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Romania

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; European
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   Romania
                                România
   Romania

   Flag of Romania Coat of arms of Romania
   Flag            Coat of arms
   Motto: none
   (Royal Motto 1866-1947: Nihil Sine Deo)
   Anthem: Deşteaptă-te, române!
   Location of Romania
          Capital        Bucharest (Bucureşti)
                         44°25′N 26°06′E
       Largest city      Bucharest
    Official languages   Romanian
   Government            Parliamentary democracy
    - President          Traian Băsescu
    - Prime Minister     Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu
       Independence
    - Declared           9 May 1877 ( O.S.)^2
    - Recognised         13 July 1878^3
      Accession to EU    January 1, 2007
                                  Area
    - Total              238,391 km² ( 82nd)
                         92,043 sq mi
    - Water (%)          3
                               Population
    - July 2006 estimate 22,303,552 ( 50th)
    - 2002 census        21,680,974
    - Density            91/km² ( 104th)
                         236/sq mi
        GDP ( PPP)       2005 estimate
    - Total              $199.2 billion ( 43rd)
    - Per capita         $8,785 ( 67th)
        HDI  (2004)      0.805 (high) ( 60th)
         Currency        Leu ( RON)
         Time zone       EET ( UTC+2)
    - Summer ( DST)      EEST ( UTC+3)
       Internet TLD      .ro
       Calling code      +40
   ^1Other languages, such as Hungarian, German, Romani, Ukrainian and
   Serbian, are used at various local levels.

   ^2 Romanian War of Independence.
   ^3 Treaty of Berlin.

   Romania ( Romanian: România /ro.mɨˈni.a/) is a country in Southeastern
   Europe. Romania borders Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and
   Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south. Romania has a
   stretch of sea coast along the Black Sea, and the eastern and southern
   Carpathian mountains run through its centre.

   Historic Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti /bu.kuˈreʃtʲ/ ) is the
   country's capital and largest city. Romania has been an active member
   of NATO since 2004, and is also an acceding country to the European
   Union. The EU Accession Treaty was signed in early 2005, and Romania is
   due to join the European Union on January 1, 2007. Starting on January
   1, 2007, Romania will have the seventh largest population and the ninth
   largest territory in the EU.

Name

   The name of Romania (România) comes from Român ("Romanian"), which is a
   derivative of the word Romanus ("Roman") from Latin.

   The fact that Romanians refer to themselves using a derivative of
   Romanus (Romanian: Român/Rumân) is mentioned in scholarly works as
   early as the 16th century by many authors, among them Italian humanists
   travelling in Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia.

   The oldest surviving document written in the Romanian language is a
   1521 letter (known as " Neacşu's Letter from Câmpulung") which notifies
   the mayor of Braşov about the imminent attack of the Ottoman Turks.
   This document is also notable for having the first occurrence of
   "Rumanian" in a Romanian written text, Wallachia being here named "the
   Rumanian land" - Ţeara Rumânească (modern Romanian Ţara < 1521 Romanian
   Ţeara < Latin Terra = "land").

History

Prehistory

   The teritory of Romania has been inhabited by different groups of
   people since prehistory. One of the fossils found - a male, adult
   jawbone - has been dated to be between 34,000 and 36,000 years old
   which would make it the oldest fossil found to date of modern humans in
   Europe.

Dacia

   In 513 BC, south of the Danube, the tribal confederation of the Getae
   were defeated by the Persian emperor Darius the Great during his
   campaign against the Scythians (Herodotus IV.93). Over half a
   millennium later, the Getae (also named Daci by Romans) were defeated
   by the Roman Empire under Emperor Trajan in two campaigns stretching
   from 101 to 106, and the core of their kingdom was turned into the
   Roman province of Dacia. The Gothic and Carpic campaigns in the Balkans
   during 238–269 (from the beginning of the period of military anarchy to
   the battle of Naissus) forced the Roman Empire to reorganize a new
   Roman province of Dacia south of the Danube, inside former Moesia
   Superior.

