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Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
Map references: Ethnic Groups in Eastern Europe, Europe
Area:
total area: 237,500 sq km
land area: 230,340 sq km
comparative area: slightly smaller than Oregon
Land boundaries: total 2,508 km, 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
Coastline: 225 km
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 theWalachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps
Natural resources: petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt
Land use:
arable land: 43%
permanent crops: 3%
meadows and pastures: 19%
forest and woodland: 28%
other: 7%
Irrigated land: 34,500 sq km (1989 est.)
Population: 23,198,330 (July 1995 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%
Age structure:
0-14 years: 21% (female 2,413,933; male 2,534,019)
15-64 years: 67% (female7,737,531; male 7,732,038)
65 years and over: 12% (female 1,604,210; male 1,176,599) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.09% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13.71 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 9.93 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.24 years
male: 69.31 years
female: 75.35 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.82 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
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%
Religions: Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 6% (of which 3% are Uniate), Protestant 6%,unaffiliated 18%
Languages: Romanian, Hungarian, German
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1992)
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 95%
Labor force: 11.3 million (1992)
by occupation: industry 38%, agriculture 28%, other 34% (1989)
Names:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Romania
local long form: none
local short form: Romania
Digraph: RO
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
Overview: Despite the continuing difficulties in moving away from the former command system, the Romanian economy seems to have bottomed out in 1993-94. 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 drought-reduced harvest of 1992. The economy continued its recovery in 1994, further gains being realized in agriculture, construction, services, and trade. Food supplies are adequate but expensive. Romania's infrastructure had deteriorated over the last five years due to reduced levels of public investment. Residents of the capital reported frequent disruptions of heating and water services. The slow and painful process of conversion to a more open economy will continue in 1995.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $64.7 billion (1994 est.)
National product real growth rate: 3.4% (1994est.)
National product per capita: $2,790 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 62% (1994)
Unemployment rate: 10.9% (December 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $8.3 billion
expenditures: $9.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)
Exports: $6 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: metals and metal products 17.6%, mineral products 11.9%, textiles 18.5%,
electric machines and equipment 8.4%, transport materials 6.5% (1994)
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: $6.3 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: minerals 21.1%, machinery and equipment 19.7%, textiles 11.5%, agricultural
goods 9.2% (1994)
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: $4.4 billion (1994)
Industrial production: growth rate -1% (1993 est.); accounts for 45% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 22,180,000 kW
production: 50.8 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 2,076 kWh (1993)
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 andcorn producer; other products - sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, milk, eggs, meat, grapes
Currency: 1 leu (L) = 100 bani
Fiscal year: calendar year
Railroads:
total: 11,365 km
broad gauge: 45 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 10,893 km 1.435-m gauge (3,723 km electrified; 3,060 km double track)
narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (1994)
Highways:
total: 461,880 km
paved: 235,559 km (113 km of expressways)
unpaved: 226,321 km (1992)
Inland waterways: 1,724 km (1984)
Pipelines: crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992)
Ports: Braila, Constanta, Galatz, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea
Merchant marine:
total: 238 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,528,971 GRT/3,849,943 DWT
ships by type: bulk 46, cargo 167, container 2, oil tanker 14, passenger-cargo 1,
railcar carrier 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
note: in addition, Romania owns 20 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,207,388
DWT that operate under Liberian, Maltese, Cypriot, and Bahamian registry
Airports:
total: 156
with paved runways over 3,047 m: 4
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 1
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 17
with unpaved runways under 914 m: 108