{{Infobox Country or territory
|native_name = ''România''
|conventional_long_name = Romania
|common_name = Romania
|image_flag = Flag of Romania.svg
|image_coat = Stema Romaniei mare.png
|image_map = Europe location ROM.png
|national_motto = none
(Royal Motto 1866-1947: ''Nihil_Sine_Deo'') |national_anthem = ''Deşteaptă-te,_române!'' |official_languages = Romanian |government_type = Republic |capital = Bucharest (Bucureşti) |latd=44|latm=25|latNS=N|longd=26|longm=06|longEW=E |largest_city = Bucharest |leader_title1 = President |leader_title2 = Prime Minister |leader_name1 = Traian_Băsescu |leader_name2 = Călin_Popescu-Tăriceanu |area_rank = 82nd |area_magnitude = 1_E11 |area = 238,391 |areami² = 92,043 |percent_water = 3 |population_estimate_year = July 2006 |population_estimate = 22,303,552 |population_estimate_rank = 50th |population_census_year = 2002 |population_census = 21,680,974 |population_density = 91 |population_densitymi² = 236 |population_density_rank = 104th |GDP_PPP_year = 2005 |GDP_PPP = $190,760 million |GDP_PPP_rank = 44th |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $9.446 (IMF 2006) |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 67th |HDI_year = 2005 |HDI = 0.792 |HDI_rank = 64th |HDI_category = medium |sovereignty_type = Independence |established_event1 = Declared |established_event2 = Recognised |established_date1 = 9_May 1877 (O.S.)2 |established_date2 = 13_July 18783 |accessionEUdate = January_1 2007 |currency = Leu |currency_code = RON |time_zone = EET |utc_offset = +2 |time_zone_DST = EEST |utc_offset_DST = +3 |cctld = .ro |calling_code = 40 |footnotes = 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.
}} {{otheruses}} '''Romania''' (Romanian: România {{IPA|/ro.mɨˈni.a/}}) is a country in Southeastern_Europe."Romania", from Britannica ConciseRomania, from Columbia EncyclopediaNational Geographic Atlas of the World: 8th Edition 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 center. Historic Bucharest (Romanian: ''Bucureşti'' {{IPAudio|Ro-Bucureşti.ogg|/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== {{main|Etymology of Romania}} The name of ''Romania'' (''România'') comes from ''Român'' ("Romanian"), which is a derivative of the word ''Romanus'' ("Roman") from Latin.
The fact that Romanians called themselves with 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'' (''Ţeara'' < Latin ''Terra'' = "land"). ==History== {{main|History of Romania}} ===Prehistory=== The territory 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.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3129654.stm ===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 military anarchy period 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. {{History of Romania}} ===Romania in the Middle Ages=== Image:Sibiuphoto.750pix.jpg]] In 271 or 275 the Roman army and administration left Dacia, which was invaded by the Goths, who lived with the local people until the fourth century, when another nomadic people arrived, the Huns. The Gepids and the Avars ruled Transylvania until the 8th century, after which the Bulgarians included the territory of modern Romania to 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. But from the destructions and the financial burdens, the local people were not influenced by the migrators in their culture and way of life. 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 - with Romanian origin, ruled 1458–1490)— was born in Transylvania, and 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, (ruled 1458–1490) — was born in Transylvania. 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. Image:pelescastle.jpg, retreat of Romanian monarchs]] In 1812 the Russian_Empire annexed Bessarabia, the eastern half of Moldavia (though partially lost it with the Treaty of Paris in 1856); in 1775 the Habsburg_Monarchy annexed its northern part, Bukovina, and the Ottoman_Empire its south-eastern part, Budjak. At the end of the 18th century, the Habsburg_Monarchy incorporated Transylvania into what successively became the Austrian_Empire. During the time of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918), Romanians in Transylvania experienced one of the worst oppression in the form of 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. During the Russo-Turkish War, Romania fought on the Russian side; in the Treaty of Berlin in 1878 Romania was recognized as an independent state by the Great Powers. In return for ceding to Russia the three southern districts of Bessarabia which 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 I became King Carol_I. Image:Iasi_cultural_palace.jpg, 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. Restored Hungary renounced in favour of Romania to any claims over the rights and titles of Austro-Hungarian_Monarchy in the Treaty_of_Trianon in 1920. ===Romania during World War II=== In 1940 during World_War_II, Northern_Bukovina and Bessarabia, Northern_Transylvania and southern Dobruja were occupied by the Soviet_Union, Hungary and Bulgaria respectively. The authoritarian King Carol II abdicated in 1940 and the subsequent year Romania entered the war joining the Axis powers. After the invasion of the Soviet Union, Romania recovered Bessarabia and northern Bukovina from the Soviet Russia, under the leadership of general Ion_Antonescu. It was awarded the territory Transnistria by Germany. During the Second World War, the Antonescu regime, allied with Nazi Germany, played a role in the Holocaust, following its 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 the Antonescu regime was toppled, and Romania joined the Allies against Nazi_Germany, but its role in the defeat of 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 defacto control, communists and their allied parties claimed 80% of the vote in the 1946 Romanian elections, through a combination of vote manipulation{{fact}}, 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, economical or unknown reasons: detainees in prisons or camps, deported, persons under house arrest, administrative detainees, psychiatric internees for political reasons. Estimations vary, from 60,000, Cartea albă a Securităţii, vol. 2 80,000, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, ''Speech at the Plenary session of the Central Committee of the Romanian Workers' Party'', 30 nov 1961 up to two millions. ''Recensământul populaţiei concentraţionare din România în anii 1945-1989'' - report of the "Centrul Internaţional de Studii asupra Comunismului", Sighet, 2004 - There were hundreds of thousands of abuses, deaths and incidents of torture against a large range of people, from political opponents to ordinary citizens, bringing gloom over Romania.CICERONE IONIŢOIU, Victimele terorii comuniste. Arestaţi, torturaţi, întemniţaţi, ucişi. Dicţionar. Editura Maşina de scris, Bucureşti, 2000- , ISBN 973-99994-2-5 Most political prisoners were freed in a series of amnesties between 1962 and 1964. One positive achievement during that period was the spread of near-universal Literacy. However, this educational transformation was not coupled with appropriate 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 country of the Warsaw pact not to take part in the invasion), the continuation of diplomatic relations with Israel after the Six-Day_War of 1967 (Romania was the only country in the Warsaw pact 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.{{cn}} Image:Bucuresti_fantana.jpg, 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 overthrown in the Romanian_Revolution_of_1989. ===Romania since 1989=== Following the end of the Cold War in 1989, Romania developed closer ties with Western Europe, the country quickly applied for membership in the EU in June 1993, becoming in 1995 Associated State of EU, joined NATO in 2004 and became an Acceding Country to the European_Union, being at an advanced stage to join on January_1, 2007. The Treaty of Accession of Romania has been 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. After the fall of Ceauşescu, the National_Salvation_Front (FSN) restored civil order and took partial democratic measures. Thus, 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 FSN of being made up of former Communists and members of the Securitate, protesters did not recognize the results of the election which they deemed undemocratic and they were asking for the exclusion from the political life of the former high-rank members of the Communist Party. The protest rapidly grew to become an on-going mass demonstration. 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. Image:Ateneul_Roman_b.jpg]] {{IPA|}} The subsequent disintegration of the FSN, which did not have a clear political platform, produced several political parties including the Democratic Party (PD), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) formerly known as the PDSR (Romanian Democrat Social Party), and the APR (Alliance for Romania). Throughout several coalitions, and governments, the Socialist parties emerged from the FSN have governed Romania from 1990 until 1996 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 Ion_Iliescu once again president and in 2004 Traian_Băsescu was elected president of Romania, supported during elections by a 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. ==Government and politics== {{morepolitics|country=Romania}} Image:Palatul_Victoriei.jpg, 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. Image:Casa_poporului.jpg, 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. ==Administrative divisions== {{main|Subdivisions of Romania}} Image:Romania_counties.png. 