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Romania is an Eastern European country. Bathed by the
Black Sea in the east, it borders Ukraine and Moldova in
the northeast and north, Hungary in the northwest,
Serbia in the southwest and Bulgaria in the south. It
covers an area of 237 500 km2. The main
cities in Romania are Bucharest, the capital, with
1,897,100 inhabitants (2004), Iasi (318,400
inhabitants), Timisoara (314,500 inhabitants), Constanta
(307,400 inhabitants) and Galati (295,600
inhabitants). Much of the country is covered by the
Carpathian mountains. The so-called Transylvanic Alps,
with altitudes of the order of 2500 meters, are located
in the central part of the territory, in a west-east
direction. They limit, to the north, the terminal
section of the Danube River, which drains an extensive
plain before flowing into the Black Sea.
Climate
The climate is temperate continental, with harsh winters
and relatively hot summers. Precipitation is more
concentrated in the summer months.
Economy
The main Romanian agricultural products are maize,
wheat, potatoes, sugar beet and barley. In cattle
breeding, the number of sheep, pigs and cattle has
significance. In mining and energy production, oil and
natural gas deserve mention, although the depletion of
reserves makes internal supply insufficient. The
industry, previously based on petrochemicals, tries to
diversify its production and evolve
technologically. Romania's main trading partners are
Germany, Italy, Russia and France. Environmental
indicator: the value of carbon dioxide emissions, per
capita(metric tons, 1999), is 3.6.
Population
The population was, in 2006, estimated at 22,303,552
inhabitants. Corresponds to a population density of
94.02 inhab./km2. The birth and death rates
are respectively 10.7% and 11.77%. Average life
expectancy is 71.63 years. The value of the Human
Development Index (HDI) is 0.773 and the value of the
Gender-adjusted Development Index (IDG) is 0.771
(2001). It is estimated that, in 2025, the population
will decrease to 20 854 000 inhabitants. Romanians make
up the majority, with 89% of Romania's population; the
Hungarian minority represents 7%. In religious terms,
the Romanian Orthodox Church predominates (87%), with
Catholics 5%, Greek Orthodox 3% and others 5%. Romanian
is the official language, however minorities preserve
their language community.
History
Ancient Rome subdued this territory, the then province
of Dacia, made up of people who inhabited the Carpathian
mountains and Transylvania, leading it to the acceptance
of its laws and its own language (Romanian comes from
Latin). The constant invasions, between the 6th and 12th
centuries, by Huns, Bulgarians, Slavs and other invaders
led to the abandonment of Dacia by the Romans. In the
11th century Transylvania was absorbed by the Hungarian
Empire. The first Romanian state was established in
Wallachia, in the Southern Carpathians, in the 14th
century. The second Romanian state was Moldova, which
was founded in 1349, east of the Carpathians, in the
Prut River valley, both becoming part of the Ottoman
Empire in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Turkish rule followed Russian rule between 1829 and
1856. Romanians from Transylvania continued to live
under Hungarian control. Nationalism started to be born
in Romania in the 19th century; uprisings arose in
Wallachia, Moldova and Transylvania, which were
suppressed by the Ottomans and the Russians. After the
Crimean War (1853-56), Wallachia and Moldova again
became independent principalities, electing a single
prince and in effect creating the Romanian state. The
state unified administratively in 1861, but was only
recognized internationally by the Treaty of Berlin in
1878, following the Russo-Turkish War.
Romania participated in the First World War with the
Allies, but the forces of central power soon occupied
Bucharest and most of the country. Romanian territory
doubled with the annexation of Transylvania, Bukovina
and Bessarabia. The incorporation of these territories
was not peaceful, due to several factors, such as
coexistence, the new minorities, the economic depression
of the thirties, the growth of an extremist policy and
the rise of fascist movements, similarly to what
happened in Germany and Italy.. Romania made an alliance
with the German Nazi government in 1941. A total of
500,000 German soldiers joined the Romanian army in
order to jointly invade the Soviet Union. In 1944 Soviet
troops assaulted Romania. Under this occupation, the
leaders of the right and the king abdicated
power. Romanian communists acquired full control of the
country in 1948; they proclaimed a constitution, based
on the Russian, and this country was renamed the
People's Republic of Romania.
The Communist Party of Romania, led by Nicolae
Ceausescu, began to implement a policy independent of
the Soviet State, although it used the flag of socialism
and the same economic doctrines, the country was
governed by its family and the population was under its
authoritarianism, aided by the terror of the secret
police. While the country was plunged into debt, the
dictator's family wasted the nation's wealth on public
monuments and urban plans. In 1989, with the fall of
communism in Europe, Ceausescu tried to resist, imposing
unpopular measures. In December of that year,
anti-government demonstrations immersed in cities, which
had the support of the army. The Romanian dictator
fled. Soon after, he was arrested and executed by the
new provisional government. In the course of the
revolution, a group called the National Salvation Front
came to head the government. A new constitution was
adopted in 1991. Romania has a multiparty system, where
minorities are guaranteed seats in parliament.
Romanians made an important contribution to the arts
and letters. The poet Mikhail Eminescu founded a school
of poetry that would influence the writers of the 19th
and 20th centuries. The composer and violinist Georges
Enesco became the best known Romanian composer. The
country became part of the European Union on January 1,
2007, twelve years after the application for membership,
made on June 22, 1995.
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