   Flag of Romania

                                                   Part of a series on the
                                                       History of Romania
                 Dacia
           Roman Dacia
         The Dark Ages
       The Middle Ages
    Early Modern Times
    National awakening
    Kingdom of Romania
       Greater Romania
          World War II
     Communist Romania
   Romanian Revolution
    Romania since 1989

Romania in the Middle Ages

   In 271 or 275 the Roman army and administration left Dacia, which was
   invaded by the Goths. The Goths lived with the local people until the
   4th century, when another nomadic people, the Huns, arrived. The Gepids
   and the Avars ruled Transylvania until the 8th century, after which the
   Bulgarians included the territory of modern Romania in their Empire
   until 1018. Transylvania was part of the Kingdom of Hungary from the
   10-11th century until the 16th century, when the independent
   Principality of Transylvania was formed.

   The Pechenegs, the Cumans and Uzes were also mentioned by historic
   chronicles on the territory of Romania, until the founding of the
   Romanian principalities of Wallachia by Basarab I, and Moldavia by
   Dragoş during the 13th and 14th centuries respectively. In the Middle
   Ages, Romanians lived in two distinct independent Romanian
   principalities: Wallachia ( Romanian: Ţara Românească - "Romanian
   Land"), Moldavia ( Romanian: Moldova) as well as in the Hungarian-ruled
   principality of Transylvania.

   In 1475, Stephen the Great of Moldavia scored a decisive victory over
   the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui. Wallachia and Moldavia
   would later come gradually under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire
   during the 15th and 16th centuries (1476 for Wallachia, 1514 for
   Moldavia) as vassal tributary states with complete internal autonomy
   and an external independence which was finally lost in the 18th
   century.

   One of the greatest Hungarian kings, Matthias Corvinus (known in
   Romanian as Matei Corvin), who reigned from 1458-1490, was born in
   Transylvania. He is claimed by the Romanians because of his Romanian
   father, Iancu de Hunedoara (Hunyadi János in Hungarian), and by the
   Hungarians because of his Hungarian mother. Later, in 1541,
   Transylvania became a multi-ethnic principality under the suzerainty of
   the Ottoman Empire following the Battle of Mohács.

Early modern Romania

   Michael the Brave (Romanian: Mihai Viteazul) (1558-9 August 1601) was
   the Prince of Wallachia (1593-1601), of Transylvania (1599-1600), and
   of Moldavia (1600). During his reign the three principalities largely
   inhabited by Romanians were for the first time united under a single
   rule.
   Peleş Castle, retreat of Romanian monarchs
   Enlarge
   Peleş Castle, retreat of Romanian monarchs

   In 1775 the Habsburg Monarchy annexed the northern part of Moldova,
   Bukovina, and the Ottoman Empire its south-eastern part, Budjak. In
   1812 the Russian Empire annexed its eastern half, Bessarabia, which was
   partially returned by the 1856 Treaty of Paris after the Crimean War.

   At the end of the 18th century, the Habsburg Monarchy incorporated
   Transylvania into what later became the Austrian Empire. During the
   period of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918), Romanians
   in Transylvania experienced a period of severe oppression under the
   Magyarization policies of the Hungarian government.

Kingdom of Romania

   The modern state of Romania was formed by the merging of the
   principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 under the Moldavian
   domnitor Alexandru Ioan Cuza. He was replaced by Prince Karl of
   Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1866, who became known as Prince Carol of
   Romania. During the Russo-Turkish War, Romania fought on the Russian
   side; in the 1878 Treaty of Berlin, Romania was recognized as an
   independent state by the Great Powers. In return for ceding to Russia
   the three southern districts of Bessarabia that had been regained by
   Moldavia after the Crimean War in 1852, the Kingdom of Romania acquired
   Dobruja. In 1881, the principality was raised to a kingdom and Prince
   Carol became King Carol I.
   Iaşi, the Palace of Culture
   Enlarge
   Iaşi, the Palace of Culture

   Romania entered World War I on the side of the Triple Entente. The
   Romanian military campaign ended in disaster for Romania as the Central
   Powers conquered most of the country and captured or killed the
   majority of its army within four months. By war's end Austria-Hungary
   and the Russian Empire had collapsed, allowing Bessarabia, Bukovina and
   Transylvania to unite with the Kingdom of Romania in 1918. By the 1920
   Treaty of Trianon, the restored Hungary renounced in favour of Romania
   all of claims of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy over rights and titles
   in this new Romanian territory.

