Romania

former Communist stateIndependence 1881 (from Turkey)

Romania as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalBucharest

Area237,500 km2

Populationas each edition published it

23.27 million July 1990 · 18.15m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.02% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 35.4 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 71.25 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.2 children per woman 1990 · 1.63 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

19 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 5.3 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $2,700 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -15% in 1993

Geography

14 fields

Land useshare of 237,500 km2

arable land 43%permanent crops 3%meadows and pastures 19%forest and woodland 28%other 7%includes 11% irrigated

Total area

237,500km2

land area: 230,340 km2Comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon

Coastline

225km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

2,904km total

Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, USSR 1,307 km, Yugoslavia 546 km

Disputes

Transylvania question with Hungary; Bessarabia question with USSR

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 plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Natural resources

crude oil (reserves being exhausted), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt

Environment

frequent earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides, air pollution in south

Note

controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans and western USSR

People

14 fields

Population

23,273,285

(July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

16Death

Ethnic divisions

Romanian 89.1%Hungarian 7.8%German 1.5%Ukrainian 1.6%Serb; Croat; Russian; Turk; and Gypsy

Religion

Romanian Orthodox 80%Roman Catholic 6%Calvinist 4%Lutheran; Jewish; Baptist

Literacy

98%

Labor force

10,690,000; 34% industry, 28% agriculture, 38% other (1987)

Organized labor

until December 1989, a single trade union system organized by the General Confederation of Romanian Trade Unions (UGSR) under control of the Communist Party;
since Ceausescu's overthrow, newly-created trade and professional trade unions are joining two rival umbrella organizations--Organization of Free Trade Unions and Fratia (Brotherhood)

Government

Former Communist state

17 fields

Type

former Communist state; current multiparty provisional government has scheduled a general democratic election for 20 May 1990

Administrative divisions

40 counties (judete, singular--judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu);
Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea

Independence

1881 (from Turkey); republic proclaimed 30 December 1947

Constitution

21 August 1965; new constitution being drafted

Legal system

former mixture of civil law system and Communist legal theory that increasingly reflected Romanian traditions is being revised;
Communist regime had not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction;
Provisional Council of National Unity will probably accept ICJ jurisdiction

National holiday

Liberation Day, 23 August (1944); new national day to commemorate popular anti-Ceausescu uprising under discussion

Executive branch

president, vice president, prime minister, and Council of Ministers (cabinet) appointed by provisional government

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of an upper house or Senate (Senat) and a lower house or House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice Chief of State--President of Provisional Council of National Unity Ion ILIESCU (since 23 December 1989);
Head of Government--Prime Minister of Council of Ministers Petre ROMAN (since 23 December 1989)

Political parties and leaders

Social Democratic Party, Sergiu Cunescu;
National Liberal Party, Radu Cimpeanu;
National Christian Peasants Party, Corneliu Coposu;
Free Democratic Social Justice Party, Gheorghe Susana;
several others being formed;
Communist Party has ceased to exist;
formation of left-wing parties is uncertain

Suffrage

universal at age 18 Senate--elections for the new upper house to be held 20 May 1990;
House of Deputies--elections for the new lower house to be held 20 May 1990

Communists

3,400,000 (November 1984); Communist Party has ceased to exist

Member of

CCC, CEMA, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBEC, IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, IPU, ITC, ITU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, Warsaw Pact, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Virgil CONSTANTINESCU;
Chancery at 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 232-4747;
US--Ambassador Alan GREEN, Jr., recalled to Washington May 1990;
Embassy at Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest (mailing address is APO New York 09213);
telephone [40] (0) 10-40-40

Flag

three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red;
the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band, has been removed;
now similar to the flags of Andorra and Chad

Economy

Industry, which accounts for one-third of the labor force and generates over half the GNP, suffers from an aging capital plant and persistent shortages of energy.

