Romania

§1. Romania Introduction

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 following the
  conflict. In 1940, it 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 by a fractious coalition of centrist-
  right parties. In 2000, the center-left Social Democratic Party (PSD)
  became Romania's leading party, governing with the support of the
  Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). The opposition
  center-right alliance formed by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the
  Democratic Party (PD) scored a surprise victory over the ruling PSD in
  December 2004 presidential elections. The PNL-PD alliance maintains a
  parliamentary majority with the support of the UDMR, the Humanist Party
  (PUR), and various ethnic minority groups. Although Romania completed
  accession talks with the European Union (EU) in December 2004, it must
  continue to address rampant corruption - while invigorating lagging
  economic and democratic reforms - to fulfill the requirements for EU
  accession, scheduled to take place in 2007 or 2008. Romania joined NATO in
  March of 2004.

§2. Romania Geography

Location:
  Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Geographic coordinates:
  46 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references:
  Europe

Area:
  total: 237,500 km²
  land: 230,340 km²
  water: 7,160 km²

Area - comparative:
  slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:
  total: 2,508 km
  border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia
    and Montenegro 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 Plain of Moldavia on the
  east by the 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:
  28,800 km² (1998 est.)

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 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

§3. Romania People

Population:
  22,303,552 (July 2006 est.)

Age structure:
  0-14 years: 15.7% (male 1,799,072/female 1,708,030)
  15-64 years: 69.6% (male 7,724,368/female 7,797,065)
  65 years and over: 14.7% (male 1,347,392/female 1,927,625) (2006 est.)

Median age:
  total: 36.6 years
  male: 35.3 years
  female: 37.9 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate:
  -0.12% (2006 est.)

Birth rate:
  10.7 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate:
  11.77 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate:
  -0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 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: 0.7 male(s)/female
  total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate:
  total: 25.5 deaths/1,000 live births
  male: 28.64 deaths/1,000 live births
  female: 22.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
  total population: 71.63 years
  male: 68.14 years
  female: 75.34 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate:
  1.37 children born/woman (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
  less than 0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
  6,500 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
  350 (2001 est.)

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 (official), Hungarian, German

Literacy:
  definition: age 15 and over can read and write
  total population: 98.4%
  male: 99.1%
  female: 97.7% (2003 est.)

§4. Romania Government

Country name:
  conventional long form: none
  conventional short form: Romania
  local long form: none
  local short form: Romania

Government type:
  republic

Capital:
  Bucharest

Administrative divisions:
  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, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita,
  Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt,
  Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea,
  Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea

Independence:
  9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence
  recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26
  March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)

National holiday:
  Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)

Constitution:
  8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003

Legal system:
  former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based
  on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
  chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004)
  head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29
    December 2004)
  cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
  elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election
    last held 28 November 2004, with runoff between the top two candidates
    held 12 December 2004 (next to be held November-December 2009); prime
    minister appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament
  election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian NASTASE
    48.77%

Legislative branch:
  bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (137
  seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional
  representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies
  or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are elected by direct, popular
  vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
  elections: Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be held in
    November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November 2004 (next
    expected to be held November 2008)
  election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR
    37.1%, PNL-PD 31.8%, PRM 13.6%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 44, PNL
    30, PD 20, PRM 20, PC 11, UDMR 10, independents 2; Chamber of Deputies -
    percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR 36.8%, PNL-PD 31.5%, PRM 13%,
    UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 111, PNL 66, PD 45, PRM 34, ex-PRM
    (Ciontu Group) 12, UDMR 22, PC 20, PIN (GUSA Group) 3, independent 1,
    ethnic minorities 18

Judicial branch:
  Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for three-year
  terms by the president in consultation with the Superior Council of
  Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister of justice, the prosecutor
  general, two civil society representatives appointed by the Senate, and 14
  judges and prosecutors elected by their peers); a separate body, the
  Constitutional Court, validates elections and makes decisions regarding the
  constitutionality of laws, treaties, ordinances, and internal rules of the
  Parliament; it is comprised of nine members serving nine-year terms, with
  three members each appointed by the president, the Senate, and the Chamber
  of Deputies

Political parties and leaders:
  Conservative Party or PC [Dan VOICULESCU], formerly Humanist Party or PUR;
  Democratic Party or PD [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in
  Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Calin Popescu-
  TARICEANU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu
  Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Mircea Dan GEOANA], formerly
  Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR

Political pressure groups and leaders:
  various human rights and professional associations

International organization participation:
  ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO,
  G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
  ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA,
  MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA,
  SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG,
  UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Sorin Dumitru DUCARU
  chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
  telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851
  FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748
  consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
  chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas F. TAUBMAN
  embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
  mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, 5260
    Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)
  telephone: [40] (21) 316-4052
  FAX: [40] (21) 316-0395
  branch office(s): Cluj-Napoca

Flag description:
  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 flag of Chad, also resembles the flags of
  Andorra and Moldova

§5. Romania Economy

Economy - overview:
  Romania began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete
  industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs.
  The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to
  strong demand in EU export markets. Despite the global slowdown in 2001-02,
  strong domestic activity in construction, agriculture, and consumption have
  kept GDP growth above 4%. An IMF standby agreement, signed in 2001, has
  been accompanied by slow but palpable gains in privatization, deficit
  reduction, and the curbing of inflation. The IMF Board approved Romania's
  completion of the standby agreement in October 2003, the first time Romania
  has successfully concluded an IMF agreement since the 1989 revolution. In
  July 2004, the executive board of the IMF approved a 24-month standby
  agreement for $367 million. IMF concerns about Romania's tax policy and
  budget deficit led to a breakdown of this agreement in 2005. In the past,
  the IMF has criticized the government's fiscal, wage, and monetary
  policies. Meanwhile, macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur
  creation of a middle class and address Romania's widespread poverty, while
  corruption and red tape continue to handicap the business environment.
  Romanian government confidence in continuing disinflation was underscored
  by its currency revaluation in 2005, making 10,000 "old" lei = 1 "new" leu.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
  $186.7 billion (2005 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):
  $72.09 billion (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:
  4.5% (2005 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):
  $8,400 (2005 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:
  agriculture: 13.1%
  industry: 33.7%
  services: 53.2% (2004 est.)