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 |valign="top"| *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"National Institute of Statistics, 2002 Census, the ten largest cities (all of which also have municipality status) are: {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#efefef;" ! # !! City !! Population !! County |- | 1. ||align="left"| Bucharest (Bucureşti) | 2,082,334 || ''n/a'' |- | 2. ||align="left"| Iaşi || 320,888 || Iaşi |- | 3. ||align="left"| Cluj-Napoca || 317,953 || Cluj |- | 4. ||align="left"| Timişoara || 317,660 || Timiş |- | 5. ||align="left"| Constanţa || 310,471 || Constanţa |- | 6. ||align="left"| Craiova || 302,601 || Dolj |- | 7. ||align="left"| Galaţi || 298,861 || Galaţi |- | 8. ||align="left"| Braşov || 284,595 || Braşov |- | 9. ||align="left"| Ploieşti || 232,527 || Prahova |- |10. ||align="left"| Brăila || 216,292 || Brăila |- |} {{seealso|List of Romanian Cities}} ==Geography== {{main|Geography of Romania}} Image:Romania-relief.png.]] Image:Ro-map.png 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 ==Economy== {{main|Economy of Romania}} Image:Sofitel_WTC_Bucharest.jpg in Bucharest, the capital and economic centre of Romania.]] Image:Hotel.Europa.Iasi-Romania.JPG.]] With a GDP per capita (PPP) of $9,446 in 2006Economic Indicators for Romania, 2004-2007, IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2006 Romania is an upper-middle-income economyWorld Bank Country Classification Groups, 2005 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 4.1%, mainly due to floods in significant agricultural areas. In 2006, growth is expected to exceed 7%.Romania's economy expected to grow by over 7 percent in 2006, International Herald Tribune, 8 September 2006 Unemployment in Romania was at 5.1% in July 2006{{ro icon}} Main Macroeconomic Indicators, Q2 2006, National Institute of Statistics, Romania 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.[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ro.html Romania], CIA_World_Factbook 2006 However, high growth and global inflationary pressures have led to Romania having a relatively high Inflation rate, recorded at 8.1% in 2005 and expected to fall below 5% by the end of 2007. Another challenge for the Romanian economy is a persistently-high current account deficit, valued at 8.7% of GDP in 2005. Despite this, 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.Romania, Index of Economic Freedom 2006 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 Europe. Foreign_direct_investment was valued at €5.2 billion in 2005, an increase of 26.8% over 2004.Inward FDI for 2005 according to the NBR statistics, Romanian Agency for Foreign Investment 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.Economy Rankings, Doing Business 2007 Report, World Bank Additionally, the same study judged it to be the world's second-fastest economic reformer in 2006.Top 10 Reformers, Doing Business 2007 Report, World Bank The average gross wage per month in Romania is 1122 lei as of August 2006,{{ro icon}} Câştigul salarial mediu şi efectivul salariaţilor în luna august 2006 ("Average salary in August 2006"), National Institute of Statistics, Romania equating to €319.66 (US$403.60) based on international exchange rates and $702.26 based on purchasing power parity.Implied PPP conversion rate for Romania, IMF, 2006 ==Demographics== {{main|Demographics of Romania}} Image:Trilingv.jpg, an ethnically-diverse city in northwestern Romania.]] 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.2002 Census Results 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. Image:CJROothodox.jpg 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.Outsourcing IT în România, Asociaţia Patronală a Industrie de Software şi Servicii (Owners Association of the Software and Service Industry), retrieved 13_November 2005 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. The older classics of Romanian literature and Romanian poetry 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 honor. 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. ===Media and Television=== According to Reporters_Without_Borders, the media in Romania is ranked 58th, at the same level as that in Poland and Hong-Kong Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006. The public television company Televiziunea_Română and the public radio Societatea_Română_de_Radiodifuziune cover all the country and have also international programs. The state also owns a public news agency ROMPRES. The private media is grouped in media companies such as Intact Media Group, Media Pro, Realitatea Media, Ringier, SBS_Broadcasting_Group, Centrul Naţional Media and other smaller independent companies. Cable_television is widely available even in some villages and offers besides the national channels a great number of international and specialized channels. FM stations cover most cities and most of them belong to national radio networks. Overall readership of most newspapers is slowly declining due to increasing competition from television and the internet. Tabloids and sport newspapers are among the most read national newspapers. In every large city there is at least one local newspaper, which usualy covers the rest of the county. An Audit Bureau of CirculationsRomanian Audit Bureau of Circulations exists since 1998 and a large number of publications are its members. ===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). ==Gallery==
image:palaceofpeopleromania.jpg|Palatul Parlamentului, Bucharest
image:Ateneul_Roman.jpg|Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest
image:The_University.JPG|University_of_Bucharest
Image:Bucharest modern building 2.jpg|Headquarters of the Romanian Development Bank
