Background:
|
| The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007. |
|
|
|
Location:
|
| Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
|
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
|
46 00 N, 25 00 E
|
|
|
Map references:
|
|
|
Area:
|
|
total: 238,391 sq km
country comparison to the world: 89
land:
229,891 sq km
water:
8,500 sq km
|
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
|
slightly smaller than Oregon
|
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
|
total: 2,508 km
border countries:
Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km
|
|
|
Coastline:
|
|
225 km
|
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
|
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone:
24 nm
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
continental shelf:
200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
|
|
|
Climate:
|
|
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
|
|
|
Terrain:
|
|
central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
|
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
|
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point:
Moldoveanu 2,544 m
|
|
|
Natural resources:
|
|
petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower
|
|
|
Land use:
|
|
arable land: 39.49%
permanent crops:
1.92%
other:
58.59% (2005)
|
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
|
30,770 sq km (2003)
|
|
|
Total renewable water resources:
|
|
42.3 cu km (2003)
|
|
|
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
|
|
total: 6.5 cu km/yr (9%/34%/57%)
per capita:
299 cu m/yr (2003)
|
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
|
earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides
|
|
|
Environment - current issues:
|
|
soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands
|
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
|
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
|
|
|
Geography - note:
|
|
controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine |
|
|
|
Population:
|
| 22,215,421 (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 52
|
|
|
Age structure:
|
|
0-14 years: 15.5% (male 1,772,583/female 1,681,539)
15-64 years:
69.7% (male 7,711,062/female 7,784,041)
65 years and over:
14.7% (male 1,332,120/female 1,934,076) (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Median age:
|
|
total: 37.7 years
male:
36.3 years
female:
39.2 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Population growth rate:
|
|
-0.147% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 217
|
|
|
Birth rate:
|
|
10.53 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185
|
|
|
Death rate:
|
|
11.88 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
|
|
|
Net migration rate:
|
|
-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
|
|
|
Urbanization:
|
|
urban population: 54% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization:
-0.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
|
|
|
Sex ratio:
|
|
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
0.99 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.69 male(s)/female
total population:
0.95 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
|
total: 22.9 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 95
male:
25.94 deaths/1,000 live births
female:
19.66 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
|
total population: 72.45 years
country comparison to the world: 117
male:
68.95 years
female:
76.16 years (2009 est.)
|
|
|
Total fertility rate:
|
|
1.39 children born/woman (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 198
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
|
less than 0.1% (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
|
15,000 (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 87
|
|
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
|
350 (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
|
|
|
Nationality:
|
|
noun: Romanian(s)
adjective:
Romanian
|
|
|
Ethnic groups:
|
|
Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002 census)
|
|
|
Religions:
|
|
Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)
|
|
|
Languages:
|
|
Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%
|
|
|
Literacy:
|
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population:
97.3%
male:
98.4%
female:
96.3% (2002 census)
|
|
|
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
|
|
total: 14 years
male:
14 years
female:
14 years (2006)
|
|
|
Education expenditures:
|
|
3.5% of GDP (2005)
country comparison to the world: 129
|
|
|
|
|
