Europe
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Romania. (2022). In Q-files Encyclopedia, Geography, Europe. Retrieved from
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"Romania." Geography, Europe, Q-files Encyclopedia, 10 Feb. 2022.
https://www.q-files.com/geography/europe/romania.
Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
Romania 2022. Geography, Europe. Retrieved 19 March 2024, from
https://www.q-files.com/geography/europe/romania
Geography, Europe, s.v. "Romania," accessed March 19, 2024.
https://www.q-files.com/geography/europe/romania
Romania
The Carpathian Mountains arc around a central rugged plateau region of central Romania called Transylvania. The rest of the country is made up of low, rolling hills, forests and farmland. In the southeast, farmers grow cereal crops on the Baragan plain. In the south, the great River Danube runs along the country's borders with Serbia and Bulgaria, before turning north and flowing through wetlands before entering the Black Sea in a delta. Romania’s climate is continental; although summers can be warm and dry, winters are often cold, harsh and snowy.
People
Ethnic Romanians—more than 85% of the population—are descendants of the ancient Thracians, people who inhabited the region 3000 years ago, along with Romans, who conquered and started to colonize the region by AD 106. Until 1947, Transylvania was part of Hungary; today, it still has a large ethnic Hungarian population. Small populations of Ukrainians and Turks live along the Black Sea coast.
The Romanian language belongs to a group of “Romance” languages including French, Spanish and Italian. Some of its words are borrowed from French and Italian.
City and countryside
Over the 20th century, Romania’s population has gradually moved towards its cities, as large industries have grown up and drawn more people seeking work. Under Nicolae Ceausescu's Communist regime, the country’s cities were “modernized”: old buildings were destroyed to make way for high-rise apartment blocks. Today, many people still live in these high-rises.
Traditional wooden houses and churches can still be seen in mountain villages. Half of Romanians live in the countryside, often without basic services such as running water or electricity. Some farmers still use traditional methods, using horses to pull carts and building haystacks by hand.
Economy
Since the 1990s, Romania’s economy has grown and modernized quickly. The Romanian government has encouraged foreign companies to set up manufacturing plants in the country to help boost employment and create jobs. Today, Bucharest is one of Eastern Europe’s biggest financial and industrial centres. Heavy industries, such as petroleum and chemical production, still play a big part in Romania’s economy, but modern industries such as IT and renewable energy are becoming more important.
Transylvania
Transylvania lies in the middle of Romania, surrounded by mountains on nearly every side. It is a land of valleys and peaks. This region attracts thousands of tourists each year—not only for its scenic beauty, but also for its association with vampires. Transylvania is world-famous as the fictional home of Dracula in Bram Stoker’s vampire novel Dracula (1897), thought to be inspired by the life of the real-life king, Vlad III "the Impaler" (1431–76). A popular tourist attraction is Bran Castle, said to be Dracula’s home.
Consultant: Nicholas Harris
Facts about Romania
Population 19,622,000
Area 229,891 sq km
Highest point Moldoveanu 2544 m (8346 ft)
Capital Bucharest, population 1,883,425
Other major cities Cluj-Napoca (pop. 324,576), Timisoara (319,279), Iasi (290,422), Constanta (283,872)
Languages Romanian, Hungarian
Religions Christian (Orthodox) 82%, Christian (Protestant) 6%, Christian (Roman Catholic) 4%, others and none 8%
Ethnicity Romanian 83%, Hungarian 6%, Romani 3%, Ukrainian, German and others 8%
Currency Romanian leu (RON)
Chief exports machinery, metals, textiles and shoes, chemicals
History of Romania
106
Eastern Romania—known as the Dacian kingdom—becomes a province of the Roman Empire called Dacia
271
Germanic tribes invade the region and the Romans leave Dacia
3rd–16th centuries
Various peoples, including the Goths, Huns, Bulgars and Slavs, live in the region
1431–76
Reign of Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia, also known as Vlad Dracula "the Impaler". He was the inspiration for the vampire in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel, Dracula.
1600–01
Three regions, Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia, are united by Michael the Brave
1657
Ottomans rule the three regions
1711
The Habsburgs capture Transylvania and make it into a province of Hungary
18th–19th centuries
Russia launches several invasions on the region; in 1821, the Ottomans give Russia control over parts of Moldavia and Wallachia
1856
Russia is defeated in the Crimean War and loses its control over Moldavia and Wallachia
1862
A new state, Romania, is created from the united provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia, ruled over by Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza
1877–78
Romania sides with Russia in the Russo-Turkish War and gains independence from the Ottoman Empire
1904
Romania’s first oil refinery opens
1914–18
Romania fights in World War I on the side of the Allies; at the end of the war, it gains new territories and doubles in size
1938–40
Dictator King Carol II comes to power but is forced to abdicate by General Ion Antonescu, who takes over from him
1941
Romania fights in World War II against the Soviet Union (on the German side)
1944
Romania switches sides and Soviet forces begin to take control of the country
1945
Soviet-backed government comes to power
1947
Transylvania comes under Romanian control
1965
Nicolae Ceausescu becomes the country’s Communist leader
1977
Powerful earthquake kills around 1500 people in Bucharest
1989
Protests lead to a national uprising; Ceausescu and his wife Elena flee the country but are caught and executed
1990
Romania elects a new government and head of state, Ion Iliescu
2002
Romania joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
2007
Romania joins the European Union (EU)
2012
Major street demonstrations with people protesting at the way the government is dealing with financial crisis
2017
About 200,000 people protest over government attempts to water down anti-corruption measures