Romania during World War II

   During World War II, in 1940, the Soviet Union occupied Northern
   Bukovina and Bessarabia, Hungary occupied Northern Transylvania, and
   Bulgaria occupied southern Dobruja. The authoritarian King Carol II
   abdicated in 1940, succeeded by the National Legionary State, in which
   power was shared by Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard. Within months,
   Antonescu had crushed the Guard, and the subsequent year Romania
   entered the war on the side of the Axis powers. By means of the Axis
   invasion of the Soviet Union, Romania recovered Bessarabia and northern
   Bukovina from the Soviet Russia, under the leadership of general Ion
   Antonescu. Germany awarded the territory Transnistria to Romania.

   The Antonescu regime played a role in the Holocaust, following the Nazi
   policy of oppression and massacre of the Jews, and, to a lesser extent,
   Romas. According to a report released in 2004 by a commission appointed
   by former Romanian president Ion Iliescu and chaired by Nobel Laureate
   Elie Wiesel, the Romanian authorities were the main perpetrators in the
   planning and implementation of the killing of between 280,000 to
   380,000 Jews , primarily in the Eastern territories Romania recovered
   or occupied from the Soviet Union and in Moldavia, though some
   estimates are even higher.

   In August 1944, Antonescu was toppled. Romania changed sides and joined
   the Allies, but its role in the defeat of Nazi Germany was not
   recognized by the Paris Peace Conference of 1947.

Communist Romania

   With the Red Army forces still stationed in the country and exerting de
   facto control, communists and their allied parties claimed 80% of the
   vote in the 1946 Romanian elections, through a combination of vote
   manipulation, elimination and forced mergers of competing parties,
   establishing themselves as the dominant force. In 1947, King Michael I
   was forced by the communists to abdicate and leave the country.

   Romania was proclaimed a republic, and remained under direct military
   and economic control of the USSR until the late 1950s. During this
   period, Romania's resources were drained by the " SovRom" agreements:
   mixed Soviet-Romanian companies established to mask the looting of
   Romania by the Soviet Union, in addition to excessive war reparations
   paid to the USSR. A large number of people were arbitrarily imprisoned
   for political, economic or unknown reasons: detainees in prisons or
   camps, deported, persons under house arrest, and administrative
   detainees. Political prisoners were also detained as psychiatric
   patients. Estimations vary, from 60,000, 80,000, up to two million.
   There were hundreds of thousands of abuses, deaths and incidents of
   torture against a large range of people, from political opponents to
   ordinary citizens. Most political prisoners were freed in a series of
   amnesties between 1962 and 1964.

   One positive achievement during the period of Soviet control was the
   spread of near-universal literacy. However, this educational
   transformation was not coupled with commensurate industrial development
   and urbanization policies, so that almost half of Romania's population
   is still rural (47.3%; see Demography of Romania).

   After the negotiated retreat of Soviet troops, in 1958, Romania started
   to pursue independent policies, including the condemnation of the
   Soviet-led 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia (Romania was the only Warsaw
   Pact country not to take part in the invasion), the continuation of
   diplomatic relations with Israel after the Six-Day War of 1967 (again,
   the only Warsaw Pact country to do so), the establishment of economic
   (1963) and diplomatic (1967) relations with the Federal Republic of
   Germany, and so forth. Also, close ties with the Arab countries (and
   the PLO) allowed Romania to play a role in the Israel-Egypt and
   Israel-PLO peace processes.
   Unirii Boulevard and the Palatul Parlamentului, Bucharest; legacies of
   the Communist era
   Enlarge
   Unirii Boulevard and the Palatul Parlamentului, Bucharest; legacies of
   the Communist era

   A short-lived period of relative economic well-being and openness
   followed in the late 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s. As Romania's
   foreign debt sharply increased between 1977 and 1981 (from 3 to 10
   billion US dollars), the influence of international financial organisms
   such as the IMF or the World Bank grew, conflicting with Nicolae
   Ceauşescu's autarchic policies. Ceauşescu eventually initiated a
   project of total reimbursement of the foreign debt (completed in 1989,
   shortly before his overthrow). To achieve this goal, he imposed
   policies that impoverished Romanians and exhausted the Romanian
   economy. He profoundly deepened Romania's police state and imposed a
   cult of personality which led to his overthrow and death in the
   Romanian Revolution of 1989.

Romania since 1989

   After the fall of Ceauşescu, the National Salvation Front (FSN), led by
   Ion Iliescu and lacking a clear political platform, restored civil
   order and took partial democratic measures. Several major political
   parties of the pre-war era, such as the National Christian Democrat
   Peasant's Party (PNTCD), the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the
   Romanian Social Democrat Party (PSDR) were resurrected.