Labor force:
  9.31 million (2005 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:
  agriculture 31.6%, industry 30.7%, services 37.7% (2004)

Unemployment rate:
  5.5% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line:
  25% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
  lowest 10%: 2.4%
  highest 10%: 27.6% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:
  28.8 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  8.6% (2005)

Investment (gross fixed):
  23.5% of GDP (2005 est.)

Budget:
  revenues: $29.97 billion
  expenditures: $31.37 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2
    billion (2005 est.)

Public debt:
  21.1% of GDP (2005 est.)

Agriculture - products:
  wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs,
  sheep

Industries:
  textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber,
  construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum
  refining

Industrial production growth rate:
  2.5% (2005 est.)

Electricity - production:
  51.7 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - consumption:
  45.16 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - exports:
  3.3 billion kWh (2003)

Electricity - imports:
  380 million kWh (2003)

Oil - production:
  119,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:
  235,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)

Oil - exports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - imports:
  NA bbl/day

Oil - proved reserves:
  1.055 billion bbl (1 January 2002)

Natural gas - production:
  12.3 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:
  18 billion m³ (2003 est.)

Natural gas - exports:
  0 m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports:
  5.4 billion m³ (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves:
  100.7 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Current account balance:
  $-9.541 billion (2005 est.)

Exports:
  $27.72 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Exports - commodities:
  textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment,
  minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products

Exports - partners:
  Italy 21.4%, Germany 15%, France 8.5%, Turkey 7%, UK 6.6% (2004)

Imports:
  $38.15 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)

Imports - commodities:
  machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and
  products, basic metals, agricultural products

Imports - partners:
  Italy 17.2%, Germany 14.9%, France 7.1%, Russia 6.8%, Turkey 4.2% (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
  $22.77 billion (2005 est.)

Debt - external:
  $29.47 billion (2005 est.)

Currency (code):
  leu (ROL) is being phased out in 2006; "new" leu (RON) was introduced in
    2005 due to currency revaluation: 10,000 ROL = 1 RON

Exchange rates:
  lei per US dollar - 3 (2005), 3 (2004), 3 (2003), 3 (2002), 3 (2001)

Fiscal year:
  calendar year

§6. Romania Communications

Telephones - main lines in use:
  4,389,100 (2004)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
  10,215,400 (2004)

Telephone system:
  general assessment: rapidly improving domestic and international service,
    especially in wireless telephony
  domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in 2003 is
    transforming telecommunications; there has been 20% growth in fixed lines
    with a penetration rate of 58% of households; nation-wide wireless
    service is growing even faster with four major providers and a
    penetration rate of 32%
  international: country code - 40; satellite earth station - 10 (Intelsat
    4); digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest
    (2005)

Radio broadcast stations:
  AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998)

Television broadcast stations:
  48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995)

Internet country code:
  .ro

Internet hosts:
  56,188 (2005)

Internet users:
  4.5 million (2004)

§7. Romania Transportation

Airports:
  61 (2005)

Airports - with paved runways:
  total: 25
  over 3,047 m: 4
  2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2005)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
  total: 36
  1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  914 to 1,523 m: 11
  under 914 m: 23 (2005)

Heliports:
  1 (2005)

Pipelines:
  gas 3,508 km; oil 2,427 km (2004)

Railways:
  total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)
  standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge
  broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge
  narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2004)

Roadways:
  total: 198,817 km
  paved: 60,043 km (including 228 km of expressways)
  unpaved: 138,774 km (2003)

Waterways:
  1,731 km
  note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and
    132 km on canals (2005)

Merchant marine:
  total: 24 ships (1000 GRT or over) 204,803 GRT/255,382 DWT
  by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 16, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2,
    petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1
  foreign-owned: 2 (Italy 2)
  registered in other countries: 41 (Georgia 8, North Korea 16, Malta 3,
    Panama 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2, Syria 3) (2005)

Ports and terminals:
  Braila, Constanta, Galati, Tulcea

§8. Romania Military

Military branches:
  Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (AMR), Special
  Operations, Civil Defense (2005)

Military service age and obligation:
  after 1 January 2007 conscription will no longer be basis for military
  service; all military inductees (including women) will be volunteers who
  contract for an initial five-year term of service; subsequent voluntary
  service contracts would be for successive three-year long terms; minimum
  age for voluntary military service is 18; currently minimum age is 20 for
  compulsory military service, 18 years of age in wartime; conscript service
  obligation is for 12 months (2004)

Manpower available for military service:
  males age 20-49: 5,061,984 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:
  males age 20-49: 3,932,579 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually:
  males: 172,093 (2005 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
  $985 million (2002)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
  2.47% (2002)

§9. Romania Transnational Issues

Disputes - international:
  Romania and Ukraine have taken their dispute over Ukrainian-administered
  Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary to the ICJ for
  adjudication; Romania also opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation
  canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea; Hungary
  amended the status law extending special social and cultural benefits to
  ethnic Hungarians in Romania, to which Romania had objected

Illicit drugs:
  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


<Factbook 2006>
