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| Romania is bordered to the north and east by Moldova and Ukraine, the southeast by the Black Sea, the south by Bulgaria, the southwest by Serbia and in the west by Hungary. The country is divided into four geographical areas. Transylvania (a belt of Alpine massifs and forests) and Moldavia compose the northern half of the country, which is divided down the middle by the north south strip of the Carpathian Mountains. South of the east west line of the Carpathians lies the flat Danube plain of Walachia with the capital Bucharest, its border with Bulgaria being defined by the course of the Danube. Romania coastline is along the Black Sea, incorporating the port of Constanta and the Danube Delta. The region between the Black Sea and the Danube (after it veers North), is also known as Dobrudja (Dobrogea). |
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| Often compared to a "Latin island in a Slav sea", Romania features a unique familiar feeling in Eastern Europe: its language of a Latin origin, the Latin alphabet (quite rare in this part of Europe) and moreover the Latin temperament and friendliness of its people - all make of Romania a place where most visitor feel very comfortable. |
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| There are many tourist attractions in Romania: some are unique in the world, as the enchanting monasteries of Bucovina with their churches entirely covered with 16th century frescoes on the outside walls, appearing among hills and woods as an illustrated Bible open on all the pages. |
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| Monastery in Bucovina. |
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| Bucharest, capital of Romania. |
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| So is the Danube Delta, the largest natural reserve in Europe, a paradise for fishermen and birdwatchers - 430,000 hectares (approx 1,060,000 acres) of wild land with just a few fishermen villages and only waterways. |
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| Romania Sinaia or Peles. |
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| If you are a Dracula fan, you wouldn't want to miss Dracula's Castle in Bran, the Borgo Pass or his birthplace in the medieval "Upper Town" of Sighisoara - they're all in Transylvania. |
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| Dracula Castle. |
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| But Romania is much more than this: just think of the Black Sea coast, the wild and picturesque Carpathian Mountains where one goes hiking or skiing, the cultural, historical, architectural or archaeological tours of the country, but also the wine-tasting tours of Romania. |
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| Carpathian Mountains. |
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| Many guests also come to Romania for health purposes: a huge richness of mineral and thermal springs spread across the country, associated with many other natural factors, have made this land very famous for its spas and treatments. |
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| If your job just takes you to Bucharest for a few days, you will certainly enjoy the tree-lined boulevards, the delightful parks, the monumental city dating from the end of the 19th century - early 20th century, when Bucharest got the surname of "Paris of the East" or "Little Paris". |
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| Bucharest. |
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| Barsana. |
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| Square of Brasov city. |
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| You should take advantage of being there to attend an evening performance at the Opera, a symphonic orchestra concert or a savoury play at the Yiddish Theatre (the oldest in Europe). |
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| General Information about Romania |
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Official Name: ROMANIA
Capital city: Bucharest
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Geographical Location
Romania is located in SE Central Europe, on the lower Danube and bordering on the Black Sea. The 45o parallel of North latitude and the 25o East line of longitude is crossing Romania.
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Boundaries
Total length: 3149.9 km; Borders: NE and E on the Republic of Moldova (681.3 km); N and E on the Ukraine (649.4 km); SE on the Black Sea (193.5 km); S on Bulgaria (631.3 km); SW on Yugoslavian Federation (546.4 km); W on Hungary (448.0 km).
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Area
238,391 sq. km (11th in Europe)
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Relief
31% of Romania's surface is covered by mountains, 33% by hills and tablelands, and the rest of 36% by plains. The mountains - the Carpathians, feature three main groups: Eastern, Southern (the highest - Moldoveanu Peak, in Fagarasi Mountains: 2.543 m) and Western Carpathians. The Danube Delta, located north of the Plateau of Dobroudja, stretches over 4.340 sq.km.
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Climate
Temperate continental, with slight ocean influences in the West, Medoiterranean in the South-West and excessively continental in the North-East.
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Official Language
Romanian. Belonging to the family of Romance languages, Romanian descends from the Latin spoken in Dacia and Moesia in ancient times.
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Stamdart Time
GMT + 2 hours. Since last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October, the Daylight Saving Time applies.
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Administrative Division
County; town; commune, village. There are: 41 counties plus the capital, Bucharest (with a county status); 263 towns (of which 84 municipalities); 2,688 communes (with 13,094 villages).
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Capital
Bucharest - Divided into six administrative districts and the Ilfov Agricultural Sector. Situated in the South of the country, in the Romanian Plain, at an altitude of 70-90m, on the rivers Dambovita and Colentina, the city dates from the 14th century. Capital of Wallachia in the 17th - 19th centuries, then of Romania since 1862. Population - 2,013,911.
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Main Cities
Constanta: 342,394 people; Iasi: 348,489 people; Timisoara: 329,111 people; Cluj-Napoca: 331,476 people; Galati: 338,596 people; Brasov: 314,219 people; Craiova: 314,920 people; Ploiesti: 251,348 people; Braila: 233,756 people.
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Ports
On the Black Sea Coast - Constanta; Mangalia.
On the Danube - Orsova; Drobeta-Turnu Severin; Turnu Magurele; Giurgiu; Oltenita; Calarasi; Cernavoda; Braila; Galati; Tulcea and Sulina.
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Airports
Bucharest-Otopeni; Constanta - Mihail Kogalniceanu; Timisoara; Bucharest-Baneasa; Bacau; Baia Mare; Caransebes; Cluj-Napoca; Craiova; Deva; Iasi; Oradea; Satu Mare; Târgu Mures; Tulcea; Suceava; Arad; Sibiu.
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Population
Total number - 22,430,000 (2001), 94.2 inh./sq.km. According to the census returns of January 7, 1992, Romania's population structure by nationality is: Romanians 89.4%; Hungarians 7.1%; Germans 0.5%; Ukrainians 0.3%; Jews 0.04%; Others 2.66%. About 8 million Romanians live outside the country's boundaries. Urban population: 55%.
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