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 sq km
land: 230,340 sq km
water: 7,160 sq km
Areacomparative: 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 (all with Serbia), Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east)
169 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Land use:
arable land: 41%
permanent crops: 3%
permanent pastures: 21%
forests and woodland: 29%
other: 6% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 31,020 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides
Environmentcurrent issues: soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands
Environmentinternational agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer
Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol
Geographynote: controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine
People |
Population: 22,395,848 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 2,169,581; female 2,078,515)
15-64 years: 68% (male 7,571,619; female 7,668,689)
65 years and over: 13% (male 1,213,406; female 1,694,038)
(July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.32% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 9.33 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 11.62 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.71 male(s)/female (1998
est.)
Infant mortality rate: 18.83 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.47 years
male: 66.67 years
female: 74.47 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.17 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Romanian(s)
adjective: Romanian
Ethnic groups: 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:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97%
male: 98%
female: 95% (1992 est.)
Government |
Country name:
conventional long form : none
conventional short form: Romania
local long form: none
local short form: Romania
Data code: RO
Government type: republic
National capital: Bucharest
Administrative divisions: 40 counties (judete, singularjudet) 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:
chief of state: President Emil CONSTANTINESCU (since 29 November 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Radu VASILE (since 17 April 1998)
cabinet: Council of
Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 3 November 1996, with runoff between the top two candidates
held 17 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); prime minister appointed by the president
election results: percent of voteEmil CONSTANTINESCU 54.4%, Ion ILIESCU 45.6%
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 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 to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senatelast held 3
November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000); Chamber of Deputieslast held 3 November 1996 (next to be held NA 2000)
election results: Senatepercent of vote by partyCDR
30.7%, PDSR 23.1%, USD 13.2%, UDMR 6.8%, PRM 4.5%, PUNR 4.2%, others 17.5%; seats by partyCDR 53, PDSR 41, USD 23, UDMR 11, PRM 8, PUNR 7; Chamber of Deputiespercent of vote by
partyCDR 30.2%, PDSR 21.5%, USD 12.9%, UDMR 6.6% PRM 4.5%, PUNR 4.4%, others 19.9%; seats by partyCDR 122, PDSR 91, USD 53, UDMR 25, PRM 19, PUNR 18, ethnic minorities 15
Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice, judges are appointed by the president on recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party or PD [Petre ROMAN]; Romanian Social Democratic Party or PSDR [Sergiu CUNESCU]; Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR [Ion ILIESCU]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in
Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Mircea IONESCU-QUINTUS]; National Peasants' Christian and Democratic Party or PNTCD [Ion DIACONESCU]; Romanian National Unity Party or
PUNR [Valeriu TABARA]; Socialist Labor Party or PSM [Ilie VERDET]; Agrarian Democratic Party of Romania or PDAR [Victor SURDU]; The Democratic Convention or CDR [Ion DIACONESCU]; Romania Mare Party
(Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Civic Alliance Party or PAC [Nicolae MANOLESCU, chairman]; Liberal Party '93 or PL-93 [Dinu PATRICIU]; National Liberal Party-Democratic
Convention or PNL-CD [Nicolae CERVENI]; Socialist Party or PS [Tudor MOHORA]
note: to increase their voting strength several of the above-mentioned parties united under umbrella
organizations: PNTCD, PNL, and PNL-CD form the bulk of the Democratic Convention or CDR [Ion DIACONESCU]; PD and PSDR form the Union of Social Democrats or USD [Petre ROMAN]; and PAC and PL-93 form
the National Liberal Alliance or ANL [Nicolae MANOLESCU]; PSM, PS, ANL, and numerous other small parties failed to gain representation in the most recent election
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 (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Mircea Dan GEOANA
chancery : 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851
FAX:
[1] (202) 232-4748
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador James C. ROSAPEPE
embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest
mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch)
telephone: [40] (1) 210 01 49, 210 40 42
FAX: [40] (1) 210 03 95
branch office: 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 flags of Andorra and Chad
Economy |
Economyoverview: Romania, one of the poorer countries in the region, is continuing its difficult transition to a market-based economy. 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. For the next few years the country lagged behind most of its neighbors in the pace of restructuring. Then in February 1997, Romania embarked on a comprehensive macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform program. The domestic foreign exchange market was freed, and controls on current-account convertibility were removed in October. Restructuring programs include liquidating large energy-intensive industries, and agricultural and financial sector reform. The private sector share of GDP rose to an estimated 58% in 1997, however, this total includes firms with government-held minority stakes. Although progress has been made in privatizing small- and medium-sized firms, delays in structural reformsincluding the postponement of sales of large state-owned enterprises - threaten plans to revive GDP growth. In 1998, GDP will likely be unchanged; and inflation is projected to fall to 45% from 151% in 1997.
