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Background:
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 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 under the new name of
Romania. The country gained full independence in 1878. It
joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new
territories following the conflict. In 1940, it 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 by a fractious coalition of centrist parties.
Currently, the Social Democratic Party forms a nominally
minority government, which governs with the support of the
opposition Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania.
Bucharest must address rampant corruption, while invigorating
lagging economic and democratic reforms, before Romania can
achieve its hope of joining the European Union. |
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Location:
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Southeastern
Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine |
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Map references:
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Europe |
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Area:
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total:
237,500 sq km
land: 230,340 sq km
water: 7,160 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly
smaller than Oregon |
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Land boundaries:
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total:
2,508 km
border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km,
Moldova 450 km, Serbia and Montenegro 476 km, Ukraine (north)
362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km |
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Coastline:
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225
km |
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Climate:
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temperate;
cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers
with frequent showers and thunderstorms |
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Terrain:
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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 |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest
point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m |
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Natural resources:
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petroleum
(reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
salt, arable land, hydropower |
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Land use:
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arable
land: 40.57%
permanent crops: 2.4%
other: 57.03% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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28,800
sq km (1998 est.) |
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Natural hazards:
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earthquakes,
most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and
climate promote landslides |
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Environment - current issues:
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soil
erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in
south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta
wetlands |
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Environment - international agreements:
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party
to: Air Pollution, 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
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants |
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Geography - note:
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controls
most easily traversable land route between the Balkans,
Moldova, and Ukraine |
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Population:
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22,355,551
(July 2004 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14
years: 16.2% (male 1,861,801; female 1,770,746)
15-64 years: 69.4% (male 7,712,612; female 7,791,900)
65 years and over: 14.4% (male 1,330,994; female
1,887,498) (2004 est.) |
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Median age:
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total:
36.1 years
male: 34.7 years
female: 37.5 years (2004 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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-0.11%
(2004 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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10.69
births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Death rate:
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11.69
deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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-0.13
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at
birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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total:
27.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 23.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
male: 30.41 deaths/1,000 live births |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total
population: 71.12 years
male: 67.63 years
female: 74.82 years (2004 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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less
than 0.1% (2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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6,500
(2001 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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350
(2001 est.) |
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Nationality:
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noun:
Romanian(s)
adjective: Romanian |
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Ethnic groups:
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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) |
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Religions:
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Eastern
Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 87%, Protestant
6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%, unaffiliated
0.2% (2002) |
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Languages:
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Romanian
(official), Hungarian, German |
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Literacy:
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definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 99.1%
female: 97.7% (2003 est.) |
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Country name:
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conventional
long form: none
conventional short form: Romania
local short form: Romania
local long form: none |
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Government type:
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republic |
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Capital:
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Bucharest |
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Administrative divisions:
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41 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, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures,
Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava,
Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea |
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Independence:
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9 May 1877
(independence proclaimed from Turkey; independence recognized
13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26
March 1881; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947) |
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National holiday:
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Unification Day
(of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918) |
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Constitution:
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8 December 1991 |
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Legal system:
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former mixture of
civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on
the constitution of France's Fifth Republic |
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Executive branch:
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chief of
state: President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 December 2000)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
four-year term; election last held 26 November 2000, with
runoff between the top two candidates held 10 December 2000
(next to be held 28 November 2004 [first round] and 12
December 2004 [second round]); prime minister appointed by the
president
head of government: Prime Minister Adrian NASTASE
(since 29 December 2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime
minister
election results: percent of vote - Ion ILIESCU 66.84%,
Corneliu Vadim TUDOR 33.16% |
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Legislative branch:
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bicameral
Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (140
seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a
proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (345
seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a
proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 26 November 2000 (next to
be held 28 November 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 26
November 2000 (next to be held 28 November 2004)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
PDSR (now PSD) 37.1%, PRM 21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%;
seats by party - PSD 65, PRM 36, PNL 13, UDMR 12, PD 9,
independents 5; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party
- PDSR (now PSD) 36.6%, PRM 19.5%, PD 7.0%, PNL 6.9%, UDMR
6.8%; seats by party - PSD 171, PRM 69, PD 29, PNL 27, UDMR
27, ethnic minorities 18, independents 4 |
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Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court of
Justice (judges are appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates) |
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Political parties and leaders:
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Democratic Party
or PD [Traian BASESCU]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in
Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Theodor
STOLOJAN]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM
[Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Adrian
NASTASE], formerly known as the Party of Social Democracy in
Romania or PDSR |
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Political pressure groups and leaders:
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various human
rights and professional associations |
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Diplomatic representation in the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Sorin Dumitru DUCARU
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New
York
FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851
chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 |
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Diplomatic representation from the US:
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chief of
