ROMANIA

I INTRODUCTION
Romania, country in southeastern Europe. Romania is rich in culture and natural resources,
but it has long been one of Europes poorest and least developed nations. Foreign powers, including
the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires, controlled the country or parts of it for much of its
history. Bucharest is its capital and largest city.
The modern country of Romania was created in 1859. It became fully independent in 1878.
Romania was a kingdom from 1881 to 1947. In 1948 Communists took control of Romania and
modeled the government and economy after those of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR). However, in the 1960s Romanias Communist leaders began to distance themselves from
the USSR and develop their own domestic and foreign policies. Romanias economy grew during the
1960s and 1970s, but by the 1980s most Romanians were suffering from food shortages and other
economic hardships. In 1989 Romanians revolted against the repressive dictatorship of Nicolae
Ceausescu, the countrys president and Communist Party leader. Ceausescu was executed, and a
non-Communist government was installed. The first free multiparty elections took place in Romania
in 1990.

II LAND AND RESOURCES

Romania has a total land area of 237,500 sq km (91,700 sq mi). The country is bounded on
the north by Ukraine, on the east by Moldova, on the southeast by the Black Sea, on the south by
Bulgaria, on the southwest by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), and on the west by Hungary.
Romania is roughly oval in shape, with a maximum distance from east to west of 720 km (450 mi)
and a maximum distance from north to south of 515 km (320 mi). A long chain of mountain ranges
curves through northern and central Romania. The Danube River forms much of the countrys
southern and southwestern borders with Bulgaria and the FRY, and the Prut River divides Romania
from its northeastern neighbor Moldova.
A Natural Regions
Transylvania, an extensive elevated plateau region that reaches a maximum height of about
600 m (about 2,000 ft), occupies most of central and northwestern Romania. Transylvania is
surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, a large mountain system of central and eastern Europe.
The Eastern Carpathians extend from the northern border to the center of the country and contain
the forested region of Bukovina; the Southern Carpathians, also known as the Transylvanian Alps,
stretch westward from the Eastern Carpathian range; and the Western Carpathians traverse the
western portion of Romania. The Southern Carpathians contain the countrys highest peak,
Moldoveanu, which reaches an elevation of 2,543 m (8,343 ft). The geological structure of the
Carpathians has given rise to severe earthquakes: In 1977 an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5
on the Richter scale inflicted serious damage on Bucharest and claimed more than 1,500 lives.
Another earthquake measuring 6.0 was registered in 1990.
The areas stretching outward from Romanias mountainous interior contain hills and
tablelands full of orchards and vineyards, and flat lowlands where cereal and vegetable farming
takes place. Western Romania is dominated by the Tisza Plain, which borders both Hungary and the
FRY; the section of the plain that borders the FRY is generally known as the region of Banat, while
the section that borders Hungary is commonly referred to as Crisana-Maramures. To the east of
central Romania, stretching from the Carpathians to the Prut River along the Moldovan border, lies
the region of Moldavia. Southern Romania contains the region of Walachia, which stretches from the
southernmost mountains to the Danube and contains the city of Bucharest. The small region of
Dobruja, located in the extreme southeast between the Danube River and the Black Sea, is an
important tourist center.
B Rivers and Lakes

The most important river of Romania is the Danube. Its lower course forms a delta that
covers much of northeastern Dobruja. Most of Romanias major rivers are part of the Danube
system; these include the Mures, the Somes, the Olt, the Prut, and the Siret. Romania has many
small, freshwater mountain lakes, but the largest lakes are saline lagoons on the coast of the Black
Sea; the largest of these is Lake Razelm.
C Plant and Animal Life
Wooded steppe, now largely cleared for agriculture, dominates the plains of Walachia and
Moldavia. Fruit trees are common in the foothills of the mountains. The lower slopes have forests
with deciduous trees such as birch, beech, and oak. The forests of the higher elevations are
coniferous, consisting largely of pine and spruce trees. Above the timberline (approximately 1,750
m/5,740 ft), the vegetation is alpine.
Wild animal life is abundant in most parts of Romania. The larger animals, found chiefly in
the Carpathian Mountains, include wild boar, wolves, lynx, foxes, bears, chamois, roe deer, and
goats. In the plains, squirrels, hare, badgers, and polecats are common. Many species of birds are
abundant; the Danube delta region, now partly a nature preserve, is a stopover point for migratory
birds. Among species of fish found in the rivers and offshore are pike, sturgeon, carp, flounder,
herring, salmon, perch, and eel.
D Natural Resources
The principal resources of Romania are agricultural, but the country also has significant
mineral deposits, particularly petroleum, natural gas, salt, hard coal, lignite (brown coal), iron ore,
copper, bauxite, chromium, manganese, lead, and zinc. Timber is also an important natural
resource.
About 43 percent of land in Romania is cultivated for crops or used for orchards, and the
soils in most parts of the country are fertile. In Banat, Walachia, and Moldavia, soils consist mainly
of chernozem, or black earth, highly suited for growing grain. Soils in Transylvania are generally
lower in nutrients.
E Climate
Romania has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Temperatures are generally
cooler in the mountains, while the hottest areas in summer are the lowlands of Walachia, Moldavia,
and Dobruja. The average daily temperature range in Bucharest is -7 to 1C (19 to 34F) in
January and 16 to 30C (61 to 86F) in July. Rainfall is heaviest during the months of April, May,
June, September, and October. Yearly rainfall averages about 650 mm (about 25 in), ranging from
about 500 mm (about 20 in) on the plains to about 1,020 mm (about 40 in) in the mountains. The
climate of Dobruja is extremely dry.
F Environmental Issues
Air and water pollution by industry are serious environmental problems in Romania. The
countrys factories, chemical plants, and electric power plants depend heavily on burning coal, a
process that emits dangerous levels of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. The industrial centers of
Copsa Mica, in central Romania, and Giurgiu, in the south, have severe air pollution problems.
Bucharest, the capital, also has serious air pollution. Industrial runoff ends up in the Danube and
other rivers, making water unsafe for drinking and threatening the diverse ecosystems of the
Danube delta. The delta, the largest in Europe, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1991. Its lakes
and marshes are home to hundreds of species of birds and dozens of fish and reptile species. As a
result of air and water pollution, however, many species are threatened with extinction.
Unsystematic farming practices, particularly poor crop rotation, have led to severe soil
degradation and erosion in Romania. In the 1980s large tracts of marshland along the Danube were
drained and converted to cropland to aid food production. Nevertheless, deforestation is not a
problem in Romaniain 1995, 27.1 percent of the countrys total land area was forested. The
government has designated 4.7 percent (1997) of the countrys area protected. It has ratified
international environmental agreements pertaining to air pollution, biodiversity, climate change,
desertification, endangered species, environmental modification, hazardous wastes, ozone layer
protection, ship pollution, and wetlands.