Romania is located in southeastern Europe.
It borders Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and the Black Sea.
Click on map for enlarged view.
Major Cities:
Bucharest is the capital (population:
2.5 million). Other major cities include Brasov, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, Constanta, Sibiu,
Targu Mures and Iasi.
Area:
91,725 square miles
(about the size of Oregon)
Population:
22.7 million people
Romanians comprise 89.5%, Hungarians 7%, Gypsies 1.7%, Germans .5%, Ukrainians .3% and Jews .4%.
Language:
Romanian, the official language, is a Romance language and, like Italian or French, based on Latin roots. English, French and German are widely spoken. ( Basics guide: Romanian Language )
Religion:
The majority of Romanians are members of the Romanian Orthodox Church. Other religions include Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Unitarian, Protestant, Moslem and Jewish.
Time:
Romanian local time is seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time; two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Daylight-saving time runs from end of March until the end of September.
History:
Present-day Romania was first inhabited by the Dacians, warriors who were conquered by the Romans. The Roman occupation lasted 165 years, leaving its indelible print on the Romanian language. The feudal states of Wallachia and Moldavia were created in the 13th and 14th centuries.
A third Romanian region, Transylvania, was occupied successively by the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires. Moldavia and Wallachia united in the 19th century to become the independent Romanian kingdom. Union with Transylvania took place in 1918, following World War I. Romania became a Communist state after World War II. Communist rule ended with the December 1989 revolution.
Government:
Romania is a parliamentary republic with a constitution that guarantees democratic rights and freedom. Its president, deputies and senators are elected every four years by universal secret ballot. It maintains diplomatic relations with more than 150 countries and has applied for NATO membership.