GDP: purchasing power parity$114.2 billion (1997 est.)
GDPreal growth rate: -6.6% (1997 est.)
GDPper capita: purchasing power parity$5,300 (1997 est.)
GDPcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 19%
industry: 36%
services: 45% (1996)
Inflation rateconsumer price index: 151% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 10.1 million (1996 est.)
by occupation: industry 28.6%, agriculture 34.4%, trade 10.4%, construction 5.1%, other 21.5% (1995)
Unemployment rate: 8.8% (1997 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $10 billion
expenditures: $11.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $1.3 billion (1997 est.)
Industries: mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, machine building, food processing, petroleum production and refining
Industrial production growth rate: -5.9% (1997 est.)
Electricitycapacity: 22.06 million kW (1995)
Electricityproduction: 55.19 billion kWh (1995)
Electricityconsumption per capita: 2,412 kWh (1995)
Agricultureproducts: wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; milk, eggs, meat
Exports:
total value: $8.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: textiles and footwear 27.5%, metals and metal products 16.2%, mineral products 9.0%, chemicals 11.2%, other 36.1%
(1996)
partners: Germany 18.1%, Italy 16.7%, France 5.6%, Turkey 5%, Netherlands 4.2%, China 3.0% (1996)
Imports:
total value: $10.4 billion (f.o.b., 1997 est.)
commodities: fuels and minerals 24%, machinery and transport equipment 25%, food and agricultural goods 7.6%, chemicals
12.5%, other 30.9% (1996)
partners: Germany 17.1%, Italy 15.6%, Russia 12.6%, France 5.0%, US 3.8%, Egypt 3.8% (1996)
Debtexternal: $10 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient: $NA
Currency: 1 leu (L) = 100 bani
Exchange rates: lei (L) per US$18,293.40 (January 1998), 7,167.94 (1997), 3,084.22 (1996), 2,033.28 (1995), 1,655.09 (1994), 760.05 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications |
Telephones: 2.6 million (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic: poor service; 89% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is microwave radio relay; roughly 3,300 villages with no service (February 1990 est.)
international: satellite earth station1 Intelsat; new digital international direct-dial exchanges are in Bucharest (1993 est.)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 12, FM 5, shortwave 0
note: in 1995, 135 local radio stations were registered
Radios: 4.64 million (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 436 cable TV stations, 66 local TV stations
Televisions: 4.58 million (1992 est.)
Transportation |
Railways:
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: 153,170 km
paved: 78,117 km (including 113 km of expressways)
unpaved: 75,053 km (1995 est.)
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:
total: 227 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,332,117 GRT/3,464,613 DWT
ships by type: bulk 39, cargo 160, container 2, oil tanker 12, passenger 1, passenger-cargo 1,
railcar carrier 2, roll-on/roll-off cargo 10
note: Romania owns an additional 11 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 827,625 DWT operating under the registries of The Bahamas, Cyprus,
Liberia, and Malta (1997 est.)
Airports: 24 (1997 est.)
Airportswith paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 (1997 est.)
Airportswith unpaved runways:
total: 5
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Heliports: 1 (1997 est.)
Military |
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense
Military manpowermilitary age: 20 years of age
Military manpoweravailability:
males age 15-49: 5,888,775 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerfit for military service:
males: 4,951,586 (1998 est.)
Military manpowerreaching military age annually:
males: 197,036 (1998 est.)
Military expendituresdollar figure: $650 million (1996)
Military expenditurespercent of GDP: 2.5% (1996)
Transnational Issues |
Disputesinternational: 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 International Court of Justice
Illicit drugs: important transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe