Romania

republicIndependence 1881 (from Turkey

Romania as the 1994 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 127 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
LocationBalkan State, Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea between
1994

Every edition of Romania

Populationas each edition published it
23.18 million July 1994 est. · 23.27m in 1990
Population growth% a year
0.06% 1994 est. · 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
1.82 children per woman 1994 est. · 2.2 in 1990
Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births
19.9 deaths per 1,000 live births 1994 est. · 19 in 1990
GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars
$2,700 1993 est. · $2,700 in 1993
GDP real growth% a year
1% 1993 · -15% in 1993

Geography

Balkan State, Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea between | Bulgaria and Ukraine

25 fields
Land boundaries
2,508km
total · Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia and Montenegro 476 km (all with Serbia), Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (south) 169 km
Irrigated land
34,500sq km
(1989 est.)

Location

Balkan State, Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Map references

Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

total area

237,500 sq km

land area

230,340 sq km

comparative area

slightly smaller than Oregon

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200-m depth or to depth of exploitation

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

International disputes

  • no official territorial claim by either Moldova or Romania, but nationalists in Romania seek the merger of Moldova with Romania;
  • potential future dispute by Moldova and Romania against Ukraine over former southern and northern Bessarabian areas

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

petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt

arable land

43%

permanent crops

3%

meadows and pastures

19%

forest and woodland

28%

other

7%

current issues

  • soil erosion and degradation;
  • water pollution;
  • air pollution in south from industrial effluents;
  • contamination of Danube delta wetlands

natural hazards

earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides

international agreements

  • party to - Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands;
  • signed, but not ratified - Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

Note

controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine

People

22 fields
Population
23,181,415
(July 1994 est.)growth rate: 0.06% (1994 est.)

Per 1,000 population(1994 est.)

Birth
13.66Death
10.02Net migration
-3.07

Religions

Romanian Orthodox 70%Roman Catholic 6% (of which 3% are Uniate)Protestant 6%unaffiliated 18%
Labor force
10,945,700
Literacy
15and over can read and write
age · (1978 est.)

note

the Romanian census of January 1992 gives the population for that date as 22.749 million; the government estimates that population declined in 1993 by 0.3%

Infant mortality rate

19.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

total population

71.74 years

male

68.81 years

female

74.84 years (1994 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.82 children born/woman (1994 est.)

noun

Romanian(s)

adjective

Romanian

Ethnic divisions

Romanian 89.1%, Hungarian 8.9%, German 0.4%, Ukrainian, Serb, Croat, Russian, Turk, and Gypsy 1.6%

Languages

Romanian, Hungarian, German

total population

98%

male

NA%

female

NA%

by occupation

industry 38%, agriculture 28%, other 34% (1989)

Government

Republic

35 fields

Presidential electionpercent of vote

27.5%
PDSR 27.5%CDR 22.5%PP-(FSN) 11%others 39%

Legislature, 143 seatsone dot, one seat

PDSR 49CDR 34PP-(FSN) 18PUNR 14UDMR 12PRM 6PDAR 5PSM 5

Legislature, 341 seatsseats by party

PDSR 117CDR 82PP-(FSN) 43PUNR 30UDMR 27PRM 16PSM 13other 13

conventional long form

none

conventional short form

Romania

local long form

none

local short form

Romania

Type

republic

Capital

Bucharest

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)

National holiday

National Day of Romania, 1 December (1990)

Constitution

8 December 1991

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

chief of state

  • President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 June 1990, previously President of Provisional Council of National Unity since 23 December 1989);
  • election last held 27 September 1992 - with runoff between top two candidates on 11 October 1992 (next to be held NA 1996);
  • results - Ion ILIESCU 61.4%, Emil CONSTANTINESCU 38.6%

head of government

Prime Minister Nicolae VACAROIU (since November 1992)

cabinet

Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament

Senate (Senat)

  • elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA 1996);
  • results - PDSR 27.5%, CDR 22.5%, PP-(FSN) 11%, others 39%;
  • seats - (143 total) PDSR 49, CDR 34, PP-(FSN) 18, PUNR 14, UDMR 12, PRM 6, PDAR 5, PSM 5

House of Deputies (Adunarea Deputatilor)

  • elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA 1996);
  • results - PDSR 27.5%, CDR 22.5%, PP-(FSN) 11%, others 39%;
  • seats - (341 total) PDSR 117, CDR 82, PP-(FSN) 43, PUNR 30, UDMR 27, PRM 16, PSM 13, other 13

Judicial branch

Supreme Court of Justice, Constitutional Court

Political parties and leaders

  • Democratic Party (PD-(FSN)), Petre ROMAN;
  • Party of Social Democracy in Romania (PDSR), Adrian NASTASE;
  • Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR), Bela MARKO;
  • National Liberal Party (PNL), Mircea IONESCU-QUINTUS;
  • National Peasants' Christian and Democratic Party (PNTCD), Corneliu COPOSU;
  • Romanian National Unity Party (PUNR), Gheorghe FUNAR;
  • Socialist Labor Party (PSM), Ilie VERDET;
  • Agrarian Democratic Party of Romania (PDAR), Victor SURDU;
  • The Democratic Convention (CDR), Emil CONSTANTINESCU;
  • Romania Mare Party (PRM), Corneliu Vadim TUDOR

note

numerous other samll parties exist but almost all failed to gain representation in the most recent election

Other political or pressure groups

various human rights and professional associations

Member of

ACCT (observer), BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI (participating), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, G-9, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LORCS, NACC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOSOM, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

(vacant)

chancery

1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

(202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851

FAX

(202) 232-4748

consulate(s) general

New York

chief of mission

Ambassador John R. DAVIS, Jr.

embassy

Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest

mailing address

AmEmbassy (Buch), Unit 1315, Bucharest; APO AE 09213-1315

telephone

[40] (1) 210-4042

FAX

[40] (1) 210-0395

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

Despite the continuing difficulties in moving away from the former | command system, the Romanian economy seems to have bottomed out in | 1993.

