{"id":150,"date":"2017-01-05T15:03:42","date_gmt":"2017-01-05T13:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ccirj.ro\/?page_id=150"},"modified":"2017-01-05T16:09:11","modified_gmt":"2017-01-05T14:09:11","slug":"test","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ccirj.ro\/gb\/test\/","title":{"rendered":"test"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n<\/div>
Country in Southeast and Central Europe<\/div>\n
This article is about the country. For other uses, see Romania (disambiguation)<\/a>.<\/div>\n

\n\n\n<\/p>\n
Romania<\/div>
Rom\u00e2nia<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/div><\/th><\/tr>
\n
Anthem:<\/b> De\u0219teapt\u0103-te, rom\u00e2ne!<\/a><\/i><\/span>
\"Awaken Thee, Romanian!\"
Capital
and largest city<\/div><\/th>
Bucharest<\/a>
44\u00b025\u2032N<\/span> 26\u00b006\u2032E<\/span><\/span><\/span> \/ <\/span>44.417\u00b0N 26.100\u00b0E<\/span> \/ 44.417; 26.100<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Official languages<\/th>Romanian<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Ethnic groups<\/a>
(2021)[<\/span>1]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/div><\/th>
Religion
(2021)[<\/span>2]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/div><\/th>
Demonym<\/a><\/th>Romanian<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Government<\/a><\/th>Unitary semi-presidential republic<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
<\/td><\/tr>
Nicu\u0219or Dan<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Ilie Bolojan<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Mircea Abrudean<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Sorin Grindeanu<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
\n<\/td><\/tr>
Legislature<\/th>Parliament<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Upper house<\/a><\/div><\/th>
Senate<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Lower house<\/a><\/div><\/th>
Chamber of Deputies<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
History<\/a><\/th><\/tr>
<\/td><\/tr>
1330\u20131862<\/td><\/tr>
1346\u20131862<\/td><\/tr>
1859\u20131881<\/td><\/tr>
10 May 1877<\/td><\/tr>
1881\u20131947<\/td><\/tr>
1 December 1918<\/td><\/tr>
1947\u20131989<\/td><\/tr>
8 December 1991<\/td><\/tr>
\n<\/td><\/tr>
Area <\/a><\/th><\/tr>
\u2022 Total<\/div><\/th>
238,397 km2<\/sup> (92,046 sq mi)[<\/span>3]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (81st<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Water (%)<\/div><\/th>
3<\/td><\/tr>
Population<\/a><\/th><\/tr>
\u2022 2025 estimate<\/div><\/th>
\"Neutral<\/span><\/span> 19,043,151[<\/span>4]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (65th<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 2021 census<\/div><\/th>
\"Neutral<\/span><\/span> 19,053,815[<\/span>5]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Density<\/div><\/th>
83\/km2<\/sup> (215.0\/sq mi) (132nd<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
GDP<\/a> (PPP<\/a>)<\/span><\/th>2026 estimate<\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Total<\/div><\/th>
\"Increase\"<\/span><\/span> $950.384 billion[<\/span>6]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (37th<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Per capita<\/div><\/th>
\"Increase\"<\/span><\/span> $50,783[<\/span>6]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (44th<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
GDP<\/a> (nominal)<\/span><\/th>2026 estimate<\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Total<\/div><\/th>
\"Increase\"<\/span><\/span> $480.834 billion[<\/span>6]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (38th<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Per capita<\/div><\/th>
\"Increase\"<\/span><\/span> $25,693[<\/span>6]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (53th<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Gini<\/a> (2025)<\/span><\/th>\"Positive<\/span><\/span> 27.3[<\/span>7]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>
low inequality<\/span><\/span><\/td><\/tr>
HDI<\/a> (2023)<\/span><\/th>\"Increase\"<\/span><\/span> 0.845[<\/span>8]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>
very high<\/span><\/span> (55th<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Currency<\/th>Romanian leu<\/a> (RON<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Time zone<\/th>UTC<\/a>+2<\/span> (EET<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
\u2022 Summer (DST<\/a>)<\/div><\/th>
UTC<\/a>+3<\/span> (EEST<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Date format<\/th>dd.mm.yyyy (CE<\/a>)<\/td><\/tr>
Calling code<\/a><\/th>+40<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
ISO 3166 code<\/a><\/th>RO<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Internet TLD<\/a><\/th>.ro<\/a><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n

Romania<\/b>[<\/span>a]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> is a country in Southeast<\/a> and Central Europe<\/a>. It lies on the lower course of the Danube<\/a>, north of the Balkan Peninsula<\/a>, and on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea<\/a>. It borders Ukraine<\/a> to the north and east, Hungary<\/a> to the west, Serbia<\/a> to the southwest, Bulgaria<\/a> to the south, Moldova<\/a> to the east, and the Black Sea<\/a> to the southeast. It is the twelfth-largest country in Europe by area<\/a>, covering 238,397 km2<\/sup> (92,046 mi2<\/sup>), and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union<\/a>, with 19 million inhabitants. The capital, largest city<\/a> and economic centre<\/a> is Bucharest<\/a>. Other major cities include Cluj-Napoca<\/a>, Ia\u0219i<\/a>, Constan\u021ba<\/a>, Timi\u0219oara<\/a> and Bra\u0219ov<\/a>.\n<\/p>

Romania was settled during the Lower Paleolithic<\/a>, later becoming Dacia<\/a> before Trajan's Dacian Wars<\/a> and Romanisation<\/a>. The modern Romanian state was formed in 1859 with the unification<\/a> of Moldavia<\/a> and Wallachia<\/a> under Alexandru Ioan Cuza<\/a>, becoming the Kingdom of Romania<\/a> in 1881 under Carol I of Romania<\/a>. Romania gained independence<\/a> from the Ottoman Empire<\/a> in 1877, formalised by the Treaty of Berlin<\/a>. After World War I<\/a>, Transylvania<\/a>, Banat<\/a>, Bukovina<\/a>, and Bessarabia<\/a> joined the Old Kingdom<\/a>, forming Greater Romania<\/a>, which reached its largest territorial extent. In 1940, under Axis<\/a> pressure, Romania lost territories to Hungary<\/a>, Bulgaria<\/a>, and the Soviet Union<\/a>. Following the Act of 23 August<\/a>, Romania switched sides to join the Allies<\/a>. After World War II<\/a>, it regained Northern Transylvania<\/a> through the Paris Peace Treaties<\/a>. Under Soviet occupation<\/a>, King Michael I<\/a> was forced to abdicate<\/a>, and Romania became a socialist republic<\/a> and Warsaw Pact<\/a> member. After the fall of communism<\/a> and the Romanian revolution<\/a> in 1989, Romania transitioned to a liberal democracy<\/a>.\n<\/p>

Romania is a developed country<\/a> with a high-income economy<\/a> and is widely regarded as a middle power<\/a> in international relations<\/a>. It is home to 11<\/a> UNESCO World Heritage Sites<\/a>. Romania is a net exporter of automotive and vehicle parts<\/a> worldwide and has established a growing reputation as a technology centre<\/a>, with some of the fastest internet speeds globally<\/a>. Romania is a member of several international organisations<\/a>, including the European Union<\/a>, NATO<\/a>, and the BSEC<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n

Etymology<\/h2><\/div>\n
Main article: Name of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n

Romania<\/i> derives from the local name for Romanian<\/a> (Romanian<\/a>: rom\u00e2n<\/i>), which in turn derives from Latin<\/a> romanus<\/i><\/a>, meaning \"Roman<\/a>\" or \"of Rome<\/a>\".[<\/span>9]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> This ethnonym for Romanians is first attested in the sixteenth century by Italian humanists travelling in Transylvania<\/a>, Moldavia<\/a>, and Wallachia<\/a>.[<\/span>10]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>11]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>12]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The oldest known surviving document written in Romanian<\/a> that can be precisely dated, a 1521 letter known as the \"Letter of Neac\u0219u from C\u00e2mpulung<\/a>\",[<\/span>13]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> is notable for including the first documented occurrence of Romanian<\/i> in a country name: Wallachia is mentioned as \u021aara Rum\u00e2neasc\u0103<\/i><\/span>.\n<\/p>\n

History<\/h2><\/div>\n
Main article: History of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
Further information: Timeline of Romanian history<\/a> and Origin of the Romanians<\/a><\/div>\n

