"text":"The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia -- for centuries under the control of the Turkish Ottoman Empire -- secured their autonomy through the Treaty of Paris in 1856. They were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country joined the Allied Powers in World War I and subsequently acquired new territories -- most notably Transylvania -- that more than doubled its size. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist \"people's republic\" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024."
"text":"200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation"
}
},
"Climate":{
"text":"temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms"
},
"Terrain":{
"text":"central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps"
"text":"Dunărea (Danube) river mouth (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine) - 2,888 km <br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
"text":"urbanization is not particularly high, and a fairly even population distribution can be found throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; Hungarians, the country's largest minority, have a particularly strong presence in eastern Transylvania"
},
"Natural hazards":{
"text":"earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides"
},
"Geography - note":{
"text":"controls the most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine; the Carpathian Mountains dominate the center of the country, while the Danube River forms much of the southern boundary with Serbia and Bulgaria"
"text":"Romanian 89.3%, Hungarian 6%, Romani 3.4%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, other 0.9% (2021 est.)",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> data represent individuals who declared an ethnic group in the 2021 national census; 13% did not respond; Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 5–11% of Romania's population"
"text":"<br>Cartea informativa a lumii, sursa indispensabila pentru informatii de baza. (Romanian)<br><br>The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information."
"text":"urbanization is not particularly high, and a fairly even population distribution can be found throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations; Hungarians, the country's largest minority, have a particularly strong presence in eastern Transylvania"
"text":"soil erosion, degradation, and desertification; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands"
},
"Environment - international agreements":{
"party to":{
"text":"Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling"
},
"signed, but not ratified":{
"text":"none of the selected agreements"
}
},
"Climate":{
"text":"temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms"
"text":"Dunărea (Danube) river mouth (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine) - 2,888 km <br><strong>note</strong> – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth"
"text":"Kingdom of Romania, Romanian People's Republic, Socialist Republic of Romania"
},
"etymology":{
"text":"the name derives from the Latin \"Romanus\" meaning \"citizen of Rome\" and was used to stress the common ancient heritage of Romania's three main regions - Moldavia, Transylvania, and Wallachia - during their gradual unification between the mid-19th century and early 20th century"
}
},
"Government type":{
"text":"semi-presidential republic"
},
"Capital":{
"name":{
"text":"Bucharest"
},
"geographic coordinates":{
"text":"44 26 N, 26 06 E"
},
"time difference":{
"text":"UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)"
},
"daylight saving time":{
"text":"+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October"
"text":"related to the Romanian word \"bucura\" that is believed to be of Dacian origin and whose meaning is \"to be glad (happy)\"; Bucharest's meaning is thus akin to \"city of joy\""
"text":"9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; 13 July 1878 (independence recognized by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)"
},
"National holiday":{
"text":"Unification Day (unification of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)"
"text":"initiated by the president of Romania through a proposal by the government, by at least one fourth of deputies or senators in Parliament, or by petition of eligible voters representing at least half of Romania’s counties; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by both chambers or – if mediation is required - by three-fourths majority vote in a joint session, followed by approval in a referendum; articles, including those on national sovereignty, form of government, political pluralism, and fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended 2003"
"text":"president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held in November 2024, but results were annulled, with new election expected in early 2025; prime minister appointed by the president with consent of Parliament"
"text":"<em><br>2019: </em>Klaus IOHANNIS reelected president in second round; percent of vote - Klaus IOHANNIS (PNL) 66.1%, Viorica DANCILA (PSD) 33.9%<br><br><em>2014:</em> Klaus IOHANNIS elected president in second round; percent of vote - Klaus IOHANNIS (PNL) 54.4%, Victor PONTA (PSD) 45.6%"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong>Romania's constitutional court has annulled the results of the most recent presidential election in November-December 2024, which resets the election cycle. A new election is expected in early 2025."
