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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.
Background: The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, 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. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
Time: Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +2 hours.
Daylight saving time: +1 hour.
Electricity: 230 V, 50 Hz
Weights and measures: Metric
International dialing code: +40
Emergency: Ambulance, Fire and Police: 112
Currency: Romania New Lei (RON).
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 (Bucharest)*, 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 the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)
National holiday: Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)
Constitution: 8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003.
Legal system: Based on civil law system; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.
Executive branch: chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004); note - President Traian BASESCU was suspended by vote of parliament on 19 April 2007, but resumed his duties on 23 May 2007 after a popular referendum confirmed that his impeachment should not stand.
Head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29 December 2004)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister.
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004 with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004 (next to be held in November-December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament.
Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be held in November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be held November 2008)
Legislative branch: Bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for three-year terms by the president in consultation with the Superior Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister of justice, the prosecutor general, two civil society representatives appointed by the Senate, and 14 judges and prosecutors elected by their peers); a separate body, the Constitutional Court, validates elections and makes decisions regarding the constitutionality of laws, treaties, ordinances, and internal rules of the Parliament; it is comprised of nine members serving nine-year terms, with three members each appointed by the president, the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies.
Other: various human rights and professional associations.
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU (new member), FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC.
Overview: Romania, which joined the European Union on 1 January 2007, began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets. Domestic consumption and investment have fueled strong GDP growth in recent years, but have led to large current account imbalances. Romania's macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a middle class and address Romania's widespread poverty. Corruption and red tape continue to handicap its business environment. Inflation rose in 2007 for the first time in eight years, driven in part by the depreciation of the currency, rising energy costs, a nation-wide drought affecting food prices, and a relaxation of fiscal discipline. Romania hopes to adopt the euro by 2014.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $245.5 billion (2007 est.)
Labor force: 9.35 million (2007 est.)
Labor force by occupation: Agriculture: 29.7%, Industry: 23.2%, Services: 47.1% (2006)
Unemployment rate: 4.1% (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.8% (2007 est.)
Budget:
Revenues: $56.29 billion
Expenditures: $60.41 billion (2007)
Agriculture products: Wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep.
Industries: Electric machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining.
Exports: $40.25 billion f.o.b. (2007)
Exports commodities: Machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products.
Exports partners: Italy 17.2%, Germany 16.9%, France 7.7%, Turkey 7%, Hungary 5.6%, UK 4.1% (2006)
Imports: $64.33 billion f.o.b. (2007)
Imports commodities: Machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and products, metals, agricultural products.
Imports partners: Germany 17.2%, Italy 12.8%, Hungary 6.9%, Russia 6.3%, France 6.2%, Turkey 5.4%, Austria 4.8% (2006)
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Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine.
Area: 237,500 sq km
Land: 230,340 sq km Water: 7,160 sq km
Land boundaries: 2,508 km
Border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km
Coastline: 225 km
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.
Natural resources: Petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower.
Land use: Arable land: 39.49%, Permanent crops: 1.92%, Other: 58.59% (2005)
Total renewable water resources: 42.3 cu km (2003)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
Total: 6.5 cu km/yr (9%/34%/57%)
Per capita: 299 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards: Earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides.
Census 2010: 22,181,287 (July 2010 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 15.6% (male 1,778,864/female 1,687,659)
15-64 years: 69.7% (male 7,718,125/female 7,791,102)
65 years and over: 14.7% (male 1,337,915/female 1,933,197) (2008 est.)
Median age: 37.3 years
Male: 35.9 years Female: 38.7 years (2008 est.)
Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002 census)
Religions: Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)
Languages: Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%.
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.3%
Male: 98.4% Female: 96.3% (2002 census)
School life expectancy: 14 years
Male: 14 years Female: 14 years (2006)
Education expenditures: 3.5% (2005)
Telephones - main lines in use: 4.231 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 17.4 million (2006)
Telephone system: rapidly improving domestic and international service, especially in wireless telephony
Domestic: more than 90 percent of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in 2003 is transforming telecommunications; fixed-line teledensity is roughly 20 telephones per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity is approaching 80 telephones per 100 persons
International: country code - 40; the Black Sea Fiber Optic System provides connectivity to Bulgaria and Turkey; satellite earth stations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2005)
Radio broadcast stations: 698 (frequency type NA) (2006)
Television broadcast stations: 623 (plus 200 repeaters) (2006)
Internet country code: .ro
Internet hosts: 1.406 million (2007)
Internet users: 5.063 million (2006)
Airports: 61 (2007)
Railways: 11,385 km
Roadways: 198,817 km
Paved: 60,043 km (includes 228 km of expressways)
Unpaved: 138,774 km (2004)
Waterways: 1,731 km
Note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and 132 km on canals (2006)
Merchant marine: 18 ships (1000 GRT or over) 143,709 GRT/162,434 DWT. By type: cargo 12, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 47 (Cambodia 1, Georgia 14, Liberia 1, Malta 8, Marshall Islands 1, Moldova 1, North Korea 4, Panama 7, Sierra Leone 2, St Kitts and Nevis 1, St Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Syria 3, Tuvalu 1, unknown 2) (2008)
Ports and terminals: Braila, Constanta, Galati, Tulcea.
Military branches: Land Forces, Naval Forces, Romanian Air Force (Fortele Aeriene Romane, FAR), Special Operations (2008).
Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service.
Israel-Romania trade relations
General Information
Tourism
Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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