1.
[syn: Romania, Roumania, Rumania]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Romania
n 1: a republic in southeastern Europe with a short coastline on
the Black Sea [syn: Romania, Roumania, Rumania]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Romania
Introduction Romania
--------------------
Background: Soviet occupation following World
War II led to the formation of a
Communist "peoples republic" in 1947
and the abdication of the king. The
decades-long rule of dictator
Nicolae CEAUSESCU 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
center-right parties. Currently, the
Party of Social Democracy forms a
nominally minority government, which
governs with the support of the
opposition Democratic Union of
Hungarians in Romania. Much economic
restructuring remains to be carried
out before Romania can achieve its
hope of joining the EU.
Geography Romania
-----------------
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the
Black Sea, between Bulgaria and
Ukraine
Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total: 237,500 sq km
land: 230,340 sq km
water: 7,160 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total: 2,508 km
border countries: Bulgaria 608 km,
Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km,
Yugoslavia 476 km, Ukraine (north)
362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims: contiguous zone: 24 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to
the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Climate: temperate; cold, cloudy winters with
frequent snow and fog; sunny summers
with frequent showers and
thunderstorms
Terrain: 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
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m
Natural resources: petroleum (reserves declining),
timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
salt, arable land, hydropower
Land use: arable land: 40.57%
permanent crops: 2.4%
other: 57.03% (1998 est.)
Irrigated land: 28,800 sq km (1998 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes, most severe in south
and southwest; geologic structure
and climate promote landslides
Environment - current issues: soil erosion and degradation; water
pollution; air pollution in south
from industrial effluents;
contamination of Danube delta
wetlands
Environment - international party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic
agreements: Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate
Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law
of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental
Protocol
Geography - note: controls most easily traversable
land route between the Balkans,
Moldova, and Ukraine
People Romania
--------------
Population: 22,317,730 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 17.4% (male 1,992,505;
female 1,898,122)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 7,618,801;
female 7,726,300)
65 years and over: 13.8% (male
1,274,881; female 1,807,121) (2002
est.)
Population growth rate: -0.21% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 10.81 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 12.27 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: 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 (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 70.39 years
female: 74.39 years (2002 est.)
male: 66.62 years
Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.02% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 7,000 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 350 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Romanian(s)
adjective: Romanian
Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 7.1%, Roma
1.8%, German 0.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%,
other 0.8% (1992)
Religions: Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman
Catholic 6%, Protestant 6%,
unaffiliated 18%
Languages: Romanian, Hungarian, German
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read
and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 95% (1992 est.)
Government Romania
------------------
Country name: conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Romania
local short form: Romania
local long form: none
Government type: republic
Capital: Bucharest
Administrative divisions: 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
Independence: 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)
National holiday: Unification Day (of Romania and
Transylvania), 1 December (1918)
Constitution: 8 December 1991
Legal system: former mixture of civil law system
and communist legal theory; is now
based on the constitution of
France's Fifth Republic
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: 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 NA November/
December 2004); 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%
Legislative branch: 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 in
the fall of 2004); Chamber of
Deputies - last held 26 November
2000 (next to be held in the fall of
2004)
election results: Senate - percent
of vote by party - PDSR 37.1%, PRM
21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%;
seats by party - PDSR 65, PRM 37, PD
13, PNL 13, UDMR 12; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party
- PDSR 36.6%, PRM 19.5%, PD 7.0%,
PNL, 6.9%, UDMR 6.8%; seats by party
- PDSR 155, PRM 84, PD 31, PNL 30,
UDMR 27, ethnic minorities 18
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (judges are
appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Superior
Council of Magistrates)
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party or PD [Traian
BASESCU]; Democratic Union of
Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela
MARKO]; National Liberal Party or
PNL [Valeriu STOICA]; Party of
Social Democracy or PSD [Adrian
NASTASE]; note - used to be known as
the Party of Social Democracy in
Romania or PDSR; Romania Mare Party
(Greater Romanian Party) or PRM
[Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]
Political pressure groups and various human rights and
leaders: professional associations
International organization ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC,
participation: CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU
(applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol,
IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer),
MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS
(observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP,
UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM,
UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU
(associate partner), WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US: 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
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Michael
US: GUEST
embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9,
Bucharest
mailing address: American Embassy
Bucharest, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)
telephone: [40] (1) 210 40 42
FAX: [40] (1) 210 03 95
branch office(s): Cluj-Napoca
Flag description: three equal vertical bands of blue
(hoist side), yellow, and red; the
national coat of arms that used to
be centered in the yellow band has
been removed; now similar to the
flag of Chad, also resembles the
flags of Andorra and Moldova
Economy Romania
---------------
Economy - overview: Romania, one of the poorest
countries of Central and Eastern
Europe, began the transition from
Communism in 1989 with a largely
obsolete industrial base and a
pattern of output unsuited to the
country's needs. Over the past
decade economic restructuring has
lagged behind most other countries
in the region. Consequently, living
standards have continued to fall -
real wages are down perhaps 40%. The
country emerged in 2000 from a
punishing three-year recession
thanks to strong demand in EU export
markets, and despite the global
slowdown in 2001, strong domestic
activity in construction,
agriculture, and consumption led to
4.8% growth. A standby agreement
with the IMF - covering the period
October 2001 to March 2003 -
provides a key opportunity for
vigorous privatization, regulatory
reform, deficit reduction, and the
curbing of inflation. The government
in the past has not been able to
fully implement IMF agreements; its
degree of success in this case will
affect prospects for joining the EU.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $152.7
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4.8% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,800
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 15%
industry: 30%
services: 55% (2000)
Population below poverty line: 44.5% (2000)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 3.7%
percentage share: highest 10%: 22.7% (1994)
Distribution of family income - Gini 30.5 (1997)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 34.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 9.9 million (1999 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 40%, industry 25%,
services 35% (1998)
Unemployment rate: 9.1% (2001)
Budget: revenues: $11.7 billion
expenditures: $12.4 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (1999 est.)
Industries: textiles and footwear, light
machinery and auto assembly, mining,
timber, construction materials,
metallurgy, chemicals, food
processing, petroleum refining
Industrial production growth rate: 6.5% (2001)
Electricity - production: 49.787 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 52.58%
hydro: 36.92%
other: 0.01% (2000)
nuclear: 10.49%
Electricity - consumption: 45.677 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 1.4 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 775 million kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower
seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep
Exports: $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: textiles and footwear 26%, metals
and metal products 15%, machinery
and equipment 11%, minerals and
fuels 6% (1999)
Exports - partners: Italy 22%, Germany 16%, France 7%,
Turkey 6%, US (2000)
Imports: $14.4 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 23%, fuels
and minerals 12%, chemicals 9%,
textile and products 19% (1999)
Imports - partners: Italy 19%, Germany 15%, Russia 9%,
France 6% (2000)
Debt - external: $11.6 billion (2001 est.)
Currency: leu (ROL)
Currency code: ROL
Exchange rates: lei per US dollar - 35,052.0
(January 2002), 29,060.8 (2001),
21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999),
8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997); note
- lei is the plural form of leu
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Romania
----------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.777 million (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 645,500 (1999)
Telephone system: 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: 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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998)
Radios: 7.2 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 5.25 million (1997)
Internet country code: .ro
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 38 (2000)
Internet users: 800,000 (2001)
Transportation Romania
----------------------
Railways: 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
(2001)
broad gage: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
Highways: total: 153,359 km
paved: 103,671 km (including 133 km
of expressways)
unpaved: 49,688 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines: crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum
products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400
km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia,
Sulina, Tulcea
Merchant marine: total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 561,470 GRT/754,836 DWT
note: includes some foreign-owned
ships registered here as a flag of
convenience: Greece 1, Italy 5 (2002
est.)
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 47,
passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1,
petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier
2, roll on/roll off 4
Airports: 61 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 24
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 37
under 914 m: 23 (2001)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 12
Heliports: 2 (2001)
Military Romania
----------------
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense
Forces (AMR), Paramilitary Forces,
Civil Defense, Border Guards
Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 5,906,601 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 4,970,496 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching military males: 179,951 (2002 est.)
age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $985 million (2002)
figure:
Military expenditures - percent of 2.47% (2002)
GDP:
Transnational Issues Romania
----------------------------
Disputes - international: Romania and Ukraine have yet to
resolve claims over Ukrainian-
administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island
and delimitation of Black Sea
maritime boundary, despite 1997
bilateral treaty to find a solution
in two years and numerous talks;
because of a shift in the Danube
course since the last correction of
the boundary in 1920, a joint
Bulgarian-Romanian team will
recommend sovereignty changes to
several islands and redefine the
boundary
Illicit drugs: major transshipment point for
Southwest Asian heroin transiting
the Balkan route and small amounts
of Latin American cocaine bound for
Western Europe