+40 is the dialing code for Romania.
Romania has belonged to many great empires: Roman, Ottoman and Austria-Hungary. After a period of severe repression under the Communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu (1965– 1989), a turbulent transition to democracy and market economy followed in the 1990s. Nowadays, Romania is well-anchored among the western countries through membership in the EU and the NATO defense alliance.
- Abbreviationfinder: Brief profiles of Romania, including geography, history, politics, economics as well as common acronyms about this country.
Geography and climate
As one of countries that start with R, Romania is located between the Balkan Peninsula and the Russian-Ukrainian plain in the southeastern part of Europe. The land is about half the size of Sweden. In the east, Romania has an approximately 25 km long coast towards the Black Sea.
The land area is covered by roughly equal parts of mountains, hilly land and plains. The Carpathian mountain range extends in a wide arc from north to southwest. The altitude is on average 1,000 meters above sea level with several peaks over 2,000 meters. Extensive plateaus, such as the Trans-Silvanian Plateau, are spreading between the mountains and deep valleys. To the east and south of the Carpathians lies the plain of Moldova and Valakiet, which is a continuation of the southern Russian plain.
The Danube River flows along the border with Serbia and Bulgaria and then flows into the Black Sea, where one of the branches of the river forms a border with Ukraine to the east. The Danube delta is a distinctive steppe landscape with marshlands that are often flooded. Delta is one of Europe’s most bird-friendly areas. The Danube tributary of Prut forms a border with Moldova in the northeast.
Country Facts
Geography
| Cultivated land | 60.7 % |
| Land area | 238391 km 2 |
Population and health
| Population development | -0.3 ‰ |
| Urban population (Urbanization) | 54.6 % |
| Death rate | 11.9 per 1000 residents |
| Life expectancy: Women | 78.59 years |
| Life expectancy: Men | 71.46 years |
| Birth rate | 9.14 births per 1000 residents |
| HDI index | 0.793 |
| Population | 21666350 |
| Infant mortality | 9.89 deaths / 1000 births |
Population Graph Source: Countryaah.com
Energy
| Electricity, production | 62040 million kWh |
| Energy consumption per resident | 1741 kg. oil per resident |
| Natural gas, production | 11260 million cubic meters |
| Crude oil, production | 4 million tons |
Infrastructure
| Internet users | 51.7 per 100 residents |
| Mobile subscriptions | 105 per 100 residents |
| Passenger cars | 235 per 1000 residents |
Business and economics
| Unemployment | 6.7% of the workforce |
| GDP | 20800 per resident |
| Primary occupations | 31.6 % |
| Secondary profession | 21.1 % |
| Tertiary professions | 47.3 % |
Romania has a temperate inland climate with large temperature changes. In the summertime the temperature in the plain can rise to just over 40 plus degrees and in winter it can drop to 20-25 minus degrees. The rainfall is evenly distributed over the year, most abundant in the mountains, while the coastal area receives the least. Extensive snowfall can occur in the Carpathian mountain range.
Surface
238 391 km2 (2018)
Time
Swedish +1 hour
Adjacent country (s)
Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria
Capital with number of residents
Bucharest (Bucharest) 1,670,000
Other major cities
Cluj-Napoca 309,000, Timisoara 303,000, Iasi 263,000, Constanţa 254,000 (Census 2011)
Highest mountain
Moldoveanu (2,554 m asl)
Important rivers
Danube, Prut, Mures
2016
December
Grindeanu becomes prime minister
December 30
President Iohannis appoints former Minister of Communications Sorin Grindeanu as Prime Minister.
Nominated Prime Ministerial candidate nominated
December 27
President Iohannis refuses to appoint Sevil Shhaideh as prime minister. He does not justify the decision, but it is speculated that it may have something to do with her Syrian husband’s background. Husband has worked closely with Syrian dictator al-Assad and has expressed support for both him and the terrorist-stamped Lebanese Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement. Shhaideh would have become Romania’s first female and Muslim head of government.
Prosecution for violence 1990
December 23
Military prosecutors in the Supreme Court are prosecuting former President Ion Iliescu, former Prime Minister Petre Roman and several former senior officials for crimes against humanity. They are accused of being behind violence against protesters in June 1990, when at least four people were killed and over 700 injured in Bucharest (see Modern History). Most of the violence was perpetrated by thousands of miners from Jiudalen who were commanded to the capital to defeat government-critical protests.
The PSD leader resigns
December 21
Liviu Dragnea, leader of the Social Democratic PSD who won the election earlier that month, refrained from trying to become prime minister because he is both convicted of electoral fraud (see May 2015) and partly suspected of corruption. Instead, PSD nominates the former regional development minister, Sevil Shhaideh, as prime minister. Shhaideh is described as loyal to Dragnea.
The Social Democrats win the election
December 11
Social Democratic PSD becomes the biggest party when parliamentary elections are held. Second largest will be the National Liberal Party (PNL), followed by the Union Save Romania (USR), Hungarian Democratic Union (UDMR), Liberal and Democratic Alliance (Alde), the People’s Movement Party (PMP) and ethnic minority parties. The turnout is just over 39 percent.
Criticism against Parliament
December 5
Less than a week before the parliamentary elections, the Romanian think-tank IPP reports that the outgoing parliament has been one of the least effective and most corruptly accused since the fall of communism in 1989. 15 percent of those elected in 2012 have not held the term, most because they were dismissed. for corruption or being subject to corruption investigations. Of the legislative proposals initiated by MPs, only 14 percent have been adopted, while the government has pushed through 80 percent of its proposals. Nearly 40 percent of those elected in 2012 have changed parties during the term of office.
November
Corruption suspicions are directed at the election manager
November 15
Prosecutors at the Anti-Corruption Authority arrest the Electoral Authority’s chief Ana Maria Patru, who is accused of receiving at least SEK 2.5 million in bribes from several IT companies for giving them government contracts and forging contacts with ministers. Patru resigns from his mission immediately.
The government appeals for wage increases
November 7
Parliament approves a double-digit salary increase for school and health care staff, but the government says it will appeal the decision to the Constitutional Court. Under Roman law, Parliament is not allowed to decide on increased salaries or pensions less than six months before an election – Romania holds elections on December 11 – nor can the state increase its spending without securing funding. According to the government, the current wage increases would mean that the budget deficit will exceed the 3 percent of GDP allowed by EU rules.
Suspected human rights violations are being investigated again
November 2
Prosecutors are launching a formal investigation into suspected crimes against humanity committed during the 1989 communist uprising, when about 1,000 people were killed. The events in 1989 were investigated for years, but the investigation was closed in 2015 in the absence of evidence. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that it would resume.
September
Child trafficking is increasing
September 30th
The Council of Europe writes in a report that child trafficking is increasing in Romania. The report covers the years 2011–2015, when 4 622 minors were identified who were robbed. Just over half of the victims have been sold for sexual exploitation, while just over a third have been used as slave laborers. A small part has been forced to beg. According to the report, the most vulnerable are Roma children and migrants.
Liberal leader resigns
September 29th
The Liberal Party PD-L leader Vasile Blaga resigns after being subjected to an investigation into receiving illegal campaign contributions to the party. According to the prosecutors, Blaga used his position to get some people employed as heads of state energy companies, which made them bribe to give public assignments to specific companies. Blaga denies interference but says he resigns so as not to damage the party’s credibility.
Suspicions of corruption trap minister
1 September
Minister of the Interior Petre Tobă resigns after he has been embroiled in a corruption scandal in which members of the Ministry’s internal security service are suspected of embezzling up to half a million kronor. Tobă resigns after prosecutors criticized him for refusing to disclose documents in the case.
July
Call for referendum on same-sex marriage
May 20
An appeal, with around three million signatures, for a referendum on same-sex marriage may be approved by the Constitutional Court. This means that if Parliament votes for same-sex marriage, this must also be approved in a referendum. The appeal has been initiated by an organization that wants the constitution to state that marriage is a union between man and woman, not between “partners”.
