Romania
Capital: Bucharest
History
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.
Geography
Metric Units
|
Total Area
|
238,391
sq km
|
| Land Boundaries |
2,508
km
|
| Border Countries |
Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km |
| Coastline |
225
km
|
| 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 |
| Minimum Elevation |
0
m
|
| Maximum Elevation |
2,544
m
|
| Climate |
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms |
| Natural Resources |
petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower |
| Arable Land |
37.73% |
| Permanent Crops |
1.86% |
Economy
Budget & Debt
Trade
| Exports |
$67.72 billion |
| Export Items |
machinery and equipment, metals and metal products, textiles and footwear, chemicals, agricultural products, minerals and fuels |
| Export Partners |
Germany 18.9%, Italy 13%, France 7.6%, Turkey 6.2%, Hungary 5.7% (2011) |
| Imports |
$78.31 billion |
| Import Items |
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels and minerals, metals, textile and products, agricultural products |
| Import Partners |
Germany 17.2%, Italy 11.4%, Hungary 8.8%, France 5.8%, China 4.6%, Kazakhstan 4.2%, Austria 4% (2011) |
People
| Population |
21,790,479 |
| Population Growth |
-0.27% |
| 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) |
| Religion |
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) |
| Life Expectancy |
74.45 years |
| Infant Mortality |
0.95 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Maternal Mortality |
0.6 deaths/100,000 live births |
Energy
