Romania

• temperate;
• cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog;
• sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

• 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

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

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

• 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

noun:

Romanian(s)

adjective:

Romanian

• 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

at birth:

1.06 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.05 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.89 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.68 male(s)/female

total population:

0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

none

conventional short form:

Romania

local long form:

none

local short form:

Romania

former:

Kingdom of Romania, Romanian People's Republic, Socialist Republic of Romania

etymology:

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

name:

Bucharest

geographic coordinates:

44 26 N, 26 06 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology:

• 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"

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

history:

several previous; latest adopted 21 November 1991, approved by referendum and effective 8 December 1991

amendments:

• 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

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Romania

dual citizenship recognized:

yes

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

chief of state:

President Klaus Werner IOHANNIS (since 21 December 2014)

head of government:

• Interim Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel CIUCA (since 7 December 2020);
• Deputy Prime Minister Raluca TURCAN (since 4 November 2019);
• note - Prime Minister ORBAN lost a no-confidence vote on 5 February 2020;
• President IOHANNIS asked ORBAN to form a new government on 6 February 2020;
• Prime Minister ORBAN announced an unchanged government on 10 February 2020;
• on 24 February, the Constitutional Court rules that the president must nominate for Prime Minister someone who can get enough support in parliament to assume office, not a Prime Minister-designate who has been previously ousted in a no-confidence vote;
• on 13 March President IOHANNIS again asked ORBAN to form a new government;
• Prime Minister ORBAN's unchanged cabinet was approved by parliament on 14 March 2020

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

elections/appointments:

• 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 on 10 November 2019 with a runoff on 24 November 2019 (next to be held in November 2024);
• prime minister appointed by the president with consent of Parliament

election results:

• Klaus IOHANNIS reelected president in second round;
• percent of vote - Klaus IOHANNIS (PNL) 66.1%, Viorica DANCILA (PSD) 33.9%;
• Ludovic ORBAN approved as prime minister with 240 votes

highest courts:

• 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:

• 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:

• Courts of Appeal;
• regional tribunals;
• first instance courts;
• military and arbitration courts

• 2020 USR-PLUS Alliance [Dan BARNA and Dacian CIOLOS]
• Alliance for the Unity of Romanians {George SIMION and Claudiu TARZIU]
• Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party or PNT-CD [Aurelian PAVELESCU]
• Civic Hungarian Party [Zsolt BIRO]
• Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Hunor KELEMEN]
• Ecologist Party of Romania or PER [Danut POP]
• Greater Romania Party or PRM [Adrian POPESCU]
• M10 Party [Ioana CONSTANTIN]
• National Liberal Party or PNL [Ludovic ORBAN]
• New Romania Party or PNR [Sebastian POPESCU]
• Our Romania Alliance [Marian MUNTEANU]
• Party of Liberty, Unity, and Solidarity or PLUS [Dacian CIOLOS]
• Party of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats or ALDE [Calin POPESCU TARICEANU]
• Popular Movement Party or PMP [Traian BASESCU]
• Romanian Social Party or PSRo [Mircea GEOANA]
• Save Romania Union Party or Partidul USR [Dan BARNA]
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Marcel CIOLACU]
• United Romania Party or PRU [Robert BUGA]

chief of mission:

Ambassador George Cristian MAIOR (since 17 September 2015)

chancery:

1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851, 4852

FAX:

[1] (202) 232-4748

consulate(s) general:

Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador Adrian ZUCKERMAN (since 17 December 2019)

telephone:

[40] (21) 200-3300

embassy:

4-6, Dr. Liviu Librescu Blvd., District 1, Bucharest, 015118

mailing address:

American Embassy Bucharest, US Department of State, 5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)

FAX:

[40] (21) 200-3442

• 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

note: now similar to the flag of Chad, whose blue band is darker; also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova

name:

"Desteapta-te romane!" (Wake up, Romanian!)

lyrics/music:

Andrei MURESIANU/Anton PANN

note: adopted 1990; the anthem was written during the 1848 Revolution

Fitch rating:

BBB- (2011)

Moody's rating:

Baa3 (2006)

Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2014)

agriculture:

28.3%

industry:

28.9%

services:

42.8% (2014)

lowest 10%:

15.3%

highest 10%:

7.6% (2014 est.)

• 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

number of registered air carriers:

8 (2020); inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 60

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

4,908,235 (2018)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

2.71 million mt-km (2018)

total:

11,268 km (2014)

standard gauge:

10,781 km 1.435-m gauge (3,292 km electrified) (2014)

narrow gauge:

427 km 0.760-m gauge (2014)

broad gauge:

60 km 1.524-m gauge (2014)

total:

84,185 km (2012)

paved:

49,873 km (includes 337 km of expressways) (2012)

unpaved:

34,312 km (2012)

total:

120

by type:

general cargo 11, oil tanker 7, other 102 (2019)

major seaport(s):

Constanta, Midia

river port(s):

Braila, Galati (Galatz), Mancanului (Giurgiu), Tulcea (Danube River)

• the inventory of the Romanian Armed Forces is comprised mostly of Soviet-era and older domestically-produced weapons systems;
• there is also a smaller mix of Western-origin equipment;
• Italy, Portugal (second-hand fighter aircraft), and the US are the leading suppliers of armaments to Romania since 2010 (2019 est.)

• conscription ended 2006;
• 18 years of age for male and female voluntary service;
• all military inductees (including women) contract for an initial 5-year term of service, with subsequent successive 3-year terms until age 36 (2015)

• the ICJ ruled largely in favor of Romania in its dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitation;
• Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea

• major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe;
• although not a significant financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering, which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos