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Background
Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a communist "peoples republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of President Nicolae CEAUSESCU became increasingly draconian through the 1980s. He was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the EU.
Geography
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
Geographic coordinates
46 00 N, 25 00 E
Area
total: 237,500 sq km
land: 230,340 sq km
water: 7,160 sq km
slightly smaller than Oregon
Border countries
Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldoova, Yugoslavia, Ukraine
Climate
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
Terrain
central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Elevation extremes
lowest point: Black Sea - 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m
Natural resources
petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower
Land use
arable land: 41%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 21%
forests and woodland: 29%
other: 6% (1993 est.)
Note
controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
People
Population: 22,364,022 (July 2001 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.21% (2001 est.)
Birth rate
10.8 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Death rate
12.28 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Infant mortality rate
19.36 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 70.16 years
male: 66.36 years
female: 74.19 years (2001 est.)
Total fertility rate
1.35 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Nationality
noun: Romanian(s)
adjective: Romanian
Ethnic groups
Romanian 89.5%
Hungarian 7.1%
Roma 1.8%
German 0.5%
Ukrainian 0.3%
other 0.8%
Religions
Romanian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Uniate Catholic, Protestant, unaffiliated
Languages
Romanian, Hungarian, German
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 95% (1989 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Romania
local long form: none
local short form: Romania
Government type
republic
Capital
Bucharest
Independence
1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947)
National holiday
Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)
Economy
Overview
Romania, one of the poorest countries in Central and Eastern Europe, began the transition from communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. Over the past decade economic restructuring has lagged behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, living standards have continued to fall - real wages are down over 40%. Corruption too has worsened. The EU ranks Romania last among enlargement candidates, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) rates Romania's transition progress the region's worst. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets. A new government elected in November 2000 promises to promote economic reform. Bucharest hopes to receive financial and technical assistance from international financial institutions and Western governments; negotiations over a new IMF standby agreement are to begin early in 2001. If reform stalls, Romania's ability to borrow from both public and private sources could quickly dry up, leading to another financial crisis.
GDP by sector
agriculture: 13.9%
industry: 32.6%
services: 53.5% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line
44.5% (1999 est.)
Inflation rate
45.7% (2000 est.)
Labor force: 9.9 million (1999)
agriculture: 40%
services: 35%
industry: 25%
Unemployment rate
11.5% (1999)
Communications
Telephones: 3.777 million (1997)
Mobile Phones: 645,500 (1999)
Radios: 7.2 million (1997)
Televisions: 5.25 million (1997)
Internet users: 600,000 (2000)
Transportation
Railways: total: 11,385 km
Highways: total: 153,359 km
Waterways: 1,724 km
Airports: 62 (2000 est.)
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