Romania
Background: Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a communist Peoples Republic in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of President Nicolae CEAUSESCU became increasingly draconian through the 1980s. He was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the EU.
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine Geographic coordinates: 46 00 N, 25 00 E Map references: Europe Area:
Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon Land boundaries:
Coastline: 225 km Maritime claims:
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:
Natural resources: petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydro power Land use:
Irrigated land: 31,020 sq km (1993 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:
Geography - note: controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
Population: 22,411,121 (July 2000 est.) Age structure:
Population growth rate: -0.21% (2000 est.) Birth rate: 10.76 births/1,000 population (2000 est.) Death rate: 12.29 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.) Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.) Sex ratio:
Infant mortality rate: 19.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.) Life expectancy at birth:
Total fertility rate: 1.35 children born/woman (2000 est.) Nationality:
Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 7.1%, Roma 1.8%, German 0.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, other 0.8% (1992) Religions: Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 6% (of which 3% are Uniate), Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 18% Languages: Romanian, Hungarian, German Literacy:
Country name:
Data code: RO Government 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 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:
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (143 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (343 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice, judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Democratic Party of Romania or PDAR [Mihai BERCA]; Alliance Party for Romania or APR [Tedor MELESCANU]; Civic Alliance Party or PAC [Nicolae MANOLESCU, chairman]; Democratic Party or PD [Petre ROMAN]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; Liberal Party '93 or PL-93 [Dinu PATRICIU]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Mircea IONESCU-QUINTUS]; National Liberal Party-Democratic Convention or PNL-CD [Nicolae CERVENI]; National Peasants' Christian and Democratic Party or PNTCD [Ion DIACONESCU]; Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR [Ion ILIESCU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Romanian National Unity Party or PUNR [Valeriu TABARA]; Romanian Social Democratic Party or PSDR [Alexamdru ATHANASIU]; Socialist Labor Party or PSM [Ilie VERDET]; Socialist Party or PS [Tudor MOHORA]; The Democratic Convention or CDR [Ion DIACONESCU]
Political pressure groups and leaders: various human rights and professional associations International organization participation: ACCT, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC Diplomatic representation in the US:
Diplomatic representation from the US:
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
Economy - overview: After the collapse of the Soviet Bloc in 1989-91, Romania was left with an obsolete industrial base and a pattern of industrial capacity wholly unsuited to its needs. In February 1997, Romania embarked on a comprehensive macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform program, but reform subsequently has been a frustrating stop-and-go process. Restructuring programs include liquidating large energy-intensive industries and major agricultural and financial sector reforms. In 1999 Romania's economy contracted for a third straight year - by an estimated 4.8%. Romania reached an agreement with the IMF in August for a $547 million loan, but release of the second tranche was postponed in October because of unresolved private sector lending requirements and differences over budgetary spending. Bucharest avoided defaulting on mid-year lump-sum debt payments, but had to significantly draw down reserves to do so; reserves rebounded to an estimated $1.5 billion by yearend 1999. The government's priorities include: obtaining renewed IMF lending, tightening fiscal policy, accelerating privatization, and restructuring unprofitable firms. Romania was invited by the EU in December 1999 to begin accession negotiations. GDP: purchasing power parity - $87.4 billion (1999 est.) GDP - real growth rate: -4.8% (1999 est.) GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,900 (1999 est.) GDP - composition by sector:
Population below poverty line: 21.5% (1994 est.) Household income or consumption by percentage share:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 44% (1999 est.) Labor force: 9.6 million (1998 est.) Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 36.5%, industry 34.4%, services 29.1% (1994) Unemployment rate: 11% (1999 est.) Budget:
Industries: mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum production and refining Industrial production growth rate: -8.7% (1999 est.) Electricity - production: 52.495 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - production by source:
Electricity - consumption: 49.552 billion kWh (1998) Electricity - exports: 537 million kWh (1998) Electricity - imports: 1.269 billion kWh (1998) Agriculture - products: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; milk, eggs, beef Exports: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Exports - commodities: textiles and footwear 33.4%, metals and metal products 19.1%, machinery and equipment 9.5%, minerals and fuels 6.1% (1998) Exports - partners: Italy 22%, Germany 19.6%, France 5.9%, US 3.8% (1998) Imports: $9.6 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.) Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 14.2%, chemicals 8.7%, textiles and footwear 17.1% (1998) Imports - partners: Germany 17.5%, Italy 17.4%, France 6.9%, US 4.2% (1998) Debt - external: $9 billion (1999 est.) Economic aid - recipient: $510.1 million (1995) Currency: 1 leu (L) = 100 bani Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$1 - 17,996.4 (December 1999), 15,332.8 (1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997), 3,084.2 (1996), 2,033.3 (1995) Fiscal year: calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.84 million (1999) Telephones - mobile cellular: 52,000 (1999) Telephone system:
Radio broadcast stations: AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998) Radios: 7.2 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 130 (plus about 400 low-power repeaters) (1997) Televisions: 5.25 million (1997) Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 30 (1999)
Railways:
Highways:
Waterways: 1,724 km (1984) Pipelines: crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992) Ports and harbors: Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea Merchant marine:
Airports: 62 (1999 est.) Airports - with paved runways:
Airports - with unpaved runways:
Heliports: 1 (1999 est.)
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense Military manpower - military age: 20 years of age Military manpower - availability:
Military manpower - fit for military service:
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $650 million (FY96) Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 2.5% (FY96)
Disputes - international: dispute with Ukraine over continental shelf of the Black Sea under which significant gas and oil deposits may exist; agreed in 1997 to two-year negotiating period, after which either party can refer dispute to the ICJ Illicit drugs: important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe |
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