The government is being reformed
July 6
Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș replaces the ministers of four ministries to get new momentum on the reform work. The Ministry of Transport, Communications, Education and Romanians abroad gets new managers. Like most colleagues, the new ministers lack party affiliation and have been recruited on personal merits.
June
Corruption overshadows local elections
June 5
Municipal elections are conducted throughout the country following an election movement characterized by corruption charges and widespread distrust of politicians. Several politicians who are the subject of police investigations are among the candidates. Social Democratic PSD has the greatest success with just over 40 percent of the vote, compared to about 34 percent for liberal PLDs. The low turnout, just over 48 percent, indicates a limited interest among voters. The PLD is considered to have benefited from the rules being amended so that the candidate who receives the most votes wins directly, without the need for any other ballot.
May
Robot shield is used
May 12
The US robotic defense system designed to protect the NATO countries against attacks from “rogue states” is formally put into operation in Deveselu in southern Romania. The Russian government reiterates its well-known position that the “robotic shield” is a threat to Russia’s security. According to Moscow, NATO’s robotic defense is part of the Western Alliance’s attempt to surround Russia.
Health scandal shakes the government
May 9
The Minister of Health resigns after media criticized how a growing scandal in the health care sector was handled by the government. A Romanian company has been revealed to provide the country’s hospitals with disinfectants as the contents for low levels of the cleaning agents. The Minister must have linked the fraud to the widespread problem of hospital infections in Romania.
March
Twenty years in prison camp chief
March 30
A former commander of a prison camp during the communist era is sentenced to 20 years in prison. Ioan Ficior was head of the Periprava camp between 1958 and 1963, where he was accused of “inhuman treatment” of the prisoners. At least 103 prisoners died there during his time as chief. Ficior is the second Romanian former camp commander who is imprisoned for crimes against humanity.
Transparency should curb corruption
11th of March
A computer program designed with EU support is provided to give all Romanians full insight into how nearly 18,000 government institutions manage their finances. Among them are Parliament, all government departments, municipal administrations, schools and hospitals. The program should be able to apply a brake if incorrect payments are made. According to the Ministry of Finance, state-owned enterprises and activities that take place after public procurement are to be included in the program within four months.
EU criticism of the economy
March 9
The European Commission commends the strong economic growth in Romania, but complains that growth is based on low wages and reduced expenditures instead of investments and more efficient production.
February
1 250 corruption charges during 2015
February 25th
In 2015, the anti-corruption authority brought DNA to 1,250 prosecutions, an annual report shows. Among them were five ministers, 21 MPs and the departed Prime Minister Victor Ponta. Nearly 500 executives for companies or government were also prosecuted. DNA’s prosecutors received 970 convictions, but many cases are still being processed.
EU MEPs convicted of bribery
February 23
Former Foreign Minister Adrian Severin is sentenced to three years in prison for receiving bribes from British reporters who claimed to be lobbyists during his time as a Member of the European Parliament. Severin was filmed with a hidden camera when he agreed to submit favorable legislative proposals. Earlier, an Austrian former Foreign Minister and a Slovenian former Foreign Minister have been imprisoned in their home countries after going to the same trap. Severin claims that his behavior was “perfectly normal”.
The tax managers are dismissed
February 11
Prime Minister Cioloș dismisses the two chief executives of the tax authority, the day after prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against them for suspected embezzlement of EU money.
Police licenses are abused
February 2
The State Prosecutor resigns and the Senate approves that a former Interior Minister be prosecuted. Both are accused of over-exploiting the opportunity to obtain police licenses during their travels. Criticism against them has increased as the debate on corruption among the country’s leaders has increased.
January
Cultural labeling stops mining
January 13
The village of Roşia Montană (see November 2013) is declared a cultural monument, which according to the government means that planned gold mining in the area is stopped for all future. Canadian company Gabriel Resources has been trying to get a gold mine at the village for 15 years, but plans have been met by strong protests against supposed environmental degradation.