Prehistory<\/h3><\/div>\n

Human remains found in Pe\u0219tera cu Oase<\/a> (\"Cave with Bones\"), radiocarbon date from circa 40,000 years ago, and represent the oldest known Homo sapiens<\/a><\/i> in Europe.[<\/span>14]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Neolithic<\/a> agriculture spread after the arrival of a mixed group of people from Thessaly<\/a> in the 6th millennium BC.[<\/span>15]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>16]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Excavations near a salt spring<\/a> at Lunca<\/a> yielded the earliest evidence for salt exploitation in Europe; here salt production began between the 5th and 4th millennium BC.[<\/span>17]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The first permanent settlements developed into \"proto-cities\",[<\/span>18]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> which were larger than 320 hectares (800 acres).[<\/span>19]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>20]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Cucuteni\u2013Trypillia culture<\/a>\u2014the best known archaeological culture<\/a> of Old Europe<\/a>\u2014flourished in Muntenia<\/a>, southeastern Transylvania and northeastern Moldavia in the 3rd millennium BC.[<\/span>20]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\nThe first fortified settlements appeared around 1800 BC, showing the militant character of Bronze Age<\/a> societies.[<\/span>20]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Antiquity<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Romania in Antiquity<\/a><\/div>\n
See also: Legacy of the Roman Empire<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Maximum territorial extent of the Kingdom of Dacia<\/a> during Burebista<\/a>'s reign (early 40s BC)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Greek colonies established on the Black Sea<\/a> coast in the 7th century BC became important centres of commerce with the local tribes.[<\/span>21]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>22]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Among the native peoples, Herodotus<\/a> listed the Getae<\/a> of the Lower Danube region, the Agathyrsi<\/a> of Transylvania and the Syginnae<\/a> of the plains along the river Tisza<\/a> at the beginning of the 5th century BC.[<\/span>23]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Centuries later, Strabo<\/a> associated the Getae with the Dacians<\/a> who dominated the lands along the southern Carpathian Mountains<\/a> in the 1st century BC.[<\/span>24]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Burebista<\/a> was the first Dacian ruler to unite the local tribes.[<\/span>24]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>25]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> He also conquered the Greek colonies in Dobruja<\/a> and the neighbouring peoples as far as the Middle Danube and the Balkan Mountains<\/a> between around 55 and 44 BC.[<\/span>24]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>26]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> After Burebista was murdered in 44 BC, his kingdom collapsed.[<\/span>24]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>27]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The Romans reached Dacia<\/a> during Burebista's reign and conquered Dobruja in 46 AD.[<\/span>27]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Dacia<\/a> was again united under Decebalus<\/a> around 85 AD.[<\/span>24]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>28]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> He resisted the Romans for decades, but the Roman army defeated his troops in 106 AD.[<\/span>29]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Emperor Trajan<\/a> transformed Banat<\/a>, Oltenia<\/a> and the greater part of Transylvania into a new province<\/a> called Roman Dacia<\/a>, but Dacian, Germanic<\/a> and Sarmatian<\/a> tribes continued to dominate the lands along the Roman frontiers.[<\/span>30]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>31]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Romans pursued an organised colonisation policy, and the provincials enjoyed a long period of peace and prosperity in the 2nd century.[<\/span>32]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>33]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Scholars accepting the Daco-Roman continuity theory\u2014one of the main theories about the origin of the Romanians<\/a>\u2014say that the cohabitation of the native Dacians and the Roman colonists in Roman Dacia was the first phase of the Romanians' ethnogenesis<\/a>.[<\/span>34]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>35]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Carpians<\/a>, Goths<\/a> and other neighbouring tribes made regular raids against Dacia from the 210s.[<\/span>36]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Romans could not resist, and Emperor Aurelian<\/a> ordered the evacuation of the province Dacia Trajana<\/a> in the 270s.[<\/span>37]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Scholars supporting the continuity theory are convinced that most Latin-speaking commoners stayed behind when the army and civil administration was withdrawn.[<\/span>38]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Romans did not abandon their fortresses along the northern banks of the Lower Danube for decades, and Dobruja (known as Scythia Minor<\/a>) remained an integral part of the Roman Empire until the early 7th century.[<\/span>34]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>39]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Middle Ages<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Romania in the Early Middle Ages<\/a>, Romania in the Middle Ages<\/a>, Founding of Wallachia<\/a>, and Founding of Moldavia<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Gutthiuda, or the land of the Gothic<\/a>-speaking Thervingi<\/a>, and the neighbouring tribes (370s AD)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Goths were expanding towards the Lower Danube from the 230s, forcing the native peoples to flee to the Roman Empire or to accept their suzerainty<\/a>.[<\/span>40]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>41]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>42]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Goths' rule ended abruptly when the Huns<\/a> invaded their territory in 376, causing new waves of migrations.[<\/span>40]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>42]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>43]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Huns forced the remnants of the local population into submission, but their empire collapsed in 454.[<\/span>40]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>44]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Gepids<\/a> took possession of the former Dacia province.[<\/span>45]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>46]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Place names that are of Slavic<\/a> origin abound in Romania, indicating that a significant Slavic-speaking population lived in the territory.[<\/span>47]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The first Slavic<\/a> groups settled in Moldavia and Wallachia in the 6th century,[<\/span>48]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> in Transylvania around 600.[<\/span>49]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The nomadic Avars<\/a> defeated the Gepids and established a powerful empire around 570.[<\/span>40]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>50]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Bulgars<\/a>, who also came from the European Pontic steppe<\/a>, occupied the Lower Danube region in 680.[<\/span>40]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
First Bulgarian Empire<\/a> (681\u20131018) around 850<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the Avar Khaganate<\/a> collapsed in the 790s, the First Bulgarian Empire<\/a> became the dominant power of the region, occupying lands as far as the river Tisa<\/a>.[<\/span>40]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The First Bulgarian Empire<\/a> had a mixed population consisting of the Bulgar conquerors, Slavs<\/a> and Vlachs<\/a> (or Romanians) but the Slavicisation<\/a> of the Bulgar elite had already begun in the 9th century. Following the conquest of southern Transylvania<\/a> around 830, people from the Bulgar Empire mined salt at the local salt mines.[<\/span>51]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Council of Preslav<\/a> declared Old Church Slavonic<\/a> the language of liturgy in the country in 893.[<\/span>52]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Vlachs also adopted Old Church Slavonic as their liturgical language.[<\/span>53]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The Magyars<\/a> (or Hungarians) took control of the steppes north of the Lower Danube in the 830s, but the Bulgarians and the Pechenegs<\/a> jointly forced them to abandon this region for the lowlands along the Middle Danube<\/a> around 894.[<\/span>54]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Centuries later, the Gesta Hungarorum<\/a><\/i> wrote of the invading Magyars' wars against three dukes\u2014Glad<\/a>, Menumorut<\/a> and the Vlach Gelou<\/a>\u2014for Banat, Cri\u0219ana and Transylvania.[<\/span>55]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>56]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Gesta<\/i> also listed many peoples\u2014Slavs, Bulgarians, Vlachs, Khazars<\/a>, and Sz\u00e9kelys<\/a>\u2014inhabiting the same regions.[<\/span>57]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>58]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The reliability of the Gesta<\/i> is debated. Some scholars regard it as a basically accurate account, others describe it as a literary work filled with invented details.[<\/span>59]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>60]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>61]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Pechenegs seized the lowlands abandoned by the Hungarians to the east of the Carpathians.[<\/span>62]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Byzantine<\/a> missionaries proselytised in the lands east of the Tisa from the 940s[<\/span>63]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and Byzantine troops occupied Dobruja in the 970s.[<\/span>64]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The first king of Hungary<\/a>, Stephen I<\/a>, who supported Western European missionaries, defeated the local chieftains and established Roman Catholic bishoprics<\/a> (office of a bishop) in Transylvania and Banat in the early 11th century.[<\/span>65]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>66]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Significant Pecheneg groups fled to the Byzantine Empire in the 1040s; the Oghuz Turks<\/a> followed them, and the nomadic Cumans<\/a> became the dominant power of the steppes in the 1060s.[<\/span>67]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Cooperation between the Cumans and the Vlachs against the Byzantine Empire is well documented from the end of the 11th century.[<\/span>68]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Scholars who reject the Daco-Roman continuity theory say that the first Vlach groups left their Balkan<\/a> homeland for the mountain pastures of the eastern and southern Carpathians in the 11th century, establishing the Romanians' presence in the lands to the north of the Lower Danube.[<\/span>69]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Vlad III of Wallachia<\/a> (also known as Vlad the Impaler), medieval ruler of Wallachia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Exposed to nomadic incursions, Transylvania developed into an important border province of the Kingdom of Hungary<\/a>.[<\/span>70]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>71]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Sz\u00e9kelys\u2014a community of free warriors\u2014settled in central Transylvania around 1100 and moved to the easternmost regions around 1200.[<\/span>72]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Colonists from the Holy Roman Empire<\/a>\u2014the Transylvanian Saxons<\/a>' ancestors\u2014came to the province in the 1150s.[<\/span>72]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>73]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> A high-ranking royal official, styled voivode<\/a>, ruled the Transylvanian counties<\/a> from the 1170s, but the Sz\u00e9kely and Saxon seats<\/a> (or districts) were not subject to the voivodes' authority.[<\/span>74]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Royal charters wrote of the \"Vlachs<\/a>' land\" in southern Transylvania in the early 13th century, indicating the existence of autonomous Romanian communities<\/a>.[<\/span>75]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Papal correspondence mentions the activities of Orthodox prelates among the Romanians in Muntenia in the 1230s.[<\/span>76]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Also in the 13th century, the Republic of Genoa<\/a> started establishing colonies<\/a> on the Black Sea, including Calafat<\/a>, and Constan\u021ba<\/a>.[<\/span>77]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>78]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The Mongols destroyed large territories during their invasion of Eastern and Central Europe<\/a> in 1241 and 1242.[<\/span>79]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Mongols' Golden Horde<\/a> emerged as the dominant power of Eastern Europe, but B\u00e9la IV<\/a> of Hungary's land grant to the Knights Hospitallers<\/a> in Oltenia and Muntenia shows that the local Vlach<\/a> rulers were subject to the king's authority in 1247.[<\/span>80]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>81]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Basarab I of Wallachia<\/a> united the Romanian polities between the southern Carpathians and the Lower Danube in the 1310s.[<\/span>82]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> He defeated the Hungarian royal army in the Battle of Posada<\/a> and secured the independence of Wallachia<\/a> in 1330.[<\/span>83]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>84]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The second Romanian principality, Moldavia<\/a>, achieved full autonomy during the reign of Bogdan I<\/a> around 1360.[<\/span>84]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> A local dynasty ruled the Despotate of Dobruja<\/a> in the second half of the 14th century, but the Ottoman Empire<\/a> took possession of the territory after 1388.[<\/span>85]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Princes Mircea I<\/a> and Vlad III of Wallachia<\/a>, and Stephen III of Moldavia<\/a> defended their countries' independence against the Ottomans. Most Wallachian and Moldavian princes paid a regular tribute to the Ottoman sultans from 1417 and 1456, respectively.[<\/span>86]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>87]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> John Hunyadi<\/a>, organised the defence of the Kingdom of Hungary<\/a> and anti-Ottoman campaigns<\/a> from 1440 until his death in 1456.[<\/span>88]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Increasing taxes outraged the Transylvanian peasants, and they rose up in an open rebellion<\/a> in 1437, but the Hungarian nobles and the heads of the Saxon and Sz\u00e9kely communities jointly suppressed their revolt.[<\/span>89]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The formal alliance of the Hungarian, Saxon, and Sz\u00e9kely leaders, known as the Union of the Three Nations<\/a>, became an important element of the self-government of Transylvania.[<\/span>90]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Orthodox Romanian knezes<\/a><\/i> (\"chiefs\") were excluded from the Union.[<\/span>90]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Early modern times and national awakening<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Early Modern Romania<\/a> and Romanian War of Independence<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
During the Long Turkish War<\/a>, Wallachian Prince<\/a> Michael the Brave<\/a> (portrayed<\/i>) briefly reigned over the three medieval principalities of Wallachia<\/a>, Moldavia<\/a>, and Transylvania<\/a>, covering most of the present-day territory of Romania<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

The Kingdom of Hungary collapsed, and the Ottomans occupied parts of Banat<\/a> and Cri\u0219ana<\/a> in 1541.[<\/span>90]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Transylvania and Maramure\u0219<\/a>, along with the rest of Banat and Cri\u0219ana, developed into a new state under Ottoman suzerainty, the Principality of Transylvania<\/a>.[<\/span>91]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Reformation<\/a>, initiated in Germany by Martin Luther<\/a> in 1517, encouraged the spread of Protestantism<\/a> across the region; by 1568, the Edict of Torda<\/a> formally granted local communities the right to choose their own preachers, sanctioning the existence of four \"received\" religions (Catholicism<\/a>, Lutheranism<\/a>, Calvinism<\/a>, and Unitarianism<\/a>).[who?<\/span><\/a><\/i>]<\/sup>[<\/span>92]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Romanians' Orthodox faith remained only tolerated,[<\/span>92]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> although they made up more than one-third of the population, according to 17th-century estimates.[<\/span>93]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>94]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In June 1609, Gabriel B\u00e1thory<\/a> freed the Romanian Orthodox clergy from both taxation and service demands.[<\/span>95]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The princes of Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia joined the Holy League<\/a> against the Ottoman Empire in 1594.[<\/span>96]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Wallachian prince, Michael the Brave<\/a>, united the three principalities under his rule in May 1600.[<\/span>97]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>98]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The neighbouring powers forced him to abdicate in September, but he became a symbol of the unification of the Romanian lands in the 19th century.[<\/span>97]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Although the rulers of the three principalities continued to pay tribute to the Ottomans, the most talented princes\u2014Gabriel Bethlen<\/a> of Transylvania, Matei Basarab<\/a> of Wallachia, and Vasile Lupu<\/a> of Moldavia\u2014strengthened their autonomy.[<\/span>99]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The united armies of the Holy League<\/a> expelled the Ottoman troops from Central Europe between 1684 and 1699, and the Principality of Transylvania was integrated into the Habsburg monarchy<\/a>.[<\/span>100]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Habsburgs supported the Catholic clergy and persuaded the Orthodox Romanian prelates to accept the union with the Roman Catholic Church<\/a> in 1699.[<\/span>101]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In the 18th century<\/a>, Moldavia<\/a> and Wallachia<\/a> maintained their internal autonomy, but in 1711<\/a> and 1716<\/a>, respectively, the period of the Phanariots<\/a> began, with rulers appointed directly by the Porte from among the noble families of Greek<\/a> origin in Constantinople<\/a>. With the signing of the Ausgleich<\/a> in 1867<\/a>, Transylvania<\/a> quickly lost its remaining political autonomy, being politically and administratively incorporated into the Kingdom of Hungary<\/a>.[<\/span>102]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Church Union strengthened the Romanian intellectuals' devotion to their Roman heritage.[<\/span>103]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Orthodox Church was restored in Transylvania only after Orthodox monks stirred up revolts in 1744 and 1759.[<\/span>104]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The organisation of the Transylvanian Military Frontier<\/a> caused further disturbances, especially among the Sz\u00e9kelys in 1764<\/a>.[<\/span>105]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Princes Dimitrie Cantemir<\/a> of Moldavia and Constantin Br\u00e2ncoveanu<\/a> of Wallachia concluded alliances with the Habsburg Monarchy and Russia against the Ottomans, but they were dethroned in 1711 and 1714, respectively.[<\/span>106]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The sultans lost confidence in the native princes and appointed Orthodox merchants from the Phanar<\/a> district of Istanbul to rule Moldavia and Wallachia.[<\/span>107]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>108]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Phanariot<\/a> princes pursued oppressive fiscal policies and dissolved the army.[<\/span>109]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The neighbouring powers took advantage of the situation: the Habsburg Monarchy annexed the northwestern part of Moldavia, or Bukovina<\/a>, in 1775, and the Russian Empire<\/a> seized the eastern half of Moldavia, or Bessarabia<\/a>, in 1812.[<\/span>110]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>111]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

A census revealed that the Romanians were more numerous than any other ethnic group in Transylvania in 1733, but legislation continued to use contemptuous adjectives (such as \"tolerated\" and \"admitted\") when referring to them.[<\/span>112]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>113]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Uniate bishop<\/a>, Inocen\u021biu Micu-Klein<\/a>, who demanded recognition of the Romanians as the fourth privileged nation, was forced into exile.[<\/span>114]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>113]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Uniate and Orthodox clerics and laymen jointly signed a plea for the Transylvanian Romanians' emancipation<\/a> in 1791, but the monarch and the local authorities refused to grant their requests.[<\/span>115]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>112]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Animated map depicting the territorial changes of Romania from 1859<\/a> to 2010<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Treaty of K\u00fc\u00e7\u00fck Kaynarca<\/a> authorised the Russian ambassador in Istanbul to defend the autonomy of Moldavia and Wallachia (known as the Danubian Principalities<\/a>) in 1774.[<\/span>116]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Taking advantage of the Greek War of Independence<\/a>, a Wallachian lesser nobleman, Tudor Vladimirescu, stirred up a revolt against the Ottomans in January 1821, but he was murdered in June by Phanariot Greeks.[<\/span>117]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> After a new Russo-Turkish War<\/a>, the Treaty of Adrianople<\/a> strengthened the autonomy of the Danubian Principalities in 1829, although it also acknowledged the sultan's right to confirm the election of the princes.[<\/span>118]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Mihail Kog\u0103lniceanu<\/a>, Nicolae B\u0103lcescu<\/a> and other leaders of the 1848 revolutions in Moldavia<\/a> and Wallachia<\/a> demanded the emancipation of the peasants and the union of the two principalities, but Russian and Ottoman troops crushed their revolt.[<\/span>119]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>120]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Wallachian revolutionists were the first to adopt the blue, yellow and red tricolour<\/a> as the national flag<\/a>.[<\/span>121]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In Transylvania, most Romanians supported the imperial government against the Hungarian revolutionaries<\/a> after the Diet passed a law concerning the union of Transylvania and Hungary.[<\/span>121]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Bishop Andrei \u0218aguna<\/a> proposed the unification of the Romanians of the Habsburg Monarchy in a separate duchy, but the central government refused to change the internal borders.[<\/span>122]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Unification and the Kingdom of Romania<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia<\/a>, United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia<\/a>, and Kingdom of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
King Carol I<\/a> with his nephew Ferdinand<\/a> and his son, Carol II<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the Little Union to the Great War<\/h4><\/div>\n

The modern Romanian state was created through the unification of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia<\/a>, accepted as a federative structure by the Great Powers following the Paris Convention<\/a> of 1858, and later cemented by the simultaneous election as ruler of both states of the unionist Alexandru Ioan Cuza<\/a>.[<\/span>123]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>124]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>125]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> After carrying out numerous reforms that laid the foundations for the modernisation of the state, he was forced in 1866 by a broad coalition of the political parties of the time, also known as the \"Monstrous coalition<\/a>\", to abdicate and leave the country.[<\/span>126]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The union was at one time in peril, but the political leaders of the era succeeded in placing on the princely throne Carol I of Romania<\/a>, who accepted the Constitution and took the oath on 10 May 1866. Eleven years later, on 10 May 1877, Romania proclaimed its independence\u2014achieved on the battlefield\u2014and in 1881, on the same day of the year, Carol was crowned as King of Romania<\/a>. In 1913, Romania entered the Second Balkan War<\/a> against Bulgaria<\/a>, at the end of which it obtained Southern Dobruja<\/a>.[<\/span>127]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>128]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>129]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 1914, King Carol I<\/a> died, and his nephew, Ferdinand I<\/a>, succeeded him on the throne.[<\/span>126]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

World War I and the Great Union<\/h4><\/div>\n
Main article: Romania in World War I<\/a><\/div>\n

In 1916, Romania entered World War I<\/a> on the side of the Entente Powers<\/a>.[<\/span>130]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Although the Romanian forces did not perform well militarily, by the end of the war the Austrian and Russian Empires had disintegrated; the National Assembly in Transylvania<\/a>, and the Sfatul \u021a\u0103rii<\/a> in Bessarabia<\/a> and Bukovina<\/a> proclaimed their union with Romania, and King Ferdinand I<\/a> and Queen Maria<\/a> were crowned sovereign of all Romanians in Alba Iulia<\/a> on 15 October 1922.[<\/span>131]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

After World War I<\/a>, the union of Bukovina<\/a> with Romania was ratified in 1919 by the Treaty of Saint Germain<\/a>. Most of the territories claimed by Romania from the Kingdom of Hungary<\/a>\u2014Cri\u0219ana<\/a>, Transylvania<\/a> and parts of Banat<\/a> and Maramure\u0219<\/a>\u2014were annexed to the Kingdom of Romania<\/a>. This act was ratified in 1920 by the Treaty of Trianon<\/a>, which defined the new border between Hungary and Romania.\n<\/p>\n

Interwar period<\/h4><\/div>\n

After having left the country and renounced his claim to the throne in 1925, Carol II<\/a> returned in 1930 and usurped his son's throne; influenced by his inner circle\u2014referred to by historians as the \"Royal Camarilla\"\u2014he gradually undermined the democratic system, and in 1938 he assumed dictatorial powers. Although he was pro-Western (especially Anglophile), Carol attempted to appease extreme centrifugal forces by appointing nationalist governments that adopted anti-Semitic measures, such as the Goga cabinet<\/a> and the one led by the Orthodox Patriarch Miron Cristea<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

World War II<\/h4><\/div>\n
Main article: Romania in World War II<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Romania's territorial losses in the summer of 1940. Of these territories, only Northern Transylvania<\/a> was regained<\/a> after the end of World War II<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Following the Molotov\u2013Ribbentrop Pact<\/a> of 1939, in June 1940 Romania accepted the loss of Bessarabia<\/a>, Northern Bukovina<\/a> and the Hertsa<\/a> region in favour of the USSR<\/a> (as stipulated in the Soviet ultimatum of 28 June 1940). Unaware of the details of the Soviet\u2013German pact, Carol attempted to secure an alliance with Nazi Germany<\/a>, and appointed Ion Gigurtu as President of the Council of Ministers, who declared that he would pursue a Nazi pro-Axis (Berlin\u2013Rome) policy that was anti-Semitic and fascist-totalitarian in nature.[<\/span>132]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>133]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>134]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Between 4 July and 4 September 1940, by accepting Hitler's arbitration<\/a> over Transylvania (after Gigurtu declared on radio that Romania must make territorial sacrifices to justify its Nazi orientation and full adherence to the Berlin\u2013Rome Axis), Romania ceded Northern Transylvania<\/a>\u2014including the city of Cluj<\/a>\u2014to Hungary.[<\/span>135]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>136]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>137]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The vast territories in Transylvania ceded by Ion Gigurtu to Hungary contained important natural resources, including gold mines.[<\/span>138]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Ion Gigurtu also initiated negotiations to cede 8,000 km2<\/sup> of Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria,[<\/span>139]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> these negotiations were interrupted by Antonescu's unconditional acceptance of the territorial cession.[<\/span>140]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In response to the chaotic withdrawal from Bessarabia, the territorial cessions, public discontent, and protests from political leaders, King Carol II suspended the 1938 Constitution of Romania<\/a> and appointed General Ion Antonescu<\/a> as Prime Minister. This measure, supported by the Iron Guard<\/a>, demanded that the king abdicate in favour of his son, Mihai<\/a>. Subsequently, Antonescu assumed dictatorial powers and became President of the Council of Ministers, as the self-titled \"Leader\" of the state.[<\/span>141]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>142]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In 1941, as an ally of Nazi Germany<\/a>, Romania entered World War II<\/a> by declaring war on the Soviet Union<\/a>.[<\/span>141]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>142]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> A shift in fortunes only became discernible after the defeat at Stalingrad and the subsequent change of the USSR from a defensive to an offensive posture. On 23 August 1944, with the Soviet army having been present in northern Moldova since March, King Mihai I<\/a> forcibly removed Marshal Ion Antonescu<\/a> from power, as he refused to sign an armistice with the Allies of World War II<\/a>.[<\/span>143]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Following Antonescu's outright refusal, King Mihai I ordered the dismissal and arrest of the marshal, and Romania switched sides to join the Allies.[<\/span>143]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>Socialist Romania (1947\u20131989)<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Socialist Republic of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Nicolae Ceau\u0219escu<\/a> with Kim Il Sung<\/a> of North Korea<\/a> in 1978. In reforming the state<\/a>, Ceau\u0219escu sought to emulate Juche<\/a><\/i> and Maoist<\/a> ideas[<\/span>144]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>145]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>146]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Less than three years after the Soviet occupation of Romania<\/a>, in 1947, King Michael I<\/a> was forced to abdicate[<\/span>147]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and the People's Republic of Romania<\/a>\u2014a state of \"popular democracy\"\u2014was proclaimed. The newly established communist regime, led by the Romanian Workers' Party<\/a>, consolidated its power through a Stalinist-type policy aimed at suppressing any political opposition and transforming the economic and social structures of the old bourgeois regime.[<\/span>148]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>149]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In the early 1960s, the Romanian government began asserting a certain degree of independence from the Soviet Union<\/a> in its foreign policy,[<\/span>150]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> although it did not abandon its repressive policies (which it labeled \"revolutionary conquests\") in domestic affairs.[<\/span>148]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 1965, communist leader Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej<\/a> died, ushering in a period of change in Romania.[<\/span>151]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> After a brief power struggle, Nicolae Ceau\u0219escu<\/a> emerged as the head of the communist party,[<\/span>151]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> becoming General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party<\/a> in 1965, President of the State Council<\/a> in 1967, and President of the Socialist Republic of Romania<\/a> in 1974. Ceau\u0219escu's rule from 1965 to 1989 grew increasingly authoritarian during the 1980s.[<\/span>150]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Romania since 1989<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Romanian revolution<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Tanks and Mili\u021bia<\/a> on the Magheru Boulevard<\/a> in Bucharest<\/a> during the revolution<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the context of the fall of communism throughout Eastern Europe during the revolutions of 1989<\/a>, a protest in support of Reformed pastor<\/a> L\u00e1szl\u00f3 T\u0151k\u00e9s<\/a> that began in December 1989 in Timi\u0219oara<\/a> quickly escalated into a national uprising against the communist regime, ultimately resulting in the execution of Ceau\u0219escu<\/a> and his wife Elena<\/a> on 25 December 1989.[<\/span>152]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

An interim council composed of figures from civil society and former communist officials assumed control of the government, and Ion Iliescu<\/a> became the provisional president of the country. The new government reversed many of the authoritarian communist policies[<\/span>153]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>154]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>155]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and dismissed several leaders of the former regime, although still influenced by members of the former regime (the basis for the Golaniad<\/a>,<\/i> and Mineriads<\/a>).\n<\/p>

In May 1990<\/a>, the first free elections in Romania since the 1937<\/a> elections were held, with Iliescu of the National Salvation Front<\/a> winning the presidency with 85% of the vote. In 1992<\/a>, he was reelected in the first election after the adoption of a permanent constitution<\/a> via a referendum<\/a> held the previous year<\/a>. Illiescu lost the 1996 election<\/a> to Emil Constantinescu<\/a>, but returned to power in 2000<\/a>. Traian B\u0103sescu<\/a> was elected president in 2004<\/a> and 2009<\/a>, serving until 2014<\/a> at which point Klaus Iohannis<\/a> succeeded him, being re-elected in 2019<\/a> and serving until 2025<\/a>. During these years several events occurred. In 2009, the country was bailed out by the International Monetary Fund<\/a> as result of the Great Recession in Europe<\/a> following the 2008 financial crisis<\/a>.[<\/span>156]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The post-1989 period has been characterised by the privatisation and closure of several former industrial and economic enterprises from the communist period,[<\/span>157]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> while corruption<\/a> has been a major issue<\/a> in contemporary politics.[<\/span>158]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

A National Anticorruption Directorate<\/a> was formed in the country in 2002.[<\/span>159]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> During the 2000s, Romania had one of the highest economic growth rates in Europe and has been referred at times as \"the Tiger of Eastern Europe\".[<\/span>160]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> This has been accompanied by a significant improvement in living standards as the country successfully reduced domestic poverty and established a functional democratic state.[<\/span>161]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>162]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> However, Romania's development suffered a major setback during the late 2000s' recession<\/a> leading to a large gross domestic product contraction and a budget deficit in 2009.[<\/span>163]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> This led to Romania borrowing from the International Monetary Fund.[<\/span>164]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Worsening economic conditions led to unrest<\/a> and triggered a political crisis in 2012.[<\/span>165]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Since 2014, Romania launched an anti-corruption effort that led to the prosecution of medium- and high-level political, judicial and administrative offenses by the National Anticorruption Directorate<\/a>.[<\/span>166]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 2015, massive anti-corruption protests<\/a> which developed in the wake of the Colectiv nightclub fire<\/a> led to the resignation of prime minister Victor Ponta<\/a>.[<\/span>167]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> During 2017\u20132019, in response to measures which were perceived to weaken the fight against corruption, some of the biggest post-1989 protests<\/a> took place in Romania, with over 500,000 people protesting nationwide.[<\/span>168]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>169]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>166]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The 2021 Romanian political crisis<\/a> led to the ousting of Florin C\u00ee\u021bu<\/a>'s incumbent government<\/a>. The Ciuc\u0103 Cabinet<\/a> then took power, with Romania since having experienced a shift towards authoritarianism<\/a> and illiberalism<\/a>,[<\/span>170]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>171]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>172]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>173]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> as well as an increased corruption<\/a>. Around this time, Romania was also hit by the COVID-19 pandemic<\/a>. In the 2024 presidential election<\/a>, Independent candidate C\u0103lin Georgescu<\/a> achieved a surprise win in the first round. However, the Constitutional Court<\/a> annulled the election results, citing Russian meddling<\/a>. The cancellation led to far-right protests<\/a>, criticism<\/a> by the Trump administration<\/a>, and Ilie Bolojan<\/a> becoming acting president in February 2025 as Iohannis resigned to political pressure.[<\/span>174]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In the subsequent 2025 Romanian presidential election<\/a>, Bucharest Mayor<\/a> Nicu\u0219or Dan<\/a> was elected president.\n<\/p>\n

Geography<\/h2><\/div>\n
Main article: Geography of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Topographic map of Romania<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Romania is the largest country in Southeastern Europe<\/a> and the twelfth-largest<\/a> in Europe, having an area of 238,397 square kilometres (92,046 sq mi).[<\/span>175]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>: 17 <\/span><\/sup> It lies between latitudes 43\u00b0<\/a> and 49\u00b0 N<\/a> and longitudes 20\u00b0<\/a> and 30\u00b0 E<\/a>. The terrain is distributed roughly equally between mountains, hills, and plains. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the centre of Romania, with 14 mountain ranges<\/a> reaching above 2,000 m or 6,600 ft\u2014the highest is Moldoveanu Peak<\/a> at 2,544 m or 8,346 ft.[<\/span>175]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>: 11 <\/span><\/sup> They are surrounded by the Moldavian<\/a> and Transylvanian<\/a> plateaus, the Pannonian Plain<\/a> and the Wallachian<\/a> plains.\n<\/p>

Romania is home to six terrestrial ecoregions: Balkan mixed forests<\/a>, Central European mixed forests<\/a>, East European forest steppe<\/a>, Pannonian mixed forests<\/a>, Carpathian montane conifer forests<\/a>, and Pontic steppe<\/a>.[<\/span>176]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Natural and semi-natural ecosystems cover about 47% of the country's land area.[<\/span>177]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> There are almost 10,000 km2<\/sup> (3,900 sq mi) (about 5% of the total area) of protected areas in Romania<\/a> covering 13 national parks<\/a> and three biosphere<\/a> reserves.[<\/span>178]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Danube<\/a> river forms a large part of the border with Serbia<\/a> and Bulgaria<\/a>, and flows into the Black Sea, forming the Danube Delta, which is the second-largest and best-preserved delta in Europe, and a biosphere reserve<\/a> and a biodiversity World Heritage Site<\/a>.[<\/span>179]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> At 5,800 km2<\/sup> (2,200 sq mi),[<\/span>180]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> the Danube Delta<\/a> is the largest continuous marshland in Europe,[<\/span>181]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and supports 1,688 different plant species alone.[<\/span>182]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romania has one of the largest areas of undisturbed forest in Europe, covering almost 27% of its territory.[<\/span>183]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The country had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index<\/a> mean score of 5.95\/10, ranking it 90th globally out of 172 countries.[<\/span>184]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Some 3,700 plant species<\/a> have been identified in the country, from which to date 23 have been declared natural monuments<\/a>, 74 extinct, 39 endangered, 171 vulnerable, and 1,253 rare.[<\/span>185]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The fauna of Romania<\/a> consists of 33,792 species of animals, 33,085 invertebrate<\/a> and 707 vertebrate<\/a>,[<\/span>185]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> with almost 400 unique species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians,[<\/span>186]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> including about 50% of Europe's (excluding Russia) brown bears<\/a>[<\/span>187]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and 20% of its wolves<\/a>.[<\/span>188]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romania is often seen by most as having the shape resembling one of a goldfish<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n

Climate<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Climate of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Romania map of K\u00f6ppen climate classification, according with Clima Rom\u00e2niei<\/i> from the Administra\u021bia Na\u021bional\u0103 de Meteorologie<\/i>, Bucharest 2008<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Owing to its distance from open sea and its position on the southeastern portion of the European continent, Romania has a climate that is continental<\/a>, with four distinct seasons. The average annual temperature is 11 \u00b0C (52 \u00b0F) in the south and 8 \u00b0C (46 \u00b0F) in the north.[<\/span>189]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In summer, average maximum temperatures in Bucharest rise to 28 \u00b0C (82 \u00b0F), and temperatures over 35 \u00b0C (95 \u00b0F) are fairly common in the lower-lying areas of the country.[<\/span>190]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In winter, the average maximum temperature is below 2 \u00b0C (36 \u00b0F).[<\/span>190]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Precipitation is average, with over 750 mm (30 in) per year only on the highest western mountains, while around Bucharest it drops to approximately 570 mm (22 in).[<\/span>175]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>: 29 <\/span><\/sup>\nThere are some regional differences: in western sections, such as Banat, the climate is milder and has some Mediterranean influences; the eastern part of the country has a more pronounced continental climate. In Dobruja, the Black Sea also exerts an influence over the region's climate.[<\/span>191]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Politics<\/h2><\/div>\n
Main article: Politics of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n

Romania is a unitary<\/a> semi-presidential<\/a> representative democratic<\/a> republic<\/a> with a structured system of governance and an active civil society. The President<\/a>, elected by popular vote, serves as the head of state<\/a>, representing the country in international affairs<\/a>, safeguarding constitutional order<\/a>, and acting as supreme commander<\/a> of the Romanian Armed Forces<\/a>. The Prime Minister<\/a>, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Parliament<\/a>, acts as the head of government<\/a>, responsible for overseeing the executive branch<\/a>, implementing domestic and foreign policies<\/a>, and managing public administration<\/a>. Legislative authority<\/a> is vested in a bicameral<\/a> Parliament, consisting of the Chamber of Deputies<\/a> and the Senate<\/a>, whose members are elected through a proportional representation<\/a> system. The judiciary<\/a> operates independently<\/a>, with the High Court of Cassation and Justice<\/a> as the highest court of appeal.\n<\/p>

According to International IDEA<\/a>\u2019s Global State of Democracy (GSoD) Indices and Democracy Tracker, Romania performs in the mid- range on overall democratic measures, with particular strengths in inclusive suffrage and elected government.[<\/span>192]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>193]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>194]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Government<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Government of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
Nicu\u0219or Dan<\/a>
President<\/a> since 2025<\/small><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
Ilie Bolojan<\/a>
Prime Minister<\/a> since 2025<\/small><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Romania has a democratic, multi-party system<\/a>, with legislative power<\/a> vested in the government and the two chambers<\/a> of the Parliament<\/a>, more specifically the Chamber of Deputies<\/a> and the Senate<\/a>. The judiciary<\/a> is independent<\/a> of the executive and the legislature. The latter is elected by popular vote for a maximum of two terms of five years and appoints the prime minister who in turn appoints the Council of Ministers<\/a>. The legislative branch of the government, collectively known as the Parliament<\/a> (residing at the Palace of the Parliament<\/a>), consists of two chambers<\/a> (Senate<\/a> and Chamber of Deputies<\/a>) whose members are elected every four years by simple plurality<\/a>.[<\/span>195]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>196]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The justice system is independent of the other branches of government and is made up of a hierarchical system of courts with the High Court of Cassation and Justice<\/a> being the supreme court of Romania.[<\/span>197]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> There are also courts of appeal, county courts and local courts. The Romanian judicial system is strongly influenced by the French model<\/a>, is based on civil law<\/a> and is inquisitorial<\/a> in nature. The Constitutional Court<\/a> (Curtea Constitu\u021bional\u0103<\/i>) is responsible for judging the compliance of laws and other state regulations with the constitution, which is the fundamental law of the country and can be amended only through a public referendum.[<\/span>195]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>198]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania's 2007 entry into the EU has been a significant influence on its domestic policy, and including judicial reforms<\/a>, increased judicial cooperation with other member states, and measures to combat corruption.[<\/span>199]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Economist Intelligence Unit<\/a> rated Romania as a \"hybrid regime<\/a>\" in 2024.[<\/span>200]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Foreign relations<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Foreign relations of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Diplomatic missions of Romania<\/a>
 <\/span> Countries that host a Romanian Embassy<\/div>
 <\/span> Countries that do not host Romanian diplomatic missions<\/div>
 <\/span> Romania<\/div><\/div><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since December 1989, Romania has pursued a policy of strengthening relations with the West in general, more specifically with the United States and the EU, albeit with limited relations involving<\/a> the Russian Federation. It joined NATO on 29 March 2004, the EU on 1 January 2007, while it joined the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 1972, and is a founding member of the World Trade Organization<\/a>.[<\/span>201]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania is recognised as a middle power<\/a> for its military capabilities, as well as its active diplomatic engagement on the global stage.[<\/span>202]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>203]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Recent governments have stated that their goals include strengthening ties with and helping other countries (in particular Moldova<\/a>, Ukraine<\/a>, and Georgia<\/a>) with better integration with the rest of the West.[<\/span>204]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania has also made clear since the late 1990s that it supports NATO and EU membership for the democratic former Soviet republics in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus<\/a>.\n<\/p>

Romania applied to join to the Schengen Area<\/a> in 2007, acquiring full membership in 2025 along with Bulgaria.[<\/span>205]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>206]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In December 2005, President Traian B\u0103sescu and United States Secretary of State<\/a> Condoleezza Rice<\/a> signed an agreement that would allow a U.S. military presence at several Romanian facilities primarily in the eastern part of the country.[<\/span>207]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton<\/a> referred to Romania as \"one of the most trustworthy and respectable\" US allies\".[<\/span>208]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> However, by 2025, relations had worsen, with US vice president JD Vance<\/a> in February scolding<\/a> \"flimsy suspicions<\/a>\" and \"enormous pressure from its continental neighbours\" for causing the annulment of the 2024 Romanian presidential<\/a> election in which C\u0103lin Georgescu<\/a> won the first round.\n<\/p>

Relations with Moldova<\/a> are a special case given that the two countries share the same language and a common history<\/a>.[<\/span>204]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> A movement for unification of Moldova and Romania<\/a> appeared in the early 1990s after both countries achieved emancipation from communist rule[<\/span>209]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> but lost ground in the mid-1990s when a new Moldovan government pursued an agenda towards preserving a Moldovan republic independent of Romania.[<\/span>210]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> After the 2009 protests in Moldova<\/a> and the subsequent removal of Communists from power, relations between the two countries have improved considerably.[<\/span>211]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Military<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Romanian Armed Forces<\/a> and Military history of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Romanian soldiers at the Saber Guardian 23 exercise opening ceremony in Sm\u00e2rdan, Gala\u021bi<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/a>
An TR-85 M1 tank at the 2007 Romanian military parade for national day, with the Arch of Triumph in the background<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Romanian Armed Forces consist of land<\/a>, air<\/a>, and naval forces<\/a> led by a Commander-in-chief<\/a> under the supervision of the Ministry of National Defence<\/a>, and by the president<\/a> as the Supreme Commander during wartime. The Armed Forces consist of approximately 55,000 reservists and 71,500 active military personnel\u201435,800 for land, 10,700 for air, 6,600 for naval forces, and 16,500 in other fields.[<\/span>212]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Total defence spending in 2023 accounted for 2.44% of total national GDP, or approximately US$8.48 billion,[<\/span>213]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> with a total of $9 billion intended to be spent until 2026 for modernisation and acquisition of new equipment.[<\/span>214]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Conscription stopped in 2007, when Romania switched to a volunteer army.\n<\/p>

The Air Force operates F-16AM\/BM MLU<\/a> fighters,[<\/span>215]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> C-27J Spartan<\/a> and C-130 Hercules<\/a> transport aircraft<\/a>, as well as IAR 330<\/a> and IAR 316<\/a> helicopters.[<\/span>216]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> A procurement programme<\/a> for F-35<\/a> fifth-generation fighters<\/a> is also currently being carried out.[<\/span>217]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Naval Forces operate three frigates, of which two are Type 22 frigates<\/a> acquired from the British Royal Navy<\/a>,[<\/span>218]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> as well as four corvettes. The River Flotilla<\/a> operates Mihail Kog\u0103lniceanu<\/a> and Sm\u00e2rdan-class river monitors<\/a>.[<\/span>212]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romania contributed troops to the international coalition in Afghanistan<\/a> beginning in 2002,[<\/span>219]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> with a peak deployment of 1,600 troops in 2010 (which was the 4th largest contribution according to the US).[<\/span>220]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>221]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Its combat mission in the country concluded in 2014.[<\/span>222]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romanian troops participated in the occupation of Iraq<\/a>, reaching a peak of 730 soldiers before being slowly drawn down to 350 soldiers. Romania terminated its mission in Iraq and withdrew its last troops on 24 July 2009, among the last countries to do so. The frigate the Regele Ferdinand<\/a><\/i> participated in the 2011 military intervention in Libya<\/a>.[<\/span>223]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In December 2011, the Romanian Senate unanimously adopted the draft law ratifying the Romania-United States agreement<\/a> signed in September of the same year that would allow the establishment and operation of a US land-based ballistic missile defence system<\/a> in Romania as part of NATO's efforts to build a continental missile shield<\/a>.[<\/span>224]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Aegis Ashore<\/a> missile system based at Deveslu<\/a> became operational in 2016.[<\/span>225]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In 2024, construction work started on expanding the Mihail Kog\u0103lniceanu Air Base (RoAF 57th Air Base<\/a>). The air base is set to become the largest NATO base in Europe after the implementation of a project spanning 20 years.[<\/span>226]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>227]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Administrative divisions<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Administrative divisions of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n

Romania is divided into 41 counties<\/a> (jude\u021be<\/i>) and the municipality of Bucharest<\/a>. Each county is administered by a county council, responsible for local affairs, as well as a prefect<\/a> responsible for the administration of national affairs at the county level. The prefect is appointed by the central government but cannot be a member of any political party.[<\/span>228]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Each county is subdivided further into cities<\/a> and communes<\/a>, which have their own mayor and local council. There are a total of 320 cities and 2,861 communes in Romania.[<\/span>175]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>: 17 <\/span><\/sup> A total of 103 of the larger cities have municipality<\/a> status, which gives them greater administrative power over local affairs. The municipality of Bucharest is a special case, as it enjoys a status on par to that of a county. It is further divided into six sectors<\/a>[<\/span>175]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>: 6 <\/span><\/sup> and has a prefect, a general mayor (primar general<\/i>), and a general city council.\n<\/p>

The NUTS-3 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics<\/a>) level divisions of the EU reflect Romania's administrative-territorial structure and correspond to the 41 counties plus Bucharest.[<\/span>229]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The cities and communes correspond to the NUTS-5 level divisions, but there are no current NUTS-4 level divisions. The NUTS-1 (four macroregions<\/a>) and NUTS-2[<\/span>230]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (eight development regions<\/a>) divisions exist but have no administrative capacity and are used instead for coordinating regional development projects and statistical purposes.[<\/span>229]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

\n
\"Romanian<\/a><\/span>\n
AB<\/a><\/div>\n
AR<\/a><\/div>\n
AG<\/a><\/div>\n
BC<\/a><\/div>\n
BH<\/a><\/div>\n
BN<\/a><\/div>\n
BT<\/a><\/div>\n
BV<\/a><\/div>\n
BR<\/a><\/div>\n
BZ<\/a><\/div>\n
CS<\/a><\/div>\n
CL<\/a><\/div>\n
CJ<\/a><\/div>\n
CT<\/a><\/div>\n
CV<\/a><\/div>\n
DB<\/a><\/div>\n
DJ<\/a><\/div>\n
GL<\/a><\/div>\n
GR<\/a><\/div>\n
GJ<\/a><\/div>\n
HR<\/a><\/div>\n
HD<\/a><\/div>\n
IL<\/a><\/div>\n
IS<\/a><\/div>\n
IF<\/a><\/div>\n
MM<\/a><\/div>\n
MH<\/a><\/div>\n
MS<\/a><\/div>\n
NT<\/a><\/div>\n
OT<\/a><\/div>\n
PH<\/a><\/div>\n
SM<\/a><\/div>\n
SJ<\/a><\/div>\n
SB<\/a><\/div>\n
SV<\/a><\/div>\n
TR<\/a><\/div>\n
TM<\/a><\/div>\n
TL<\/a><\/div>\n
VS<\/a><\/div>\n
VL<\/a><\/div>\n
VN<\/a><\/div>\n
B<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Development region<\/a>\n<\/th>\nArea (km2<\/sup>)[<\/span>3]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/th>\nPopulation (2021)[<\/span>5]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/th>\nMost populous urban centre<\/a>*<\/sup>[<\/span>231]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/th><\/tr>\n
Nord-Vest<\/a>\n<\/td>\n34,152\n<\/td>\n2,521,793\n<\/td>\nCluj-Napoca<\/a> (411,379)\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
Centru<\/a>\n<\/td>\n34,097\n<\/td>\n2,271,067\n<\/td>\nBra\u0219ov<\/a> (369,896)\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
Nord-Est<\/a>\n<\/td>\n36,853\n<\/td>\n3,226,436\n<\/td>\nIa\u0219i<\/a> (382,484)\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sud-Est<\/a>\n<\/td>\n35,774\n<\/td>\n2,367,987\n<\/td>\nConstan\u021ba<\/a> (425,916)\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sud \u2013 Muntenia<\/a>\n<\/td>\n34,469\n<\/td>\n2,864,339\n<\/td>\nPloie\u0219ti<\/a> (276,279)\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
Bucure\u0219ti - Ilfov<\/a>\n<\/td>\n1,803\n<\/td>\n2,259,665\n<\/td>\nBucharest<\/a> (2,272,163)\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
Sud-Vest Oltenia<\/a>\n<\/td>\n29,207\n<\/td>\n1,873,607\n<\/td>\nCraiova<\/a> (356,544)\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
Vest<\/a>\n<\/td>\n32,042\n<\/td>\n1,668,921\n<\/td>\nTimi\u0219oara<\/a> (384,809)\n<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n
<\/div>\n

Economy<\/h2><\/div>\n
Main article: Economy of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Floreasca<\/a> business district, as seen from Lake Her\u0103str\u0103u<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2024, Romania had a GDP (PPP) of around $894 billion and a GDP per capita<\/a> (PPP<\/a>) of $47,203.[<\/span>6]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> According to the World Bank, Romania is a high-income economy<\/a>.[<\/span>232]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> According to Eurostat<\/a>, Romania's GDP per capita (PPS) was 77% of the EU average (100%) in 2022, an increase from 44% in 2007 (the year of Romania's accession to the EU), making Romania one of the fastest growing economies in the EU.[<\/span>233]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The Bucharest Stock Exchange<\/a> (BVB) is the stock exchange<\/a> of Romania, located in Bucharest<\/a>. In 2024, the BVB boasted a $74 billion market capitalisation<\/a> and a trading volume<\/a> of $7.2 billion.[<\/span>234]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> As of 2024, 86 companies were listed on the exchange.[<\/span>234]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In September 2020, FTSE Russell<\/a> upgraded the BVB from a Frontier market<\/a> to a Secondary Emerging Market<\/a>.[<\/span>235]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

After 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<\/a> stability, characterised by high growth, low unemployment and declining inflation. In 2006, according to the Romanian Statistics Office<\/a>, GDP growth in real terms was recorded at 7.7%, one of the highest rates in Europe.[<\/span>236]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> However, the Great Recession<\/a> forced the government to borrow externally, including an IMF<\/a> \u20ac20 billion bailout programme.[<\/span>237]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> According to The World Bank<\/a>, GDP per capita in purchasing power parity grew from $13,703 in 2007 to $47,903 in 2023.[<\/span>238]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
The Bucharest Stock Exchange<\/a> tower, a key institution in Romania's financial sector<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Romania's main exports are vehicles<\/a>, software<\/a>, clothing<\/a> and textiles<\/a>, industrial machinery<\/a>, electrical<\/a> and electronic equipment<\/a>, metallurgic products<\/a>, raw materials<\/a>, military equipment<\/a>, pharmaceuticals<\/a>, fine chemicals<\/a>, and agricultural products<\/a> (fruits, vegetables, and flowers). Trade is mostly centred on the member states of the EU, with Germany, Italy and France being the country's single largest trading partners.\n<\/p>

In 2005, the government replaced Romania's progressive tax<\/a> system with a flat tax<\/a> of 16% for both personal income and corporate profit, among the lowest rates in the EU.[<\/span>239]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The economy is based predominantly on services, which account for 56.2% of the country's total GDP as of 2017, with industry and agriculture accounting for 30% and 4.4% respectively.[<\/span>240]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\nApproximately 25.8% of the Romanian workforce is employed in agriculture, one of the highest rates in Europe.[<\/span>241]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Romania is home to automobile company Dacia<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Romania has attracted increasing amounts of foreign investment following the end of communism, with the stock of foreign direct investment<\/a> (FDI) in Romania rising to \u20ac83.8 billion in June 2019.[<\/span>242]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania's FDI outward stock (an external or foreign business either investing in or purchasing the stock of a local economy) amounted to $745 million in December 2018, the lowest value among the 28 EU member states.[<\/span>242]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Since 1867 the official currency has been the Romanian leu<\/i><\/a> (\"lion\"), which \"was redenominated<\/a>, with the exchange rate set at 1 new leu = 10,000 old lei\" in 2005 according to the National Bank of Romania<\/a>.[<\/span>243]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> As it joined the EU in 2007, Romania plans to adopt the euro<\/a> in 2029.[<\/span>244]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Infrastructure<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Transport in Romania<\/a> and Energy in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Romania's road network<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/a>
Graph depicting Romania's electricity supply mix as of 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to the Romania's National Institute of Statistics (INS), Romania's total road network was estimated in 2015 at 86,080 kilometres (53,488 mi).[<\/span>245]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The World Bank estimates the railway network at 22,298 kilometres (13,855 mi) of track, the fourth-largest railway network in Europe.[<\/span>246]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania's rail transport<\/a> experienced a dramatic decline after 1989 and was estimated at 99 million passenger journeys in 2004, but has experienced a recent (2013) revival due to infrastructure improvements and partial privatisation of lines,[<\/span>195]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> accounting for 45% of all passenger and freight movements in the country.[<\/span>195]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Bucharest Metro<\/a>, the only underground<\/a> railway system, was opened in 1979 and measures 80.01 km (49.72 mi) with an average ridership in 2021 of 720,000 passengers during the workweek in the country.[<\/span>247]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> There are sixteen international commercial airports<\/a> in service today. Over 12.8 million passengers flew through Bucharest's Henri Coand\u0103 International Airport<\/a> in 2017.[<\/span>248]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romania is a net exporter of electrical energy and is 52nd worldwide in terms of consumption of electric energy.[<\/span>249]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Around a third of the produced energy comes from renewable sources, mostly as hydroelectric power.[<\/span>250]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> It has one of the largest refining capacities in Eastern Europe, even though oil and natural gas production has been decreasing for more than a decade.[<\/span>251]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> With one of the largest reserves of crude oil<\/a> and shale gas<\/a> in Europe[<\/span>252]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> it is among the most energy-independent countries in the EU,[<\/span>253]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and is looking to expand its nuclear power plant at Cernavod\u0103<\/a> further.[<\/span>254]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

There were almost 18.3 million connections to the Internet in June 2014.[<\/span>255]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> According to Bloomberg<\/a>, in 2013 Romania ranked fifth in the world, and according to The Independent<\/a><\/i>, it ranks number one in Europe at Internet speeds,[<\/span>256]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>257]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> with Timi\u0219oara<\/a> ranked among the highest in the world.[<\/span>258]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Tourism<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Tourism in Romania<\/a> and List of World Heritage Sites in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
See also: Seven Natural Wonders of Romania<\/a> and Seven Wonders of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
Putna Monastery<\/a> in Bukovina<\/a>, one of the medieval churches of Moldavia<\/a><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
The Danube Delta<\/a> with its wildlife<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
Bran Castle<\/a><\/div><\/div>
<\/a><\/span><\/div>
Mamaia Black Sea resort<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

Tourism is a significant contributor to the Romanian economy, generating around 5% of GDP.[<\/span>259]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The number of tourists has been rising steadily, reaching 9.33 million foreign tourists in 2016, according to the Worldbank.[<\/span>260]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Tourism in Romania attracted \u20ac400 million in investments in 2005.[<\/span>261]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> More than 60% of the foreign visitors in 2007 were from other EU countries.[<\/span>262]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The popular summer attractions of Mamaia<\/a> and other Black Sea Resorts<\/a> attracted 1.3 million tourists in 2009.[<\/span>263]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>264]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Most popular skiing resorts are along the Valea Prahovei<\/a> and in Poiana Bra\u0219ov<\/a>. Castles, fortifications, or strongholds<\/a> as well as preserved medieval Transylvanian cities or towns such as Cluj-Napoca<\/a>, Sibiu<\/a>, Bra\u0219ov<\/a>, Alba Iulia<\/a>, Baia Mare<\/a>, Bistri\u021ba<\/a>, Media\u0219<\/a>, Cisn\u0103die<\/a>, Sebe\u0219<\/a>, or Sighi\u0219oara<\/a> also attract a large number of tourists. Bran Castle<\/a>, near Bra\u0219ov, is one of the most famous attractions in Romania, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists every year as it is often (falsely) advertised as being Dracula<\/a>'s Castle.[<\/span>265]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Other attractions include the Danube Delta or the Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Br\u00e2ncu\u0219i at T\u00e2rgu Jiu<\/a>.[<\/span>266]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>267]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Rural tourism<\/a>, focusing on getting visitors acquainted with local folklore<\/a> and customs<\/a>, has become an important alternative,[<\/span>268]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and is targeted to promote such sites as Bran<\/a> and its Dracula's Castle, the painted churches of northern Moldavia<\/a>, and the wooden churches of Maramure\u0219<\/a>, or the villages with fortified churches in Transylvania<\/a>.[<\/span>269]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Via Transilvanica<\/a> long-distance hiking<\/a> and cycling<\/a> trail<\/a>, which crosses 10 counties in the Transylvania<\/a>, Banat<\/a> and Bukovina<\/a> regions of the country further promotes rural slow tourism<\/a>.[<\/span>270]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In 2014, Romania had 32,500 companies active in the hotel and restaurant industry, with a total turnover of \u20ac2.6 billion.[<\/span>271]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> More than 1.9 million foreign tourists visited Romania in 2014, 12% more than in 2013.[<\/span>272]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> According to the country's National Statistics Institute, some 77% came from Europe (particularly from Germany, Italy, and France), 12% from Asia, and less than 7% from North America.[<\/span>272]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Science and technology<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Science and technology in Romania<\/a> and List of Romanian inventors and discoverers<\/a><\/div>\n

Historically, Romanian researchers and inventors have made notable contributions to several fields. In the history of flight, Traian Vuia<\/a> built the first aeroplane<\/a> to take off under its own power[<\/span>273]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and Aurel Vlaicu<\/a> built and flew some of the earliest successful aircraft,[<\/span>274]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> while Henri Coand\u0103<\/a> discovered the Coand\u0103 effect<\/a> of fluidics.[<\/span>275]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Victor Babe\u0219<\/a> discovered more than 50 types of bacteria;[<\/span>276]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> biologist Nicolae Paulescu<\/a> developed an extract of the pancreas and showed that it lowers blood sugar in diabetic dogs, thus being significant in the history of insulin;[<\/span>277]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> while Emil Palade<\/a> received the Nobel Prize for his contributions to cell biology<\/a>.[<\/span>278]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Laz\u0103r Edeleanu<\/a> was the first chemist to synthesise amphetamine<\/a>, and he also invented the procedure of separating valuable petroleum components with selective solvents.[<\/span>279]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

During the 1990s and 2000s, the development of research was hampered by several factors, including corruption, low funding, and a considerable brain drain<\/a>.[<\/span>280]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In recent years, Romania has ranked the lowest or second-lowest in the EU by research and development<\/a> spending as a percentage of GDP, standing at roughly 0.5% in 2016 and 2017, substantially below the EU average of just over 2%.[<\/span>281]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>282]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The country joined the European Space Agency<\/a> (ESA) in 2011,[<\/span>283]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and CERN<\/a> in 2016.[<\/span>284]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 2018, however, Romania lost its voting rights in the ESA due to a failure to pay \u20ac56.8 million in membership contributions to the agency.[<\/span>285]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In the early 2010s, the situation for science in Romania was characterised as \"rapidly improving\" albeit from a low base.[<\/span>286]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In January 2011, Parliament passed a law that enforces \"strict quality control on universities and introduces tough rules for funding evaluation and peer review\".[<\/span>287]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania was ranked 49th in the Global Innovation Index<\/a> in 2025.[<\/span>288]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>289]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The nuclear physics<\/a> facility of the EU's proposed Extreme Light Infrastructure<\/a> (ELI) laser<\/a> will be built in Romania.[<\/span>290]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In early 2012, Romania launched its first satellite<\/a> from the Centre Spatial Guyanais<\/a> in French Guiana.[<\/span>291]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Starting in December 2014, Romania became a co-owner of the International Space Station<\/a>.[<\/span>292]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Demographics<\/h2><\/div>\n
Main articles: Demographics of Romania<\/a> and Romanians<\/a><\/div>\n
See also: Demographic history of Romania<\/a>, Immigration to Romania<\/a>, and Minorities in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Romanians by counties (Ethnic maps 1930\u20132021)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to the 2021 Romanian census<\/a>, Romania's population was 19,053,815.[<\/span>5]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Like other countries in the region, its population is expected to decline gradually as a result of sub-replacement fertility rates<\/a> and negative net migration rate<\/a>. According to the 2021 Romanian census, Romanians<\/a> made up 89.33% of the population, Hungarians<\/a> 6.05% and the Roma<\/a> 3.44% of the population,[<\/span>5]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> but many ethnicities are not recorded, as they do not have ID cards.[<\/span>293]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> International sources give higher figures for Roma than the official census.[<\/span>294]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>295]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>296]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> According to the Council of Europe<\/a>, the Roma<\/a> make up 8.32% of the population;[<\/span>297]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> this figure is difficult to verify due to the mobility of Roma and the reluctance of some of them to disclose their ethnicity.[<\/span>298]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Hungarians constitute a majority in the counties of Harghita<\/a> and Covasna<\/a>. Other minorities include Ukrainians<\/a>, Germans<\/a>, Turks<\/a>, Lipovans<\/a>, Aromanians<\/a>, Tatars<\/a>, and Serbs<\/a>.[<\/span>299]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 1930, there were 745,421 Germans living in Romania,[<\/span>300]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> but only about 36,000 remained in the country to this day.[<\/span>299]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> As of 2009<\/sup>, there were also approximately 133,000 immigrants living in Romania, primarily from Moldova and China.[<\/span>161]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The total fertility rate<\/a> (TFR) in 2018 was estimated at 1.36 children born per woman, which is below the replacement rate of 2.1, and one of the lowest in the world;[<\/span>301]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> it remains considerably below the high of 5.82 children born per woman in 1912.[<\/span>302]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 2014, 31.2% of births were to unmarried women.[<\/span>303]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\nThe birth rate<\/a> (9.49\u2030, 2012) is much lower than the mortality rate<\/a> (11.84\u2030, 2012), resulting in a shrinking (\u22120.26% per year, 2012) and aging population (median age: 41.6 years, 2018), one of the oldest populations in the world,[<\/span>301]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> with approximately 16.8% of total population aged 65 years and over.[<\/span>301]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>304]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>305]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The life expectancy in 2015 was estimated at 74.92 years (71.46 years male, 78.59 years female).[<\/span>306]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\nThe number of Romanians and individuals with ancestors born in Romania living abroad is estimated at 12 million.[<\/span>307]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> After the Romanian Revolution of 1989<\/a>, a significant number of Romanians emigrated to other European countries, North America or Australia.[<\/span>308]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> For example, in 1990, 96,919 Romanians permanently settled abroad.[<\/span>309]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Languages<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Romanian language<\/a> and Languages of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Map highlighting the use of the Romanian language worldwide, both as a native and as a foreign language<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The official language is Romanian, a Romance language<\/a> (the most widely spoken of the Eastern Romance branch<\/a>), which presents a consistent degree of similarity to Aromanian<\/a>, Megleno-Romanian<\/a>, and Istro-Romanian<\/a>, but shares many features equally with the rest of the Western Romance languages<\/a>, specifically Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese<\/a>, and Catalan<\/a>.[<\/span>310]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The Romanian alphabet<\/a> contains the same 26 letters of the standard Latin alphabet, as well as five additional ones (namely \u0103<\/i>, \u00e2<\/i>, \u00ee<\/i>, \u021b<\/i>, and \u0219<\/i>), totalling 31.[<\/span>310]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romanian is spoken as a first language by 91.55% of the entire population, while Hungarian<\/a> and Vlax Romani<\/a> are spoken by 6.28% and 1.20% of the population, respectively. There are also 40,861 native speakers of Ukrainian<\/a> (concentrated in some compact regions near the border, where they form local majorities),[<\/span>311]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> 17,101 native speakers of Turkish<\/a>, 15,943 native speakers of German<\/a>, and 14,414 native speakers of Russian<\/a> living in Romania.[<\/span>312]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>313]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

According to the Constitution, local councils ensure linguistic rights to all minorities. In localities with ethnic minorities of over 20%, that minority's language can be used in the public administration, justice system, and education. Foreign citizens and stateless persons who live in Romania have access to justice and education in their own language.[<\/span>314]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> English and French are the main foreign languages taught in schools.[<\/span>315]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 2010, the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie<\/a><\/span><\/span> identified 4,756,100 French speakers in the country.[<\/span>316]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> According to the 2012 Eurobarometer<\/a>, English is spoken by 31% of Romanians, French is spoken by 17%, and Italian and German, each by 7%.[<\/span>317]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Religion<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Religion in Romania<\/a> and Romanian Orthodox Church<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
The People's Salvation Cathedral<\/a> in Bucharest<\/a> is the tallest<\/a> and largest Eastern Orthodox church building<\/a>[<\/span>b]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> in the world[<\/span>319]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Romania is a secular state<\/a> and has no state religion<\/a>. An overwhelming majority of the population identify themselves as Christians. At the country's 2021 census,[<\/span>2]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> 73.60% of respondents identified as Orthodox Christians<\/a>, with 73.42% belonging to the Romanian Orthodox Church<\/a>. Other denominations include Protestantism<\/a> (6.22%), Roman Catholicism<\/a> (3.89%), and Greek Catholicism<\/a> (0.61%). From the remaining population 128,291 people belong to other Christian denominations or have another religion, which includes 58,347 Muslims<\/a> (mostly of Turkish and Tatar ethnicity) and 2,708 Jewish<\/a> (Jews once constituted 4% of the Romanian population\u2014728,115 persons in the 1930 census). Additionally, 71,430 people are irreligious<\/a>, 57,229 are atheist<\/a>, 25,485 are agnostic<\/a>, and 2,658,165 people chose to not declare their religion.[<\/span>2]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous<\/a> Eastern Orthodox Church<\/a> in full communion<\/a> with other Orthodox churches, with a Patriarch<\/a> as its leader. It is the third-largest Eastern Orthodox Church in the world,[<\/span>320]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and unlike other Orthodox churches, it functions within a Latin<\/a> culture and uses a Romance<\/a> liturgical language.[<\/span>321]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Its canonical jurisdiction covers the territories of Romania and Moldova.[<\/span>322]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania has the world's third-largest Eastern Orthodox population<\/a>.[<\/span>323]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>324]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Urbanisation<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: List of cities and towns in Romania<\/a> and Metropolitan areas in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n

Although 54.0% of the population lived in urban areas<\/a> in 2011,[<\/span>325]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> this percentage has been declining since 1996.[<\/span>326]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Counties with over 2<\/span>⁄3<\/span><\/span> urban population are Hunedoara<\/a>, Bra\u0219ov<\/a> and Constan\u021ba<\/a>, while those with less than a third are D\u00e2mbovi\u021ba<\/a> (30.06%) and Giurgiu<\/a> and Teleorman<\/a>.[<\/span>325]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Bucharest is the capital and the largest city in Romania, with a population of over 1.7 million in 2021.[<\/span>327]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Its larger urban zone<\/a> has a population of almost 2.2 million,[<\/span>328]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> which are planned to be included into a metropolitan area<\/a> up to 20 times the area of the city proper<\/a>.[<\/span>329]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>330]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>331]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Another 17 cities have a population of over 100,000, with Cluj-Napoca, Ia\u0219i, Constan\u021ba and Timi\u0219oara having more than 250,000 inhabitants, and Craiova, Bra\u0219ov and Gala\u021bi with over 200,000 inhabitants.[<\/span>327]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Metropolitan areas<\/a> have been constituted for most of these cities.\n\n<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 <\/div>
Largest cities in Romania<\/span>
Rank<\/a>\n<\/th>\nName<\/a>\n<\/th>\nCounty<\/a>\n<\/th>\n Pop.<\/a>\n<\/th>\nRank<\/a>\n<\/th>\nName<\/a>\n<\/th>\nCounty<\/a>\n<\/th>\n Pop.<\/a>\n<\/th><\/tr>\n\n
1<\/td>\nBucharest<\/a><\/td>\nBucharest<\/a><\/td>\n1,716,961<\/td>\n11<\/td>\nBr\u0103ila<\/a><\/td>\nBr\u0103ila<\/a><\/td>\n154,686\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\nCluj-Napoca<\/a><\/td>\nCluj<\/a><\/td>\n286,598<\/td>\n12<\/td>\nArad<\/a><\/td>\nArad<\/a><\/td>\n145,078\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\nIa\u0219i<\/a><\/td>\nIa\u0219i<\/a><\/td>\n271,692<\/td>\n13<\/td>\nPite\u0219ti<\/a><\/td>\nArge\u0219<\/a><\/td>\n141,275\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\nConstan\u021ba<\/a><\/td>\nConstan\u021ba<\/a><\/td>\n263,688<\/td>\n14<\/td>\nBac\u0103u<\/a><\/td>\nBac\u0103u<\/a><\/td>\n136,087\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\nTimi\u0219oara<\/a><\/td>\nTimi\u0219<\/a><\/td>\n250,849<\/td>\n15<\/td>\nSibiu<\/a><\/td>\nSibiu<\/a><\/td>\n134,309\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\nBra\u0219ov<\/a><\/td>\nBra\u0219ov<\/a><\/td>\n237,589<\/td>\n16<\/td>\nT\u00e2rgu Mure\u0219<\/a><\/td>\nMure\u0219<\/a><\/td>\n116,033\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\nCraiova<\/a><\/td>\nDolj<\/a><\/td>\n234,140<\/td>\n17<\/td>\nBaia Mare<\/a><\/td>\nMaramure\u0219<\/a><\/td>\n108,759\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\nGala\u021bi<\/a><\/td>\nGala\u021bi<\/a><\/td>\n217,851<\/td>\n18<\/td>\nBuz\u0103u<\/a><\/td>\nBuz\u0103u<\/a><\/td>\n103,481\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\nOradea<\/a><\/td>\nBihor<\/a><\/td>\n183,105<\/td>\n19<\/td>\nR\u00e2mnicu V\u00e2lcea<\/a><\/td>\nV\u00e2lcea<\/a><\/td>\n93,151\n<\/td><\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\nPloie\u0219ti<\/a><\/td>\nPrahova<\/a><\/td>\n180,540<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nSatu Mare<\/a><\/td>\nSatu Mare<\/a><\/td>\n91,520\n<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table><\/div>\n

Education<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Education in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
The University of Bucharest<\/a> was opened in 1864.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since the Romanian revolution<\/a> of 1989, the Romanian educational system has been in a continuous process of reform that has received mixed criticism.[<\/span>333]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 2004, some 4.4 million individuals were enrolled in school. Of these, 650,000 were in kindergarten<\/a> (three-six years), 3.11 million in primary and secondary level, and 650,000 in tertiary level (universities).[<\/span>334]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In 2018, the adult literacy rate was 98.8%.[<\/span>335]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Kindergarten is optional between three and five years. Since 2020, compulsory schooling starts at age 5 with the last year of kindergarten (grupa mare) and is compulsory until twelfth grade.[<\/span>336]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>337]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Primary and secondary education is divided into 12 or 13 grades. There is also a semi-legal, informal private tutoring<\/a> system used mostly during secondary school, which prospered during the Communist regime.[<\/span>338]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

As of 2025, Babe\u0219-Bolyai University<\/a> of Cluj-Napoca<\/a> and the University of Bucharest<\/a> are included in the QS World University Rankings<\/a>' top 800.[<\/span>339]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romania ranks fifth in the all-time medal count at the International Mathematical Olympiad<\/a> with 316 total medals, dating back to 1959. Ciprian Manolescu<\/a> managed to write a perfect paper (42 points) for a gold medal more times than anybody else in the history of the competition, in 1995, 1996 and 1997.[<\/span>340]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania has achieved the highest team score in the competition, after China, Russia, the United States and Hungary. Romania also ranks sixth in the all-time medal count at the International Olympiad in Informatics<\/a> with 107 total medals, dating back to 1989.[<\/span>341]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>342]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>343]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Healthcare<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Healthcare in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
The Col\u021bea Hospital in Bucharest completed a $90 million renovation in 2011[<\/span>344]<\/span><\/a><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Healthcare in Romania is mainly provided by the public sector, which runs most hospitals and offers national health insurance to nearly all citizens. In 2021, healthcare costs were US$16. 7 billion, or US$2,385 per person, making up \u20ac5.69 of GDP. Government spending is higher than in markets like Bulgaria but lower than Hungary. Spending is expected to rise by 7. US$5 billion (+37. 68%) from 2024 to 2028, reaching 27. US$3 billion by 2028.[<\/span>345]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The Romanian National Institute of Statistics reports over 65,000 health units in Romania, with 53,000 in urban areas and 12,000 in rural areas. There are 543 hospitals, including 488 in urban and 55 in rural areas, along with 160 other hospital-like establishments. Nearly 50% of these are large facilities with over 100 beds, while 39% are small with fewer than 50 beds. The total number of inpatient beds is 135,085, allocated mainly to psychiatry, surgery, and internal medicine among other specialties.[<\/span>346]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Culture<\/h2><\/div>\n
Main articles: Culture of Romania<\/a> and National symbols of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n

Arts and monuments<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main articles: Romanian literature<\/a>, Cinema of Romania<\/a>, Music of Romania<\/a>, and List of World Heritage Sites in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
See also: List of films shot in Romania<\/a><\/div>

Architecture<\/b><\/p>

<\/a>
Sibiu<\/a> was the 2007 European Capital of Culture<\/a> and the 2019 European Region of Gastronomy<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The topic of the origin of Romanian culture began to be discussed by the end of the 18th century among the Transylvanian School<\/a> scholars.[<\/span>347]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Several writers rose to prominence in the 19th century, including: George Co\u0219buc<\/a>, Ioan Slavici<\/a>, Mihail Kog\u0103lniceanu<\/a>, Vasile Alecsandri<\/a>, Nicolae B\u0103lcescu<\/a>, Ion Luca Caragiale<\/a>, Ion Creang\u0103<\/a>, and Mihai Eminescu<\/a>, the later being considered the greatest and most influential Romanian poet, particularly for the poem Luceaf\u0103rul<\/a><\/i>.[<\/span>348]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In the 20th century, a number of Romanian artists and writers achieved international acclaim, including: Tristan Tzara<\/a>, Marcel Janco<\/a>,[<\/span>349]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Mircea Eliade<\/a>, Nicolae Grigorescu<\/a>, Marin Preda<\/a>, Liviu Rebreanu<\/a>,[<\/span>350]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Eug\u00e8ne Ionesco<\/a>, Emil Cioran<\/a>, and Constantin Br\u00e2ncu\u0219i<\/a>. Br\u00e2ncu\u0219i has a sculptural ensemble in T\u00e2rgu Jiu, while his sculpture Bird in Space<\/a><\/i>, was auctioned in 2005 for $27.5 million.[<\/span>351]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>352]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romanian-born Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel<\/a> received the Nobel Peace Prize<\/a> in 1986, while Banat Swabian<\/a> writer Herta M\u00fcller<\/a> received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature<\/a>.[<\/span>353]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
Timi\u0219oara<\/a> was designated the European Capital of Culture<\/a> in 2021 and held this title in 2023 due to COVID-19<\/a> postponement.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prominent Romanian painters include: Nicolae Grigorescu<\/a>, \u0218tefan Luchian<\/a>, Ion Andreescu<\/a> Nicolae Tonitza<\/a>, and Theodor Aman<\/a>. Notable Romanian classical composers of the 19th and 20th centuries include: Ciprian Porumbescu<\/a>, Anton Pann<\/a>, Eduard Caudella<\/a>, Mihail Jora<\/a>, Dinu Lipatti<\/a>, and especially George Enescu<\/a>. The annual George Enescu Festival<\/a> is held in Bucharest in honour of the 20th-century composer.[<\/span>354]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Contemporary musicians like Angela Gheorghiu<\/a>, Gheorghe Zamfir<\/a>,[<\/span>355]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>356]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Inna<\/a>,[<\/span>357]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Alexandra Stan<\/a>,[<\/span>358]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and many others have achieved various levels of international acclaim. From the late 2000s through the early 2010s, the Romanian popcorn<\/a> music style had established itself in the international mainstream.[<\/span>359]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>360]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> At the Eurovision Song Contest<\/a> Romanian singers achieved third place in 2005 and 2010.[<\/span>361]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

In cinema, several movies of the Romanian New Wave<\/a> have achieved international acclaim. At the Cannes Film Festival<\/a>, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu<\/a><\/i> by Cristi Puiu<\/a> won the Prix Un Certain Regard<\/a><\/i><\/span> in 2005,[<\/span>362]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> while 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days<\/a><\/i> by Cristian Mungiu<\/a> won the festival's top prize, the Palme d'Or<\/a><\/i><\/span>, in 2007.[<\/span>363]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> At the Berlin International Film Festival<\/a>, Child's Pose<\/a><\/i> by C\u0103lin Peter Netzer<\/a> won the Golden Bear<\/a> in 2013.[<\/span>364]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The list of World Heritage Sites includes six cultural sites<\/a> located within Romania, including eight painted churches of northern Moldavia<\/a>, eight wooden churches of Maramure\u0219<\/a>, seven villages with fortified churches in Transylvania, the Horezu Monastery<\/a>, and the Historic Centre of Sighi\u0219oara<\/a>.[<\/span>365]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The city of Sibiu, with its Brukenthal National Museum<\/a>, was selected as the 2007 European Capital of Culture<\/a> and the 2019 European Region of Gastronomy<\/a>.[<\/span>366]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>367]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Multiple castles exist in Romania, including the popular tourist attractions of Pele\u0219 Castle<\/a>,[<\/span>368]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Corvin Castle<\/a>, and Bran Castle or \"Dracula's Castle\".[<\/span>369]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

<\/span>Holidays, traditions, and cuisine<\/h3><\/div>\n
See also: Romanian dress<\/a>, Folklore of Romania<\/a>, and Romanian cuisine<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
The Christmas market in Sibiu<\/a> is one of the most famous in Europe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are 12 non-working public holidays, including the Great Union Day<\/a>, celebrated on 1 December in commemoration of the 1918 union of Transylvania with Romania.[<\/span>370]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Winter holidays include the Christmas<\/a> and New Year festivities during which various unique folklore dances and games are common: plugu\u0219orul<\/a><\/i>, sorcova<\/a><\/i>, ursul<\/i>, and capra<\/i>.[<\/span>371]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>372]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The traditional Romanian dress<\/a> that otherwise has largely fallen out of use during the 20th century, is a popular ceremonial vestment worn on these festivities, especially in rural areas.[<\/span>373]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> There are sacrifices of live pigs during Christmas and lambs during Easter that has required a special exemption from EU law after 2007.[<\/span>374]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In the Easter, traditions such as painting the eggs<\/a> are very common. On 1 March m\u0103r\u021bi\u0219or<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i> gifting is featured, which is a tradition whereby females are gifted with a type of talisman that is given for good luck.[<\/span>375]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romanian cuisine has been influenced by Austrian<\/a> and German cuisine<\/a> (especially in the historical regions that had been formerly administered by the Habsburg monarchy<\/a>), but also shares some similarities with other cuisines in the Balkan region<\/a> such as Greek<\/a>, Bulgarian<\/a>, and Serbian cuisine<\/a>.[<\/span>376]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Ciorb\u0103<\/a><\/i> includes a wide range of sour soups<\/a>, while mititei<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i>, m\u0103m\u0103lig\u0103<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i> (similar to polenta<\/a>), and sarmale<\/a><\/i> are featured commonly in main courses.[<\/span>377]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Pork, chicken, and beef are the preferred types of meat, but lamb and fish are also quite popular.[<\/span>378]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>379]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Certain traditional recipes are made in direct connection with the holidays: chiftele<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i>, tob\u0103<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i> and tochitur\u0103<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i> at Christmas<\/a>; drob<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i>, pasc\u0103<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i> and cozonac<\/a><\/i><\/span><\/i> at Easter and other Romanian holidays.[<\/span>380]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> \u021auic\u0103<\/a><\/i> is a strong plum brandy<\/a> reaching a 70% alcohol content which is the country's traditional alcoholic beverage, taking as much as 75% of the national crop (Romania is one of the largest plum producers in the world<\/a>).[<\/span>381]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>382]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Traditional alcoholic beverages also include wine<\/a>, rachiu<\/a><\/i>, palinc\u0103<\/a><\/i> and vi\u0219inat\u0103<\/a><\/i>, but beer<\/a> consumption has increased dramatically over recent years.[<\/span>383]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

Media<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Media of Romania<\/a><\/div>\n

Sports<\/h3><\/div>\n
Main article: Sport in Romania<\/a><\/div>\n
<\/a>
Arena Na\u021bional\u0103<\/a>, opened in 2011, the national stadium of Romania, as seen on a Romanian stamp (2011)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Football<\/a> is the most popular sport in Romania with over 219,000 registered players as of 2018<\/sup>. The market for professional football in Romania was roughly \u20ac740 million in 2018 according to UEFA<\/a>.[<\/span>384]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The governing body is the Romanian Football Federation<\/a>, which belongs to UEFA. The Romania national football team<\/a> played its first match in 1922 and is one of only four national teams to have taken part in the first three FIFA World Cups<\/a>, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium. Overall, it has played in seven World Cups and had its most successful period during the 1990s, when it finished 6th at the 1994 FIFA World Cup<\/a>, eventually being ranked 3rd by FIFA<\/a> in 1997.[<\/span>385]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

The most successful club is Steaua Bucure\u0219ti<\/a>, who were the first Eastern European team to win the UEFA Champions League<\/a> in 1986, and were runners-up in 1989.[<\/span>386]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Dinamo Bucure\u0219ti<\/a> reached the UEFA Champions League semi-final in 1984 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup<\/a> semi-final in 1990<\/a>.[<\/span>387]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Other important Romanian football clubs are Rapid Bucure\u0219ti<\/a>,[<\/span>388]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> UTA Arad<\/a>,[<\/span>389]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Universitatea Craiova<\/a>,[<\/span>390]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Petrolul Ploie\u0219ti<\/a>,[<\/span>391]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> CFR Cluj<\/a>,[<\/span>392]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Astra Giurgiu<\/a>,[<\/span>393]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and Viitorul Constan\u021ba<\/a>[<\/span>394]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> (the latter having recently merged with FCV Farul Constan\u021ba<\/a>).[<\/span>395]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Tennis is the second most popular sport.[<\/span>396]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Romania reached the Davis Cup<\/a> finals three times in 1969, 1971 and 1972.[<\/span>397]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The second most popular team sport<\/a> is handball<\/a>.[<\/span>396]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> The men's team<\/a> won the handball world championship<\/a> in 1961<\/a>, 1964<\/a>, 1970<\/a>, 1974<\/a> making them the third most successful nation ever in the tournament. The women's team<\/a> won the world championship<\/a> in 1962<\/a> and have enjoyed more success than their male counterparts in recent years. In the club competition Romanian teams have won the EHF Champions League<\/a> a total of three times, Steaua Bucure\u0219ti<\/a> won in 1968<\/a> as well as 1977<\/a> and Dinamo Bucure\u0219ti<\/a> won in 1965<\/a>.[<\/span>398]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In women's handball, powerhouse CSM Bucure\u0219ti<\/a> lifted the EHF Champions League<\/a> trophy in 2016.[<\/span>399]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Popular individual sports<\/a> include combat sports<\/a>,[<\/span>396]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> martial arts<\/a>,[<\/span>396]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> and swimming.[<\/span>396]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> In professional boxing<\/a>, Romania has produced many world champions across the weight divisions internationally recognised by governing bodies.[<\/span>400]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Another popular combat sport is professional kickboxing<\/a>, which has produced prominent practitioners including.[<\/span>401]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>[<\/span>402]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>

Romania's 306 all-time Summer Olympics medals<\/a> would rank 12th most among all countries, while its 89 gold medals would be 14th most. The 1984 Summer Olympics<\/a> was their most successful run, where they won 53 medals in total, 20 of them gold, ultimately placing 2nd to the hosts United States in the medal rankings<\/a>. Amongst countries who have never hosted the event themselves, they are second in the total number of medals earned.[<\/span>403]<\/span><\/a><\/sup> Gymnastics<\/a> is the country's major medal-producing sport.[<\/span>404]<\/span><\/a><\/sup>\n<\/p>\n

See also<\/h2><\/div>\n