July 19, 2003

Official name: Romania
Area: 237,500 sq km
Population: 22,474,000
Capital: Bucharest
Currency: Leu
Official Language: Romanian
Major Cities: Brasov, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, IasI, Constanta, Galati, Craiova, Ploiesti
Independence Day: 1881 (from Turkey); republic proclaimed December 30, 1947.
Major Exports: Base metals and metallic articles, textiles and clothing, machinery and equipment, mineral products, foodstuffs.



Romania lies in the southeast of Europe, with Ukraine towards the northeast, Moldova towards the east and the Black Sea towards the southeast. Besides this, you will find Bulgaria towards the south and Yugoslavia towards the northeast and Hungary towards the northwest.


Physical features

The Transylvanian Plateau, which covers much of central Romania, is very hilly, but it also has wide valleys and extensive arable slopes. Mountains surround the plateau. Moldoveanu, the highest peak in the country, is in the Transylvanian Alps. The remaining areas of Romania are predominantly lowlands. The most important river of Romania is the Danube.

 

Climate

The Transylvanian Basin has warm summers and cold winters with recorded temperature extremes ranging from -37°C to 38°C. The Walachian, Moldavian, and lowlands have hotter summers and occasionally experience periods of severe cold in winter. The average rainfall ranges from 500mm on the plains and from 500 to 1,000mm in the mountains.

 

Government

Romania has a limited presidential political system. There is a two-chamber legislature, comprising a 341-member chamber of deputies (lower chamber) and a 143-member senate (upper chamber). Both are elected for four-year terms. Additional seats are set aside for minorities in chamber of deputies. President is directly elected for a four-year term. The president appoints the prime minister, who in turn appoints the council of ministers.

 

Ethnicity & language

Ethnic Romanians make up 84 per cent of the population; Hungarians accounting for 7 per cent; and the Romanies (gypsies) for more than 8 per cent, although an exact count has never been made. Other minorities include Germans, Ukrainians, Serbs, Croats, Russians, and Turks.

Romanian, also known as the Romance language, is the official language of the country. The Germans and Hungarians speak their own ethnic languages, and the Romanies speak Romany, an Indo-Aryan language.

 

Religion

More than three-fourth of the population belongs to Christianity. About 15 per cent of the people claim no religious affiliation. Freedom of religion is guaranteed. A small population of Jews and Muslims is also present.

 

Sports

Romanian athletes have achieved notable success in international competitions, specially in gymnastics, weightlifting, and tennis. Soccer is one of the local favourites. Oina, a local game similar to baseball, is also very popular.

 

Diet

Lunch usually consists of soup, meat, potatoes, bread, and a vegetable, with wine or beer to drink. Romanian specialities include mititei (grilled meatballs), patricieni (grilled sausage), and mamaliga (mashed maize). Pastries are popular for dessert.