   In April 1990, a sit-in protest contesting the results of the recently
   held parliamentary elections began in the University Square, Bucharest.
   The protesters accused the FSN of being made up of former Communists
   and members of the Securitate. The protesters did not recognize the
   results of the election, which they deemed undemocratic, and were
   asking for the exclusion from the political life of the former
   high-ranking Communist Party members. The protest rapidly grew to
   become an ongoing mass demonstration (known as the Golaniad). The
   peaceful demonstrations degenerated into violence. After the police
   failed to bring the demonstrators to order, Ion Iliescu called on the
   "men of good will" to come and defend the Bucharest and State
   institutions. Coal miners of the Jiu Valley answered the call and
   arrived in Bucharest on June 14. Their violent intervention is
   remembered as the June 1990 Mineriad.
   The Romanian Athenaeum
   Enlarge
   The Romanian Athenaeum

   The subsequent disintegration of the FSN produced several political
   parties including the Democratic Party (PD), the Romanian Democrat
   Social Party (PDSR, later Social Democratic Party, PSD), and the APR
   (Alliance for Romania).

   The Socialist parties that emerged from the FSN governed Romania from
   1990 until 1996 through several coalitions and governments with Ion
   Iliescu as head of state. Since then there have been three democratic
   changes of government: in 1996, the democratic-liberal opposition and
   its leader Emil Constantinescu acceeded to power; in 2000 the Social
   Democrats returned to power, with Iliescu once again president; and in
   2004 Traian Băsescu was elected president, with an electoral coalition
   called Justice and Truth Alliance (DA). The government was formed by a
   larger coalition which also includes the Conservative Party and the
   ethnic Hungarian party.

   Post-Cold War Romania developed closer ties with Western Europe,
   eventually joining NATO in 2004. The country applied in June 1993 for
   membership in the European Union (EU). It became an Associated State of
   the EU in 1995, an Acceding Country in 2004, and is currently expected
   to join as a member on January 1, 2007. The Treaty of Accession of
   Romania was signed by EU member states' representatives in Luxembourg,
   Abbaye de Neumünster, on April 25, 2005. Ratification of the Romanian
   and Bulgarian Accession Treaty is ongoing in the parliaments of all
   member states.

Government and politics

   Victoria Palace, the headquarters of the Romanian Government.
   Enlarge
   Victoria Palace, the headquarters of the Romanian Government.

   Romania is a semi-presidential democratic republic where executive
   functions are shared between the president and the prime minister. The
   president is elected by popular vote, and resides at Cotroceni Palace.
   Since the constitutional amendment of 2003, the president's term is
   five years (previously it was four). The Romanian Government, which is
   based at Victoria Palace, is headed by a prime minister, who appoints
   the other members of his or her cabinet and who is nearly always the
   head of the party or coalition that holds a majority in the parliament.
   If, however, none of the parties hold 50% + 1 of the total seats in
   parliament, the president will appoint the prime minister. Before
   beginning its term, the government is subject to a parliamentary vote
   of approval.
   The Palace of the Parliament, the seat of the Romania's bicameral
   parliament (Closeup of the lights in front)
   Enlarge
   The Palace of the Parliament, the seat of the Romania's bicameral
   parliament ( Closeup of the lights in front)

   The legislative branch of the government, collectively known as the
   Parliament (Parlamentul României), consists of two chambers – the
   Senate (Senat), which has 137 members, and the Chamber of Deputies
   (Camera Deputaţilor), which has 332 members. The members of both
   chambers are elected every four years under a system of party-list
   proportional representation.

   The justice system is independent of the other branches of government,
   and is made up of a hierarchical system of courts culminating in the
   High Court of Cassation and Justice, which is the supreme court of
   Romania. There are also courts of appeal, county courts and local
   courts. The Romanian judicial system is strongly influenced by the
   French model, considering that it is based on civil law and is
   inquisitorial in nature.

   The Constitutional Court (Curtea Constituţională) is responsible for
   judging the compliance of laws and other state regulations to the
   Romanian Constitution, which is the fundamental law of the country. The
   constitution, which was introduced in 1991, can only be amended by a
   public referendum; the last amendment was in 2003. The Romanian
   Constitutional Court structure is based on the Constitutional Council
   of France, being made up of nine judges who serve nine-year,
   non-renewable terms. Following the 2003 constitutional amendment, the
   court's decisions cannot be overruled by any majority of the
   parliament.

Foreign relations

Relations with Moldova

   Romania has good relations with Republic of Moldova being considered as
   an active brother country. Romania's relations with neighbour Moldova
   have been strained since 1994. Moldova was part of Romania during the
   interwar period and linguists agree that the Moldovan language is
   identical to Romanian. However, the Moldovans have been ambivalent
   about whether they consider themselves Romanians or Moldovans. Early
   signs that Romania and Moldova might unite after both countries
   achieved emancipation from communist rule quickly faded. Romania
   remains interested in Moldovan affairs, especially that country's civil
   conflict with the breakaway region of Transnistria. However, the two
   countries have been unable even to reach agreement on a basic bilateral
   treaty; Romania is insistant (against determined Moldovan resistance)
   that such a treaty would have to refer to Romania and Moldova's
   'special relationship'.

Administrative divisions

   Administrative map of Romania outlining the forty-one counties. The map
   also shows the historical region of Transylvania in green, Wallachia in
   blue, Moldavia in red, and Dobrogea in yellow.
   Enlarge
   Administrative map of Romania outlining the forty-one counties. The map
   also shows the historical region of Transylvania in green, Wallachia in
   blue, Moldavia in red, and Dobrogea in yellow.

   Romania is divided into forty-one counties (judeţe), as well as the
   municipality of Bucharest(Bucureşti), which is its own administrative
   unit. Each county is administered by a county council (consiliu
   judeţean), responsible for local affairs, as well as a prefect, which
   is appointed by the central government but cannot be a member of any
   political party. In alphabetical order, the counties are:
    * Alba
    * Arad
    * Argeş
    * Bacău
    * Bihor
    * Bistriţa-Năsăud
    * Botoşani
    * Braşov
    * Brăila

                          * Buzău
                          * Caraş-Severin
                          * Călăraşi
                          * Cluj
                          * Constanţa
                          * Covasna
                          * Dâmboviţa
                          * Dolj
                          * Galaţi

                                            * Giurgiu
                                            * Gorj
                                            * Harghita
                                            * Hunedoara
                                            * Ialomiţa
                                            * Iaşi
                                            * Ilfov
                                            * Maramureş
                                            * Mehedinţi

                                                          * Mureş
                                                          * Neamţ
                                                          * Olt
                                                          * Prahova
                                                          * Satu Mare
                                                          * Sălaj
                                                          * Sibiu
                                                          * Suceava
                                                          * Teleorman

                                                                       * Timiş
                                                                       * Tulcea
                                                                       * Vaslui
                                                                       * Vâlcea
                                                                       * Vrancea

   Alongside the county structure, Romania is also divided into eight
   development regions, which correspond to NUTS-II divisions in the
   European Union, but which have no administrative capacity and are
   instead used for co-ordinating regional development projects and
   statistical purposes.

   The country is further subdivided into 2686 communes, which are rural
   localities, and 265 towns. Communes and towns have their own local
   councils and are headed by a mayor (primar). Larger and more urbanised
   towns gain the status of municipality, which gives them greater
   administrative power over local affairs. Based on the 2002 census, the
   ten largest cities (all of which also have municipality status) are:
    #          City          Population  County
   1.  Bucharest (Bucureşti) 2,082,334  n/a
   2.  Iaşi                  320,888    Iaşi
   3.  Cluj-Napoca           317,953    Cluj
   4.  Timişoara             317,660    Timiş
   5.  Constanţa             310,471    Constanţa
   6.  Craiova               302,601    Dolj
   7.  Galaţi                298,861    Galaţi
   8.  Braşov                284,595    Braşov
   9.  Ploieşti              232,527    Prahova
   10. Brăila                216,292    Brăila

Geography

   Physical map of Romania showing the Carpathian Mountains.
   Enlarge
   Physical map of Romania showing the Carpathian Mountains.
   Map of Romania
   Enlarge
   Map of Romania

   With a surface area of 238,391 km², Romania is the largest country in
   southeastern Europe and the twelfth-largest in Europe. A large part of
   Romania's border with Serbia and Bulgaria is formed by the Danube. The
   Danube is joined by the Prut River, which forms the border with the
   Republic of Moldova. The Danube flows into the Black Sea on Romanian
   territory, forming the Danube Delta, the largest delta in Europe, which
   is currently a biosphere reserve and World Heritage-listed site due to
   its biodiversity. The country's most significant rivers are the Danube,
   which marks part of the border between Romania and Bulgaria, the Siret,
   running vertically through Moldavia, the Olt, running from the oriental
   Carpathian Mountains to Oltenia, the Tisa, marking a part of the border
   between Romania and Hungary, the Mureş, running through Transylvania
   from East to West, and the Someş.

   Romania's terrain is distributed roughly equally between mountainous,
   hilly and lowland territories. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the
   centre of Romania, with fourteen of its peaks reaching above the
   altitude of 2,000 metres. The highest mountain in Romania is Moldoveanu
   Peak (2544 m). In south-central Romania, the Carpathians sweeten into
   hills, towards the Bărăgan Plains. Romania's geographical diversity has
   led to an accompanying diversity of flora and fauna. The country has
   the largest brown bear population in Europe, while chamois are also
   known to live in the Carpathian Mountains, which dominate the centre of
   Romania

   There is a certain symmetry in the physical structure of Romania. The
   country forms a complex geographic unit centred on the Transylvanian
   Basin, around which the peaks of the Carpathian Mountains and their
   associated subranges and structural platforms form a series of
   crescents. Beyond this zone, the extensive plains of the south and east
   of the country, their potential increased by the Danube and its
   tributaries, form a fertile outer crescent extending to the frontiers.
   There is great diversity in the topography, geology, climate,
   hydrology, flora, and fauna, and for millennia this natural environment
   has borne the imprint of a human population. The Romanian people derive
   much of their ethnic and cultural character from Roman influence, but
   this ancient identity has been reshaped continuously by Romania's
   position astride major continental migration routes. Since the late
   19th century, in particular, Romania has undergone an economic and
   social transformation from an agricultural society to an urbanized,
   industrial society.

Economy

   The World Trade Center in Bucharest, the capital and economic center of
   Romania.
   Enlarge
   The World Trade Centre in Bucharest, the capital and economic centre of
   Romania.
   World Trade Center in Iaşi.
   Enlarge
   World Trade Centre in Iaşi.

   With a GDP per capita ( PPP) of $14,800 in 2007 Romania is an high
   developed economy and will become part of the European Union in 2007.
   After the Communist regime was overthrown in late 1989, the country
   experienced a decade of economic instability and decline, led in part
   by an obsolete industrial base and a lack of structural reform. From
   2000 onwards, however, the Romanian economy was transformed into one of
   relative macroeconomic stability, characterised by high growth and low
   unemployment. In 2004, GDP growth was 8.4%, one of the highest in
   Europe, even though this rate was halved in 2005, to 7.1%, mainly due
   to floods in significant agricultural areas. In 2006, growth is
   expected to exceed 7%. Unemployment in Romania was at 5.0% in September
   2006 which is very low compared to other middle-sized or large European
   countries such as Poland, France, Germany and Spain. Foreign debt is
   also comparatively low, at 20.3% of GDP.

   Exports have increased substantially in the past few years, with a
   24.8% year-on-year rise in exports in the first quarter of 2006.
   Romania's main exports are clothing and textiles, industrial machinery,
   electrical and electronic equipment, metallurgic products, raw
   materials, cars, military equipment, software, pharmaceuticals, fine
   chemicals, and agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, and flowers).
   Trade is mostly centred on the member states of the European Union,
   with Germany and Italy being the country's single largest trading
   partners.

   After a series of privatisations and reforms in the late 1990s and
   early 2000s, government intervention in the Romanian economy is
   somewhat lower than in other European economies. In 2005, the liberal-
   democrat Tăriceanu government replaced Romania's progressive tax system
   with a flat tax of 16% for both personal income and corporate profit,
   resulting in the country having one of the lowest fiscal burdens in
   Europe, a factor which has contributed to the growth of the private
   sector. The economy is predominantly based on services, which account
   for 54.9% of GDP, even though industry and agriculture also have
   significant contributions, making up 35.0% and 10.1% of GDP,
   respectively. Additionally, 31.6% of the Romanian population is
   employed in agriculture and primary production, one of the highest
   rates in Europe.

   Since 2000, Romania has attracted increasing amounts of foreign
   investment, becoming the single largest investment destination in
   Southeastern and Central Europe. Foreign direct investment was valued
   at €5.2 billion in 2005, an increase of 26.8% over 2004. According to a
   2006 World Bank report, Romania is currently ranked 49th out of 175
   economies in the ease of doing business, scoring higher than other
   countries in the region such as Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic.
   Additionally, the same study judged it to be the world's second-fastest
   economic reformer in 2006. The average gross wage per month in Romania
   is 1280 lei as of November 2006, equating to €353.96 (US$468.11) based
   on international exchange rates and $810.45 based on purchasing power
   parity.

Demographics

   According to the 2002 census, Romania has a population of 21,680,974
   and, similarly to other countries in the region, is expected to gently
   decline in the coming years as a result of sub-replacement fertility
   rates. Romanians make up 89.5% of the population. The largest ethnic
   minorities are Hungarians, who make up 6.6% of the population and Roma,
   who make up 2.5% of the population. Hungarians, who are a sizeable
   minority in Transylvania, constitute a majority in the counties of
   Harghita and Covasna. Ukrainians, Germans, Russians, Bulgarians, Turks,
   Tatars, Serbs, Slovaks and Poles, as well as other ethnic groups,
   account for the remaning 1.4% of the population. It is expected that by
   year 2060 Romania will have 50 millions inhabitants.

   The population density of the country as a whole has doubled since 1900
   although, in contrast to other central European states, there is still
   considerable room for further growth. The overall density figures,
   however, conceal considerable regional variation. Population densities
   are naturally highest in the towns, with the plains (up to altitudes of
   some 700 feet) having the next highest density, especially in areas
   with intensive agriculture or a traditionally high birth rate (e.g.,
   northern Moldavia and the “contact” zone with the Subcarpathians);
   areas at altitudes of 700 to 2,000 feet, rich in mineral resources,
   orchards, vineyards, and pastures, support the lowest densities.

   The official language of Romania is Romanian, an Eastern Romance
   language related to French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. Romanian
   is spoken as a first language by 91% of the population, with Hungarian
   and Romani being the most important minority languages, spoken by 6.7%
   and 1.1% of the population, respectively. Until the 1990s, there was
   also a substantial number of German-speaking Transylvanian Saxons, even
   though many have since emigrated to Germany, leaving only 45,000 native
   German speakers in Romania. In localities where a given ethnic minority
   makes up more than 20% of the population, that minority's language can
   be used in the public administration and justice system, while
   native-language education and signage is also provided.
   Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Cluj-Napoca.
   Enlarge
   Romanian Orthodox cathedral in Cluj-Napoca.

   The Romanian education system places a strong emphasis on foreign
   language, with French and English being the most spoken languages.
   English is spoken by 5 million Romanians, French is spoken by 4-5
   million, and German, Italian and Spanish are each spoken by 1-2 million
   people. Historically, French was the predominant foreign language
   spoken in Romania, even though English has since superseded it.
   Consequently, Romanian English-speakers tend to be younger than
   Romanian French-speakers. Romania is, however, a full member of La
   Francophonie, and hosted the Francophonie Summit in 2006.

   Romania is a secular state, thus having no national religion. The
   dominant religious body is the Romanian Orthodox Church, its members
   making up 86.7% of the population according to the 2002 census. Other
   important religions include Roman Catholicism (4.7%), Protestantism
   (3.7%), Pentecostal denominations (1.5%) and the Romanian
   Greek-Catholic Uniate Church (0.9%). Romania also has a small but
   historically significant Muslim minority, concentrated in Dobrogea, who
   are mostly of Turkish ethnicity and number 67,500 people. Based on the
   2002 census data, there are also approximately 6,000 Jews and 2,300
   people who are of no religion and/or atheist.

National holidays

   The Christian holidays of Christmas and (Orthodox) Easter are
   celebrated (they are official, non-working, holidays). Unlike some
   other Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Romanian Orthodox Church
   celebrates Christmas on 25 December; however, they follow the usual
   Eastern Orthodox practice for the date of Easter. Other official
   holidays (non-working) are New Year's Day ( January 1), Labour Day (
   May 1), and the National Day of Romania ( December 1, the Union Day).
   For Christmas and for Labour Day, it is common for businesses to shut
   down more than a single day.

   Minor, but widely observed, holidays include Mărţişor ( March 1),
   marking the start of spring, and International Women's Day ( March 8).
   Many businesses give women employees the day off for International
   Women's Day. Some holidays celebrated in the United States or in other
   parts of Europe have recently been gaining some currency in Romania,
   for example Valentine's Day ( February 14).

