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports
Total value: $7.7 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: textiles and footwear 25.2%, metals and metal products 19.4%, fuels and mineral products 10.0%, chemicals 9.4%, other 36.0% (1995)
Partners: Germany 17.8%, Italy 15.6%, France 5.7%, Turkey 4.5%, Netherlands 3.0%, China 3.0% (1995)

Imports
Total value: $93.8 billion (f.o.b., 1996 est.)
Commodities: fuels and minerals 25.1%, machinery and transport equipment 19.4%, food and agricultural goods 6.1%, chemicals 9.0%, other 40.4% (1995)
Partners: Germany 17.1%, Italy 13.2%, Russia 12.6%, France 5.2%, US 4.2%, Egypt 4.1% (1995)

Debt external: $7.8 billion (1996 est.)

Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$1 - 5,970 (January 1997), 3,085.39 (1996), 2,033.28 (1995), 1,655.09 (1994), 760.05 (1993), 307.95 (1992)

Electricity
Capacity: 22.06 million kW (1994)
Production: 52.48 billion kWh (1994)
Consumption per capita: 2,245 kWh (1995 est.)

Telephones: 2.6 million (1993 est.)

Telephone system
Domestic: poor service; 89% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is microwave radio relay; roughly 3,300 villages with no service (February 1990 est.)
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; new digital international direct-dial exchanges are in Bucharest (1993 est.)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $650 million (1996)
Percent of gdp: 2.5% (1996)

Airports: 156 (1994 est.)
With paved runways total: 27
With paved runways over 3047 m: 4
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 14 (1994 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 129
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 17
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 108 (1994 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992)

Railways
Total: 11,365 km
Broad gauge: 45 km 1.524-m gauge
Standard gauge: 10,893 km 1.435-m gauge (3,723 km electrified; 3,060 km double track)
Narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (1994)

Waterways: 1,724 km (1984)

Merchant marine
Total: 234 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,445,810 GRT/3,654,660 DWT
Ships by type: bulk 39, cargo 167, container 2, oil tanker 13, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1, railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 9
Note: Romania owns an additional 18 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,025,108 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Bermuda, Cyprus, Liberia, Malta, and Syria (1996 est.)

Disputes international: dispute with Ukraine over continental shelf of the Black Sea under which significant gas and oil deposits may exist; agreed to two-year negotiating period, after which either party can refer dispute to the International Court of Justice

Illicit drugs: important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe