Romania – background information
Geography
Location: Romania is situated in South-East Central Europe
and shares borders with Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova
and the Ukraine.
Area: 91,725 sq. miles (237,502 sq. km). Romania is the third
largest country in Eastern Europe, after the Ukraine and
Poland.
Physical geography: Most of Romania is rural land, with
approximately one third being the Carpathian
Mountains/Transylvanian Alps (mainly woodland), one third hills
and plateaux with orchards and
vineyards, and one third plains
where sheep are grazed and
wheat, sugar beet and
sunflowers grown. Much of the
plains are covered in lakes and
river, including the wetlands of
the Danube Delta, which runs
into the Black Sea.
CIA World Factbook and Europa Online) and that the situation
is worsening, although the Romania Government is taking steps
to address the problem. Petty street theft and begging are
common in all towns. Homelessness is a particular problem in
Bucharest after the closing of the orphanages, with many boys
and young men now living on the streets. The other main social
problem is persecution of ethnic minorities, particularly the
Roma, while in Transylvania there is conflict between
Romanians and ethnic Hungarians.
Political structure
Government: Democratic republic with a bicameral parliament
comprising Senate (140 seats) and Chamber of Deputies (345
seats). Elected for a four-year term
– elections are due later in 2004.
The two houses have equal powers.
Natural resources: Petroleum,
timber, natural gas, coal, iron
ore, salt, arable land, hydroelectric power.
Demographics
Population: Approximately
22,400,000 (2,200,000 of whom
live in the capital city Bucharest).
There are 263 towns in Romania,
25 of which have a population of
over 100,000. There are eight
cities with over 300,000
inhabitants. 45 % of Romanians
live in rural areas – 2,868
communes and 13,285 villages.
Age structure: 0–14 years:
17.95% (male 2,054,323; female
1,959,196); 15–64 years: 68.51%
(male 7,605,751; female
7,715,434); 65 years and over:
13.54% (male 1,255,880; female
1,773,438) (estimated figures
from 2001).
Language: Romanian, with
German and Hungarian spoken
in some areas. English is very
widely spoken, particularly
among younger people.
Unemployment: 13.0 % (March
2002). This appears to have
been increasing as the figure
given for 1998 was 5.6%.
Literacy: 98 %.
Location of Romania in relation to rest of Europe
President: The President is directly
elected for a maximum of two fouryear mandates. He appoints the
Government on the basis of the
confidence vote granted by
Parliament. The current President is
Traian Basescu, elected in
December 2004. Basescu was
formerly the Mayor of Bucharest,
who was responsible for the mass
poisoning of the city’s street dogs.
Basescu has pledged to purge
corruption at Government level and
subsequently many Government
officials have lost their jobs.
Basescu himself is also being
investigated following allegations of
corruption!
Prime Minister: The Prime Minister
is appointed by the President. The
current Prime Minister is Calin
Tariceanu, appointed in December
2004.
Cabinet: A Council of Ministers is
appointed by the Prime Minister.
The physical geography and principal towns of Romania
Regional: The administrative
divisions are called judete
(counties). There are 41 counties in
Romania, one of which is the capital
Bucharest.
International relations: Romania
became a member of NATO in
March 2004 and aims to join the EU
in 2007. The Accession Treaty for
EU membership was agreed and
signed in April 2005.
Political parties: There are six main
political parties. The centre-right
National Liberal Party (PNL) and
Democratic Party (PD) alliance is
currently in power, having ousted
the Social Democrat Party in
December 2004.
Religion: 87 % Romanian
Orthodox. The influence of the
Church is very strong in rural
Economy
areas, and this has proved to be
a problem in particular for
Currency: Leu (sing.)/Lei (pl.). The
neutering schemes, which are
international currency code is ROL.
generally frowned upon by the
Industries: Textiles and footwear,
Church. However, it is expected
light machinery, auto assembly,
Romania’s administrative counties
that a new Patriarch is to take
mining, timber, construction
office this year – Metropolitan
materials, metallurgy, chemicals,
[Bishop] Daniel, who is well known for his interest in animal
food processing, petroleum refining.
welfare – so this could have positive results for animals in rural
Agricultural products: Wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower
areas. The influence of the Church appears to be on the decline
seed, potatoes, grapes. Export partners: Italy 27.1%, Germany
in urban areas.
16.3%, France 8.1%, UK 5.3%.
Social problems: Most recent figures suggest that some 44.5%
Import partners: Italy 21.0%, Germany 14.49%, CIS 7.3%,
of the population live below the official poverty line (Sources:
France 6.3% UK 3.8%.