26 fields
GDP per capita, PPP
$2,700
(1993 est.)
Real growth rate
1%
(1993)industrial production growth: growth rate -1% (1993 est.); accounts for 45% of GDP
Inflation, consumer prices
6%per month
(March 1994)
Unemployment rate
11%
(March 1994)

Overview

Despite the continuing difficulties in moving away from the former command system, the Romanian economy seems to have bottomed out in 1993. Market oriented reforms have been introduced fitfully since the downfall of CEAUSESCU in December 1989, with the result a growing private sector, especially in services.

The slow pace of structural reform, however, has exacerbated Romania's high inflation rate and eroded real wages. Agricultural production rebounded in 1993 from the previous year's drought-reduced harvest; food supplies are adequate, but expensive. Bucharest resisted pressure to devalue its currency despite a $638 million trade deficit in the first half of 1993 and the emergence of a black market for hard currency.

Unable to support the currency, the national bank, nonetheless, was forced to depreciate the currency 65% over the course of the year. The return of winter revealed that much of Romania's infrastructure had deteriorated over the last four years due to reduced levels of public investment. Residents of the capital reported frequent disruptions of heating and water services.

National product

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $63.7 billion (1993 est.)

revenues

$19 billion

expenditures

$20 billion, including capital expenditures of $2.1 billion (1991 est.)

Exports

$4 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

metals and metal products 24%, mineral products 14%, textiles 10.7%, electric machines and equipment 9.3%, transport materials 9.2% (1993)

partners

EC 36.1%, developing countries 27.4%, East and Central Europe 14.9%, EFTA 5.1%, Russia 5%, Japan 1.4%, US 1.3% (1993)

Imports

$5.4 billion (f.o.b., 1993)

commodities

minerals 29%, machinery and equipment 17.2%, textiles 10%, agricultural goods 9% (1993)

partners

EC 45.8%, East and Central Europe 8.6%, developing countries 22.6%, Russia 11%, EFTA 6.2%, US 5.0%, Japan 0.8% (1993)

External debt

$4 billion (1993)

capacity

22,500,000 kW

production

59 billion kWh

consumption per capita

2,540 kWh (1992)

Industries

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

Agriculture

  • accounts for 18% of GDP and 28% of labor force;
  • major wheat and corn producer;
  • other products - sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, grapes

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for southwest Asian heroin and Latin American cocaine transiting the Balkan route

Currency

1 leu (L) = 100 bani

Exchange rates

lei (L) per US$1 - 1,387.16 (January 1994), 760.05 (1993), 307.95 (1992), 76.39 (1991), 22.432 (1990), 14.922 (1989)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

16 fields

Networkskm

Railroads
11,275 (1987)Inland waterways
1,724 (1984)
Railroads: ; 10,860 km 1.435-meter gauge, 370 km narrow gauge, 45 km broad gauge; 3,411 km electrified, 3,060 km double track; government owned

Railroads

  • 11,275 km total;
  • 10,860 km 1.435-meter gauge, 370 km narrow gauge, 45 km broad gauge;
  • 3,411 km electrified, 3,060 km double track;
  • government owned (1987)

total

72,799 km

paved

35,970 km

unpaved

gravel, crushed stone, stabilized earth 27,729 km; unsurfaced earth 9,100 km (1985)

Pipelines

crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992)

Ports

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

Merchant marine

241 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,626,421 GRT/4,017,380 DWT, bulk 49, cargo 167, container 2, oil tanker 14, passenger-cargo 1, rail-car carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7

total

234

usable

74

with permanent-surface runways

26

with runways over 3,659 m

0

with runways 2,440-3,659 m

21

with runways 1,060-2,439 m

24

note

a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip

Telecommunications

  • poor service;
  • about 2.3 million telephone customers;
  • 89% of phone network is automatic;
  • cable and open wire;
  • trunk network is microwave;
  • present phone density is 9.85 per 100 residents;
  • roughly 3,300 villages with no service (February 1990);
  • new digital international direct dial exchanges are in Bucharest (1993);
  • broadcast stations - 12 AM, 5 FM, 13 TV (1990);
  • 1 satellite ground station using INTELSAT

Defense Forces

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Civil | Defense

3 fields
Defense expenditures
137billion lei
3% of GDP (1993); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results

Branches

Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense

Manpower availability

  • males age 15-49 5,888,452;
  • fit for military service 4,972,834;
  • reach military age (20) annually 193,901 (1994 est.)

Central Intelligence Agency. “Romania.” The World Factbook 1994. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/romania/1994.

How to cite ← 1993 edition 1995 edition →