mission: Ambassador Michael E. GUEST
embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, Department
of State, 5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260
(pouch)
telephone: [40] (21) 210-4042
FAX: [40] (21) 210-0395
branch office(s): Cluj-Napoca |
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Economy - overview:
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Romania 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. Despite the global slowdown in 2001-02, strong
domestic activity in construction, agriculture, and
consumption have kept growth above 4%. An IMF Standby
Agreement, signed in 2001, has been accompanied by slow but
palpable gains in privatization, deficit reduction, and the
curbing of inflation. The IMF Board approved Romania's
completion of the standby agreement in October 2003, the first
time Romania has successfully concluded an IMF agreement since
the 1989 revolution. Nonetheless, recent macroeconomic gains
have done little to address Romania's widespread poverty,
while corruption and red tape hinder foreign investment. |
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GDP:
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purchasing power
parity - $154.4 billion (2003 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate:
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4.5% (2003 est.) |
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GDP - per capita:
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purchasing power
parity - $6,900 (2003 est.) |
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture:
15%
industry: 35%
services: 50% (2001) |
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Population below poverty line:
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44.5% (2000) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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14.3% (2003) |
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Labor force:
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9.9 million (1999
est.) |
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture
41.4%, industry 27.3%, services 31.3% (2000) |
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Unemployment rate:
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7.3% (2003) |
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Budget:
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revenues:
$8.2 billion
expenditures: $9.6 billion, including capital
expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
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Industries:
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textiles and
footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber,
construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food
processing, petroleum refining |
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Industrial production growth rate:
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4.5% (2003) |
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Electricity - production:
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50.86 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Electricity - production by source:
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fossil fuel:
62.5%
hydro: 27.6%
other: 0% (2001)
nuclear: 9.9% |
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Electricity - consumption:
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46.1 billion kWh
(2001) |
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Oil - production:
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127,500 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Oil - consumption:
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215,000 bbl/day
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - production:
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14.3 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Natural gas - consumption:
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19.7 billion cu m
(2001 est.) |
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Agriculture - products:
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wheat, corn,
barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs,
sheep |
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Exports:
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$17.63 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Exports - commodities:
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textiles and
footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment,
minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products |
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Exports - partners:
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Italy 25.2%,
Germany 15.6%, France 7.6%, UK 5.8%, US 4.3%, Turkey 4.1%
(2002) |
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Imports:
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$22.17 billion
f.o.b. (2003 est.) |
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and
equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and
products, basic metals, agricultural products |
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Imports - partners:
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Italy 20.8%,
Germany 14.9%, Russia 7.2%, France 6.4% (2002) |
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Debt - external:
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$19.1 billion
(2003 est.) |
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Currency:
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leu (ROL) |
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Currency code:
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ROL |
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Exchange rates:
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lei per US dollar
- 33,200.1 (2003), 33,055.4 (2002), 29,060.8 (2001), 21,708.7
(2000), 15,332.8 (1999) |
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year |
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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4,215,200 (2002) |
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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5,110,600 (2002) |
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Telephone system:
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general
assessment: poor domestic service, but improving
domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk
network is mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic
cable; about one-third of exchange capacity is digital;
roughly 3,300 villages have no service
international: country code - 40; satellite earth
station - 1 Intelsat; new digital, international, direct-dial
exchanges operate in Bucharest; note - Romania is an active
participant in several international telecommunication network
projects (1999) |
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 40, FM 202,
shortwave 3 (1998) |
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Television broadcast stations:
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48 (plus 392
repeaters) (1995) |
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Internet country code:
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.ro |
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Internet hosts:
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40,971 (2002) |
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Internet users:
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1.8 million
(2002) |
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Railways:
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total:
11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)
standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge
narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2002)
broad gage: 60 km 1.524-m gauge |
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Highways:
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total:
198,603 km
paved: 98,308 km (including 113 km of expressways)
unpaved: 100,295 km (2000) |
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Waterways:
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1,724 km (1984) |
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Pipelines:
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gas 3,508 km; oil
2,427 km (2003) |
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Ports and harbors:
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Braila, Constanta,
Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea |
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Merchant marine:
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total: 45
ships (1,000 GRT or over) 395,350 GRT/510,232 DWT
registered in other countries: 39 (2003 est.)
foreign-owned: Greece 1, Italy 2
by type: bulk 7, cargo 26, container 1, passenger 1,
petroleum tanker 4, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4 |
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Airports:
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62 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 25
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2003 est.) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 37
under 914 m: 23 (2003 est.)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 12 |
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Heliports:
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1 (2003 est.) |
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Military branches:
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Ground Forces,
Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (AMR), Civil Defense |
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Military manpower - military age:
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20 years of age
(2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - availability:
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males age
15-49: 5,952,834 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - fit for military service:
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males age
15-49: 5,007,375 (2004 est.) |
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Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
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males:
163,577 (2004 est.) |
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Military expenditures - dollar figure:
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$985 million
(2002) |
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Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
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2.47% (2002) |
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Disputes - international:
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has not resolved
claims to Ukrainian-administered Zmyinyy (Snake) Island and
Black Sea maritime boundary despite ongoing talks based on
1997 friendship treaty to find a solution in two years;
Hungary amended status law extending special social and
cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Romania, who had
objected to the law |
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Illicit drugs:
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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 |
This page was last updated on 11 May, 2004
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