16 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

(1987)

External debt

-1989

none (mid · )

Exports $11.5 billion (f.o.b., 1988)commodities, where a share is given

machinery and equipment

34.7%minerals and metals

24.7%manufactured consumer goods

16.9%agricultural materials and forestry products

11.9%

also fuels, other 11.6% (1986); partners--USSR 27%, Eastern Europe 23%, EC 15%, US 5%, China 4% (1987)

Imports $8.75 billion (f.o.b., 1988)

and metals

51.0%machinery and equipment

26.7%agricultural and forestry products

11.0%

also fuels, minerals, manufactured consumer goods 4.2% (1986); partners--Communist countries 60%, non-Communist countries 40% (1987)

Budget

Revenues

$26 billionExpenditures

$21.6 billion

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $13.6 billion (1987)

Industry, which accounts for one-third of the labor force and generates over half the GNP, suffers from an aging capital plant and persistent shortages of energy. In recent years the agricultural sector has had to contend with drought, mismanagement, and shortages of inputs. Favorable weather in 1989 helped produce a good harvest, although far below government claims.

The new government is slowly loosening the tight central controls of Ceausescu's command economy. It has instituted moderate land reforms, with close to one-third of cropland now in private hands, and it has allowed changes in prices for private agricultural output. Also, the new regime is permitting the establishment of private enterprises of 20 or fewer employees in services, handicrafts, and small-scale industry.

Furthermore, the government has halted the old policy of diverting food from domestic consumption to hard currency export markets. So far, the government does not seem willing to adopt a thorough-going market system.

GNP

$79.8 billion, per capita $3,445; real growth rate - 1.5% (1989 est.)

Unemployment rate

NA%

Industrial production

growth rate 3.6% (1988)

Electricity

22,640,000 kW capacity; 80,000 million kWh produced, 3,440 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum

Agriculture

accounts for 15% of GNP and 28% of labor force;
major wheat and corn producer;
other products--sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, grapes

Aid

donor--$4.3 billion in bilateral aid to non-Communist less developed countries (1956-88)

Currency

leu (plural--lei); 1 leu (L) = 100 bani

Exchange rates

lei (L) per US$1--20.96 (February 1990), 14.922 (1989), 14.277 (1988), 14.557 (1987), 16.153 (1986), 17.141 (1985)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

9 fields

Merchant marine, 282 ships by type

passenger-cargo 1cargo 184container 1rail-car carrier 1roll-on/roll-off cargo 14livestock carrier 2petroleum, oils, and lubricants (POL) tanker 10bulk 69282 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,313,320 GRT/5,134,335 DWT

Airports, 165 total, 165 usable

permanent-surface runways

25runways 2,440-3,659 m

15runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

72,799 (1985)Railroads

11,221 (1986)Inland waterways

1,724 (1984)Pipelines

2,800

Highways: ; 15,762 km concrete, asphalt, stone block; 20,208 km asphalt treated; 27,729 km gravel, crushed stone, and other paved surfaces; 9,100 km unpaved roads · Railroads: ; 10,755 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 421 km narrow gauge, 45 km broad gauge; 3,328 km electrified, 3,060 km double track; government owned · Pipelines: ; 1,429 km refined products; 6,400 km natural gas

Railroads

11,221 km total;
10,755 km 1.435-meter standard gauge, 421 km narrow gauge, 45 km broad gauge;
3,328 km electrified, 3,060 km double track;
government owned (1986)

Highways

72,799 km total;
15,762 km concrete, asphalt, stone block;
20,208 km asphalt treated;
27,729 km gravel, crushed stone, and other paved surfaces;
9,100 km unpaved roads (1985)

Pipelines

2,800 km crude oil;
1,429 km refined products;
6,400 km natural gas

Ports

Constanta, Galati, Braila, Mangalia; inland ports are Giurgiu, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Orsova

Civil air

70 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

stations--39 AM, 30 FM, 38 TV;
3,910,000 TV sets;
3,225,000 radio receivers;
satellite earth stations--1 Indian Ocean INTELSAT and 1 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Romanian Army, Security Troops, Air and Air Defense Forces, Romanian Navy

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

5,736,783fit for military service

4,860,427reach military age (20) annually

193,537

Defense expenditures

11.8billion lei

2.8% of total budget (1989); note--conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the official administratively set exchange rate would produce misleading results

Branches