What do you know about Romania?

Facts and Figures

I. Introduction     

Romania is a country in south-eastern Europe. It is rich in culture and natural resources, but it has long been one of Europe's poorest and least developed nations. Foreign powers, including the Austro-Hungarian Empire, controlled the country or parts of it for much of its history. Bucharest is its capital and largest city.

The modern country of Romania was created in 1859. It became fully independent in 1878. Romania was a kingdom from 1881 to 1947. In 1948 Communists took control of Romania and modelled the government and economy after those of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). However, in the 1960s Romania's Communist leaders began to distance themselves from the USSR and develop their own domestic and foreign policies. Romania's economy grew during the 1960s and 1970s, but by the 1980s most Romanians were already suffering from food shortages and other serious economic hardships. In 1989 Romanians revolted against the repressive dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu, the country's president and Communist Party leader. Ceausescu was executed, and a non-Communist government was installed. The first free multiparty elections took place in Romania in 1990.

II. Land and Resources     

Romania has a total land area of 237,500 sq km (91,700 sq mi). The country is bounded on the north by Ukraine, on the east by Moldova, on the southeast by the Black Sea, on the south by Bulgaria, on the southwest by Serbia and Montenegro (formerly the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, or FRY), and on the west by Hungary. Romania is roughly oval in shape, with a maximum distance from east to west of 720 km (450 mi) and a maximum distance from north to south of 515 km (320 mi). A long chain of mountain ranges curves through northern and central Romania. The Danube River forms much of the country's southern and south-western borders with Bulgaria, Serbia and Montenegro and the Prut River divides Romania from its north-eastern neighbour Moldova.

A. Natural Regions     

Transylvania, an extensive elevated plateau region that reaches a maximum height of about 600 m (about 2,000 ft), occupies most of central and north-western Romania. Transylvania is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, a large mountain system of central and Eastern Europe. The Eastern Carpathians extend from the northern border to the centre of the country and contain the forested region of Bukovina; the Southern Carpathians, also known as the Transylvanian Alps, stretch westward from the Eastern Carpathian range; and the Western Carpathians traverse the western portion of Romania. The Southern Carpathians contain the country's highest peak, Moldoveanu, which reaches an elevation of 2,543 m (8,343 ft).

The areas stretching outward from Romania's mountainous interior contain hills and tablelands full of orchards and vineyards, and flat lowlands where cereal and vegetable farming takes place. Western Romania is dominated by the Tisa Plain, which borders both Hungary and Serbia and Montenegro ; the section of the plain that borders Serbia and Montenegro is generally known as the region of Banat, while the section that borders Hungary is commonly referred to as Crisana - Maramures. To the east of central Romania, stretching from the Carpathians to the Prut River along the Moldovan border, lies the region of Moldavia. Southern Romania contains the region of Walachia, which stretches from the southernmost mountains to the Danube and contains the city of Bucharest. The small region of Dobrogea, located in the extreme southeast between the Danube River and the Black Sea, is an important tourist centre.

B. Rivers and Lakes     

The most important river of Romania is the Danube. Its lower course forms a delta that covers much of north-eastern Dobrogea. Most of Romania's major rivers are part of the Danube system; these include the Mures, the Somes, the Olt, the Prut, and the Siret. Romania has many small, freshwater mountain lakes, and saline lagoons on the coast of the Black Sea.

C. Plant and Animal Life     

Wooded steppe, now largely cleared for agriculture, dominates the plains of Walachia and Moldavia. Fruit trees are common in the foothills of the mountains. The lower slopes have forests with deciduous trees such as birch, beech, and oak. The forests of the higher elevations are coniferous, consisting largely of pine and spruce trees. Above the timberline (approximately 1,750 m/5,740 ft), the vegetation is alpine.

Wild animal life is abundant in most parts of Romania. The larger animals, found chiefly in the Carpathian Mountains, include wild boar, wolves, lynx, foxes, bears, chamois, roe deer, and goats. In the plains, squirrels, hare, badgers, and polecats are common. Many species of birds are abundant; the Danube Delta region, now partly a nature preserve, is a stopover point for migratory birds. Among species of fish found in the rivers and offshore are pike, sturgeon, carp, flounder, herring, salmon, perch, and eel.

D. Natural Resources     

The principal resources of Romania are agricultural, but the country also has significant mineral deposits, particularly petroleum, natural gas, salt, hard coal, lignite (brown coal), iron ore, copper, bauxite, chromium, manganese, lead, and zinc. Timber is also an important natural resource.

About 43 percent of land in Romania is cultivated for crops or used for orchards, and the soils in most parts of the country are fertile. In Banat, Walachia, and Moldavia, soils consist mainly of chernozem, or black earth, highly suited for growing grain. Soils in Transylvania are generally lower in nutrients.

E. Climate     

Romania has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Temperatures are generally cooler in the mountains, while the hottest areas in summer are the lowlands of Walachia, Moldavia, and Dobrogea. The average daily temperature range in Bucharest is -7° to 1°C (19° to 34°F) in January and 16° to 30°C (61° to 86°F) in July. Rainfall is heaviest during the months of April, May, June, September, and October. Yearly rainfall averages about 650 mm (about 25 in), ranging from about 500 mm (about 20 in) on the plains to about 1,020 mm (about 40 in) in the mountains.

"Romania", Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopaedia 2004
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