Image:MitropoliaMoldovei siBucovinei.Iasi.Romania.JPG|The Metropolitan Seat of Moldavia and Bukovina, Iaşi
image:CJROcatholic.jpg|Roman Catholic Church, Cluj-Napoca
image:CJROtheatre.jpg|National Theatre, Cluj-Napoca
Image:Brasov casa sfatului at night.jpg|Braşov Old Council Building at night
Image:Constanta-cazino.jpg|Casino, Constanţa
Image:Borzesti Side view.jpg|Borzeşti_Church, Borzeşti
Image:Sighisoara_IMG_5624.jpg|Sighişoara
Image:Romania Voronet Monestry.JPG|Voroneţ_Monastery
(Royal Motto 1866-1947: ''Nihil_Sine_Deo'') |national_anthem = ''Deşteaptă-te,_române!'' |official_languages = Romanian |government_type = Republic |capital = Bucharest (Bucureşti) |latd=44|latm=25|latNS=N|longd=26|longm=06|longEW=E |largest_city = Bucharest |leader_title1 = President |leader_title2 = Prime Minister |leader_name1 = Traian_Băsescu |leader_name2 = Călin_Popescu-Tăriceanu |area_rank = 82nd |area_magnitude = 1_E11 |area = 238,391 |areami² = 92,043 |percent_water = 3 |population_estimate_year = July 2006 |population_estimate = 22,303,552 |population_estimate_rank = 50th |population_census_year = 2002 |population_census = 21,680,974 |population_density = 91 |population_densitymi² = 236 |population_density_rank = 104th |GDP_PPP_year = 2005 |GDP_PPP = $190,760 million |GDP_PPP_rank = 44th |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $9.446 (IMF 2006) |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 67th |HDI_year = 2005 |HDI = 0.792 |HDI_rank = 64th |HDI_category = medium |sovereignty_type = Independence |established_event1 = Declared |established_event2 = Recognised |established_date1 = 9_May 1877 (O.S.)2 |established_date2 = 13_July 18783 |accessionEUdate = January_1 2007 |currency = Leu |currency_code = RON |time_zone = EET |utc_offset = +2 |time_zone_DST = EEST |utc_offset_DST = +3 |cctld = .ro |calling_code = 40 |footnotes = 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.
}} {{otheruses}} '''Romania''' (Romanian: România {{IPA|/ro.mɨˈni.a/}}) is a country in Southeastern_Europe."Romania", from Britannica ConciseRomania, from Columbia EncyclopediaNational Geographic Atlas of the World: 8th Edition 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 center. Historic Bucharest (Romanian: ''Bucureşti'' {{IPAudio|Ro-Bucureşti.ogg|/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== {{main|Etymology of Romania}} The name of ''Romania'' (''România'') comes from ''Român'' ("Romanian"), which is a derivative of the word ''Romanus'' ("Roman") from Latin.
The fact that Romanians called themselves with 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'' (''Ţeara'' < Latin ''Terra'' = "land"). ==History== {{main|History of Romania}} ===Prehistory=== The territory 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.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3129654.stm ===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 military anarchy period 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. {{History of Romania}} ===Romania in the Middle Ages=== Image:Sibiuphoto.750pix.jpg]] In 271 or 275 the Roman army and administration left Dacia, which was invaded by the Goths, who lived with the local people until the fourth century, when another nomadic people arrived, the Huns. The Gepids and the Avars ruled Transylvania until the 8th century, after which the Bulgarians included the territory of modern Romania to 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. But from the destructions and the financial burdens, the local people were not influenced by the migrators in their culture and way of life. 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 - with Romanian origin, ruled 1458–1490)— was born in Transylvania, and 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, (ruled 1458–1490) — was born in Transylvania. 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. Image:pelescastle.jpg, retreat of Romanian monarchs]] In 1812 the Russian_Empire annexed Bessarabia, the eastern half of Moldavia (though partially lost it with the Treaty of Paris in 1856); in 1775 the Habsburg_Monarchy annexed its northern part, Bukovina, and the Ottoman_Empire its south-eastern part, Budjak. At the end of the 18th century, the Habsburg_Monarchy incorporated Transylvania into what successively became the Austrian_Empire. During the time of the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary (1867-1918), Romanians in Transylvania experienced one of the worst oppression in the form of 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. During the Russo-Turkish War, Romania fought on the Russian side; in the Treaty of Berlin in 1878 Romania was recognized as an independent state by the Great Powers. In return for ceding to Russia the three southern districts of Bessarabia which 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 I became King Carol_I. Image:Iasi_cultural_palace.jpg, 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. Restored Hungary renounced in favour of Romania to any claims over the rights and titles of Austro-Hungarian_Monarchy in the Treaty_of_Trianon in 1920. ===Romania during World War II=== In 1940 during World_War_II, Northern_Bukovina and Bessarabia, Northern_Transylvania and southern Dobruja were occupied by the Soviet_Union, Hungary and Bulgaria respectively. The authoritarian King Carol II abdicated in 1940 and the subsequent year Romania entered the war joining the Axis powers. After the invasion of the Soviet Union, Romania recovered Bessarabia and northern Bukovina from the Soviet Russia, under the leadership of general Ion_Antonescu. It was awarded the territory Transnistria by Germany. During the Second World War, the Antonescu regime, allied with Nazi Germany, played a role in the Holocaust, following its 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 the Antonescu regime was toppled, and Romania joined the Allies against Nazi_Germany, but its role in the defeat of 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 defacto control, communists and their allied parties claimed 80% of the vote in the 1946 Romanian elections, through a combination of vote manipulation{{fact}}, 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, economical or unknown reasons: detainees in prisons or camps, deported, persons under house arrest, administrative detainees, psychiatric internees for political reasons. Estimations vary, from 60,000, Cartea albă a Securităţii, vol. 2 80,000, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, ''Speech at the Plenary session of the Central Committee of the Romanian Workers' Party'', 30 nov 1961 up to two millions. ''Recensământul populaţiei concentraţionare din România în anii 1945-1989'' - report of the "Centrul Internaţional de Studii asupra Comunismului", Sighet, 2004 - There were hundreds of thousands of abuses, deaths and incidents of torture against a large range of people, from political opponents to ordinary citizens, bringing gloom over Romania.CICERONE IONIŢOIU, Victimele terorii comuniste. Arestaţi, torturaţi, întemniţaţi, ucişi. Dicţionar. Editura Maşina de scris, Bucureşti, 2000- , ISBN 973-99994-2-5 Most political prisoners were freed in a series of amnesties between 1962 and 1964. One positive achievement during that period was the spread of near-universal Literacy. However, this educational transformation was not coupled with appropriate 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 country of the Warsaw pact not to take part in the invasion), the continuation of diplomatic relations with Israel after the Six-Day_War of 1967 (Romania was the only country in the Warsaw pact 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.{{cn}} Image:Bucuresti_fantana.jpg, 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 overthrown in the Romanian_Revolution_of_1989. ===Romania since 1989=== Following the end of the Cold War in 1989, Romania developed closer ties with Western Europe, the country quickly applied for membership in the EU in June 1993, becoming in 1995 Associated State of EU, joined NATO in 2004 and became an Acceding Country to the European_Union, being at an advanced stage to join on January_1, 2007. The Treaty of Accession of Romania has been 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. After the fall of Ceauşescu, the National_Salvation_Front (FSN) restored civil order and took partial democratic measures. Thus, 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 FSN of being made up of former Communists and members of the Securitate, protesters did not recognize the results of the election which they deemed undemocratic and they were asking for the exclusion from the political life of the former high-rank members of the Communist Party. The protest rapidly grew to become an on-going mass demonstration. 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. Image:Ateneul_Roman_b.jpg]] {{IPA|}} The subsequent disintegration of the FSN, which did not have a clear political platform, produced several political parties including the Democratic Party (PD), the Social Democratic Party (PSD) formerly known as the PDSR (Romanian Democrat Social Party), and the APR (Alliance for Romania). Throughout several coalitions, and governments, the Socialist parties emerged from the FSN have governed Romania from 1990 until 1996 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 Ion_Iliescu once again president and in 2004 Traian_Băsescu was elected president of Romania, supported during elections by a 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. ==Government and politics== {{morepolitics|country=Romania}} Image:Palatul_Victoriei.jpg, 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. Image:Casa_poporului.jpg, 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. ==Administrative divisions== {{main|Subdivisions of Romania}} Image:Romania_counties.png. 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 |valign="top"| *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"National Institute of Statistics, 2002 Census, the ten largest cities (all of which also have municipality status) are: {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#efefef;" ! # !! City !! Population !! County |- | 1. ||align="left"| Bucharest (Bucureşti) | 2,082,334 || ''n/a'' |- | 2. ||align="left"| Iaşi || 320,888 || Iaşi |- | 3. ||align="left"| Cluj-Napoca || 317,953 || Cluj |- | 4. ||align="left"| Timişoara || 317,660 || Timiş |- | 5. ||align="left"| Constanţa || 310,471 || Constanţa |- | 6. ||align="left"| Craiova || 302,601 || Dolj |- | 7. ||align="left"| Galaţi || 298,861 || Galaţi |- | 8. ||align="left"| Braşov || 284,595 || Braşov |- | 9. ||align="left"| Ploieşti || 232,527 || Prahova |- |10. ||align="left"| Brăila || 216,292 || Brăila |- |} {{seealso|List of Romanian Cities}} ==Geography== {{main|Geography of Romania}} Image:Romania-relief.png.]] Image:Ro-map.png 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 ==Economy== {{main|Economy of Romania}} Image:Sofitel_WTC_Bucharest.jpg in Bucharest, the capital and economic centre of Romania.]] Image:Hotel.Europa.Iasi-Romania.JPG.]] With a GDP per capita (PPP) of $9,446 in 2006Economic Indicators for Romania, 2004-2007, IMF World Economic Outlook, April 2006 Romania is an upper-middle-income economyWorld Bank Country Classification Groups, 2005 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 4.1%, mainly due to floods in significant agricultural areas. In 2006, growth is expected to exceed 7%.Romania's economy expected to grow by over 7 percent in 2006, International Herald Tribune, 8 September 2006 Unemployment in Romania was at 5.1% in July 2006{{ro icon}} Main Macroeconomic Indicators, Q2 2006, National Institute of Statistics, Romania 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.[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ro.html Romania], CIA_World_Factbook 2006 However, high growth and global inflationary pressures have led to Romania having a relatively high Inflation rate, recorded at 8.1% in 2005 and expected to fall below 5% by the end of 2007. Another challenge for the Romanian economy is a persistently-high current account deficit, valued at 8.7% of GDP in 2005. Despite this, 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.Romania, Index of Economic Freedom 2006 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 Europe. Foreign_direct_investment was valued at €5.2 billion in 2005, an increase of 26.8% over 2004.Inward FDI for 2005 according to the NBR statistics, Romanian Agency for Foreign Investment 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.Economy Rankings, Doing Business 2007 Report, World Bank Additionally, the same study judged it to be the world's second-fastest economic reformer in 2006.Top 10 Reformers, Doing Business 2007 Report, World Bank The average gross wage per month in Romania is 1122 lei as of August 2006,{{ro icon}} Câştigul salarial mediu şi efectivul salariaţilor în luna august 2006 ("Average salary in August 2006"), National Institute of Statistics, Romania equating to €319.66 (US$403.60) based on international exchange rates and $702.26 based on purchasing power parity.Implied PPP conversion rate for Romania, IMF, 2006 ==Demographics== {{main|Demographics of Romania}} Image:Trilingv.jpg, an ethnically-diverse city in northwestern Romania.]] 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.2002 Census Results 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. Image:CJROothodox.jpg 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.Outsourcing IT în România, Asociaţia Patronală a Industrie de Software şi Servicii (Owners Association of the Software and Service Industry), retrieved 13_November 2005 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. The older classics of Romanian literature and Romanian poetry 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 honor. 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. ===Media and Television=== According to Reporters_Without_Borders, the media in Romania is ranked 58th, at the same level as that in Poland and Hong-Kong Worldwide Press Freedom Index 2006. The public television company Televiziunea_Română and the public radio Societatea_Română_de_Radiodifuziune cover all the country and have also international programs. The state also owns a public news agency ROMPRES. The private media is grouped in media companies such as Intact Media Group, Media Pro, Realitatea Media, Ringier, SBS_Broadcasting_Group, Centrul Naţional Media and other smaller independent companies. Cable_television is widely available even in some villages and offers besides the national channels a great number of international and specialized channels. FM stations cover most cities and most of them belong to national radio networks. Overall readership of most newspapers is slowly declining due to increasing competition from television and the internet. Tabloids and sport newspapers are among the most read national newspapers. In every large city there is at least one local newspaper, which usualy covers the rest of the county. An Audit Bureau of CirculationsRomanian Audit Bureau of Circulations exists since 1998 and a large number of publications are its members. ===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). ==Gallery==
*''Much of the material in these articles comes from the CIA_World_Factbook 2006 and the 2005 U.S. Department of State website.''
==External links==
===Official links===
{{sisterlinks|Romania}}
{{portal}}
{{InterWiki|code=ro}}
* Official site of the Romanian government
*Presidency of Romania
*The Romanian Senate
*The House of Deputies
*Ministry of Foreign Affairs
===Overviews===
*BBC News Country Profile - ''Romania''
*[https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/ro.html CIA World Factbook - ''Romania'']
*Open Directory Project - ''Romania''
*US Department of State - ''Romania''
===Travel guides===
*Romania Travel
*Romania - journals, stories, travel photography
*{{wikitravel}}
*Lonely Planet Guide - Romania
*Sibiu/Hermanstadt, European Cultural Capital in 2007
*Travel To Romania
===Economy links===
*Exchange Rates - from the National_Bank_of_Romania
*Information about redenomination
===Timelines links===
*Chronology of Romania from the World History Database
{{Romania tie}}
{{MSG:Latinunion}}
{{EU countries}}
{{NATO}}
{{Countries of Europe}}
{{Black Sea}}
{{La Francophonie}}
{{Black Sea Economic Cooperation countries}}
{{Latin Europe}}
Category:La_Francophonie
{{Link FA|hr}}
Af:Roemenië
Als:Rumänien
Am:ሮማንያ
Ar:رومانيا
An:Rumanía
Roa-rup:Romãnia
Ast:Rumanía
Bn:রোমানিয়া
Zh-min-nan:Lô-má-nî-a
Be:Румынія
Bs:Rumunija
Bg:Румъния
Ca:Romania
Cs:Rumunsko
Cy:Rwmania
Da:Rumænien
De:Rumänien
Arc:ܪܘܡܢܝܐ
Et:Rumeenia
El:Ρουμανία
Es:Rumania
Eo:Rumanio
Eu:Errumania
Fa:رومانی
Fr:Roumanie
Fy:Roemeenje
Ga:An_Rómáin
Gd:Romàinia
Gl:Romanía_-_România
Ko:루마니아
Hy:Ռումինիա
Hi:रोमानिया
Hr:Rumunjska
Io:Rumania
Id:Rumania
Ia:Romania
Is:Rúmenía
It:Romania
He:רומניה
Ka:რუმინეთი
Ks:रोमानिया
Kw:Roumani
Ht:Woumani
Ku:Romanya
La:Romania
Lv:Rumānija
Lb:Rumänien
Lt:Rumunija
Li:Roemenië
Jbo:romanias
Hu:Románia
Mk:Романија
Mg:Roumanie
Mt:Rumanija
Ms:Romania
Mo:România
Na:Romania
Nl:Roemenië
Nds-nl:Roemenië
Ne:रोमानिया
Ja:ルーマニア
No:Romania
Nn:Romania
Oc:Romania
Ug:رومىنىيە
Pam:Romania
Pms:Romanìa
Nds:Rumänien
Pl:Rumunia
Pt:Roménia
Ro:România
Rmy:Rumuniya
Rm:Rumenia
Qu:Rumaniya
Ru:Румыния
Sa:रोमानिया
Sq:Rumania
Scn:Rumanìa
Simple:Romania
Sk:Rumunsko
Sl:Romunija
Sr:Румунија
Sh:Rumunija
Fi:Romania
Sv:Rumänien
Tl:Romania
Ta:ருமேனியா
Tet:Roménia
Th:ประเทศโรมาเนีย
Tg:Руминия
Chr:ᎶᎹᏂᏯ
Tr:Romanya
Uk:Румунія
Vo:Rumän
Fiu-vro:Romaania
Wa:Roumaneye
Yi:ראמעניע
Zh:羅馬尼亞