Culture

   The culture of Romania is rich and varied. Like Romanians themselves,
   it is fundamentally defined as the meeting point of three regions:
   Central Europe, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, but cannot be fully
   included in any of them.

Literature

   The older classics of Romanian literature remained very known outside
   Romania. Traditionally Romanians appreciate poetry more than Romanian
   prose. Mihai Eminescu, a famous 19th century Romanian poet is still
   very much loved in Romania (especially his collection of Poems), among
   several other "true classics" like George Coşbuc. The revolutionary
   year 1848 had its echoes in the Romanian principalities and in
   Transylvania, and a new elite from the middle of the 19th century
   emerged from the revolutions: Mihail Kogălniceanu (writer, politician
   and the first prime minister of Romania), Vasile Alecsandri
   (politician, playwright and poet), Andrei Mureşanu (publicist and the
   writer of the current Romanian National Anthem) and Nicolae Bălcescu
   (historian, writer and revolutionary).

   The works of George Enescu are well-known to Romanians, many of whom
   consider him their national musician. The symphony orchestra of
   Bucharest is named in Enescu's honour.

   Romanian literature has recently gained some renown outside the borders
   of Romania (mostly through translations into German, French and
   English). Some modern Romanian authors became increasingly popular in
   Germany, France and Italy especially Eugen Ionescu, Mircea Eliade and
   Mircea Cărtărescu.

Tourism

   Romanian tourism focuses on the country's natural landscapes from the
   heights of the Carpathian Mountains to the Danube Delta and the hot
   Black Sea shores. On the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites there are
   some of Romania's most unique places shuch as the Saxon villages with
   fortified churches in Transylvania, the Painted churches of northern
   Moldavia with their fine exterior and interior frescoes, the Wooden
   Churches of Maramures unique examples that combine Gothic style with
   traditional timber construction, the citadel of Sighişoara and the
   Dacian Fortresses of the Orăştie Mountains. Also, in 2007, the city of
   Sibiu will be the European Capital of Culture alongside the city of
   Luxembourg.

Sports in Romania

   The gymnast Nadia Comaneci was the first gymnast to score a perfect
   "ten" in the 1976 Summer Olympics. She also won three gold medals, one
   silver and one bronze, all at the age of fifteen. Her success continued
   in the 1980 Summer Olympics, where she was awarded two gold medals and
   two silver medals.

   Ilie Năstase, the tennis player, is another internationally known
   Romanian sports star. He won several Grand Slam titles and dozens of
   other tournaments; he also was a successful doubles player. Romania has
   also reached the Davis Cup finals three times.

   Football is popular in Romania, the most internationally known player
   being Gheorghe Hagi who played for Steaua Bucureşti (Romania), Real
   Madrid, FC Barcelona (Spain) and Galatasaray (Turkey) among others. The
   Romanian soccer club Steaua Bucureşti was the first Eastern European
   club to ever win the prestigious European Champions Cup title (1986).

   Though maybe not the force they once were, the Romanian national rugby
   team has so far competed at every Rugby World Cup.

Gallery

   Palatul Parlamentului, Bucharest

   Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest

   University of Bucharest

   Headquarters of the Romanian Development Bank

            The Metropolitan Seat of Moldavia and Bukovina, Iaşi

   Roman Catholic Church, Cluj-Napoca

   National Theatre, Cluj-Napoca

   Braşov Old Council Building at night

   Casino, Constanţa

   Borzeşti Church, Borzeşti

   Sighişoara

   Voroneţ Monastery

International rankings

     * A.T. Kearney/ Foreign Policy Magazine: Globalization Index 2005,
       ranked 35 out of 62 countries
     * Bertelsmann: Bertelsmann Transformation Index 2006, ranked 19th out
       of 119 countries
     * IMD International: World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005, ranked 55
       out of 60 economies (countries and regions)
     * Reporters without borders: Annual worldwide press freedom index
       (2006), ranked 58 out of 168 countries
     * The Wall Street Journal: 2006 Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 92
       out of 157 countries
     * The Economist: The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index,
       2005, ranked 58 out of 111 countries
     * Transparency International: Corruption Perceptions Index 2006,
       ranked 84 out of 163 countries
     * World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006 -
       Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking, ranked 67 out of 117
       countries
     * World Bank: Doing Business 2006, ranked 49th out of 175
     * United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: Foreign Direct
       Investment Performance Index 2005, ranked 24th out of 141

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