"text":"Social Democratic Party (PSD) (86); Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) (63); National Liberal Party (PNL) (49); Save Romania Union (USR) (40); S.O.S. Romania (28); Party of Young People (POT) (24); Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) (22)"
},
"percentage of women in chamber":{
"text":"19.2%"
},
"expected date of next election":{
"text":"November 2028"
}
},
"Legislative branch - upper chamber":{
"chamber name":{
"text":"Senate (Senatul)"
},
"number of seats":{
"text":"134 (all directly elected)"
},
"electoral system":{
"text":"proportional representation"
},
"scope of elections":{
"text":"full renewal"
},
"term in office":{
"text":"4 years"
},
"most recent election date":{
"text":"12/1/2024"
},
"parties elected and seats per party":{
"text":"Social Democratic Party (PSD) (36); Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) (28); National Liberal Party (PNL) (22); Save Romania Union (USR) (19); S.O.S. Romania (12); Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) (10); Party of Young People (POT) (7)"
"text":"High Court of Cassation and Justice (consists of 111 judges organized into civil, penal, commercial, contentious administrative and fiscal business, and joint sections); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members)"
},
"judge selection and term of office":{
"text":"High Court of Cassation and Justice judges appointed by the president upon nomination by the Superior Council of Magistracy, a 19-member body of judges, prosecutors, and law specialists; judges appointed for 6-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court members - 6 elected by Parliament and 3 appointed by the president; members serve 9-year, nonrenewable terms"
},
"subordinate courts":{
"text":"Courts of Appeal; regional tribunals; first instance courts; military and arbitration courts"
"text":"Alliance for the Fatherland or APP<br>Alliance for the Unity of Romanians or AUR<br>Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party or PNT-CD<br>Civic Hungarian Party<br>Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR<br>Ecologist Party of Romania or PER<br>Force of the Right or FD<br>Greater Romania Party or PRM<br>Green Party<br>National Liberal Party or PNL<br>Popular Movement Party or PMP<br>PRO Romania or PRO<br>Romanian Nationhood Party or PNR<br>Save Romania Union Party or USR<br>Social Democratic Party or PSD<br>Social Liberal Humanist Party or PUSL (formerly Humanist Power Party (Social-Liberal) or PPU-SL)<br>S.O.S. Romania<br>The Right Alternative or AD<br>United Romania Party or PRU<br>We are Renewing the European Project in Romania or REPER"
"text":"three equal vertical bands of cobalt blue (hoist side), chrome yellow, and vermilion red; modeled after the flag of France, the colors are those of the principalities of Walachia (red and yellow) and Moldavia (red and blue), which united in 1862 to form Romania; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed",
"text":"<p>Danube Delta (n); Churches of Moldavia (c); Monastery of Horezu (c); Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania (c); Dacian Fortresses of the Orastie Mountains (c); Historic Center of Sighişoara (c); Wooden Churches of Maramureş (c); Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe (n); Roșia Montană Mining Landscape (c); Brâncuși Monumental Ensemble of Târgu Jiu (c); Frontiers of the Roman Empire – Dacia (c)</p>"
"text":"high-income EU member economy; joined Schengen area as of March 2024; euro membership delayed over convergence criteria; persistent inflation but recovery driven by consumption and EU-funded investments; skilled labor shortage; regional economic disparities; fiscal reforms to address rising deficits"
"note":"<b>note:</b> central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated"
"text":"Romania’s telecom market has undergone several significant changes in recent years; the mobile market is served by network operators that have extensive LTE networks in place, while services based on 5G have been offered under their existing spectrum concessions since 2019; the delayed multi-spectrum auction, expected to be completed later in 2021, will enable the operators to expand 5G network capacity and enable consumers to make far greater use of the technology’s potential; in line with legislation passed in July 2021 the MNOs will have to replace equipment provided by vendors deemed to be a security risk (2021)"
"text":"country code - 40; landing point for the Diamond Link Global submarine cable linking Romania with Georgia; satellite earth stations - 10; digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2019)"
"text":"a mixture of public and private TV stations; there are 7 public TV stations (2 national, 5 regional) using terrestrial broadcasting and 187 private TV stations (out of which 171 offer local coverage) using terrestrial broadcasting, plus 11 public TV stations using satellite broadcasting and 86 private TV stations using satellite broadcasting; state-owned public radio broadcaster operates 4 national networks and regional and local stations, having in total 20 public radio stations by terrestrial broadcasting plus 4 public radio stations by satellite broadcasting; there are 502 operational private radio stations using terrestrial broadcasting and 26 private radio stations using satellite broadcasting"
"text":"Romanian Armed Forces (Forțele Armate Române or Armata Română): Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force<br><br>Ministry of Internal Affairs: General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, the Romanian Gendarmerie (Jandarmeria Română), the Romanian Border Police, the General Directorate for Internal Protection, and the Directorate General for Anticorruption (2024)"
"text":"the military's inventory includes a considerable amount of Soviet-era and older domestically produced weapons systems, although in recent years Romania has launched an effort to acquire more modern and NATO-standard equipment from European countries and the US, including aircraft and armored vehicles (2024)"
"text":"18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; all military inductees contract for an initial 5-year term of service, with subsequent successive 3-year terms until age 36; conscription ended in 2006 (2023)"
"text":"up to 120 Poland (NATO); Romania also has small numbers of military personnel deployed on other international missions under the EU, NATO, and UN (2024)"
"text":"the Romanian Armed Forces are responsible for territorial defense, fulfilling the country's commitments to European security, and contributing to multinational peacekeeping operations; the military has a variety of concerns, including cyber attacks and terrorism, but its primary focus is Russian aggression against neighboring Ukraine and Russia's activities in the Black Sea and Romania’s other eastern neighbor, Moldova<br><br>Romania joined NATO in 2004, and the Alliance forms a key pillar of the country’s defense policy; it hosts a NATO multinational divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Southeast) and a French-led ground force battlegroup as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence initiative in the southeastern part of the Alliance, which came about in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine; NATO allies have also sent detachments of fighters to augment the Romanian Air Force since 2014 because of aggressive Russian activity in the Black Sea region; the Romanian military trains regularly with NATO and its member states and has participated in NATO- and EU-led multinational missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Poland (2024)"
"text":"space program is integrated into the European Space Agency (ESA) and dates back to the 1960s; program is involved in the development and production of a wide range of capabilities and technologies, including satellites, satellite/space launch vehicles (SLVs), remote sensing, human space flight, navigation, telecommunications, and other space-related applications; in addition to the ESA/EU and their member states (particularly Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy), it cooperates with a variety of other space agencies and commercial space entities, including those of Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Russia, and the US; also participates in international programs; has an active space industry sector with over 50 entities involved in space-related activities (2024)",
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide"
"note":"<strong>note:</strong> details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide"
