Located in the southeastern portion of the European continent, more precisely in the Balkans, Romania , whose name means “land of the Romans”, is limited to the north with Ukraine, northwest with Hungary , northeast with Moldova, south with Bulgaria in the west with Serbia, in addition to being bathed in the west by the Black Sea.
The Romanian territory covers an area of 237,500 square kilometers. The country is crossed by the Carpathian Mountains, with peaks that reach more than 2,500 meters of altitude, providing a beautiful landscape. Present in 11 countries in Europe, the Danube River flows into the coast of Romania, in a large Black Sea delta.
Romania’s population is made up of around 21.1 million inhabitants, the majority of whom live in urban areas: 57.5%. The official language is Romanian, a language of Neolatin origin – this is the only Eastern European country with a Neolatin language, a consequence of the Roman domination in the region.
According to a report released in 2010 by the United Nations (UN) , Romania has a high Human Development Index (HDI), with an average of 0.767, occupying the 50th place in the world ranking, comprising 169 nations. Among the good social indicators is the low illiteracy rate (2.4%). In addition, the infant mortality rate is declining and is currently 14 for every thousand live births. One of the big problems is prejudice against Roma and the Hungarian population.Don’t stop now … There’s more after the publicity;)
Romania’s economy, after decades under communist rule, is modernizing. The main segments of the industrial sector are textiles, mechanics and chemists. The country also has great hydroelectric potential and mineral reserves. Oil platforms have been installed in the Black Sea. Another highlight of the national economy is tourism, driven by the country’s historical value and the beauty and cultural variety of Bucharest, the Romanian capital.
Romania data:
Location: Europe.
Area: 237,500 km².
Capital: Bucharest.
Languages: Romanian (official), Hungarian, German.
Population: 21,190,154 inhabitants.
Demographic density: 89.2 inhab./km².
Average annual population growth rate: – 0.4%.
Population living in an urban area: 57.5%.
Population living in rural areas: 42.5%.
Religions: Christianity 98.5% (orthodox 91.3%, Protestants 7.2%), agnosticism and atheism 1%, other 0.5%.
Life expectancy at birth: 73.2 years.
Human Development Index (HDI): 0.767 (high).
Government: Republic with mixed form of government.
Currency: Romanian Leu.
Gross Domestic Product (GDP): $ 161.1 billion.
Romanian History
Since prehistory, the territory of Romania has been inhabited by different groups. There are records of human fossils up to 36,000 years old found in the country. According to studies, these fossils, which were found in the Carpathian region , are from the first population that inhabited the place.
After the prehistoric period, the history of Romania develops in different chapters and moments. In the following, we will summarize each one.
Dacia
Since the year 513 BC, the territory of Romania was inhabited by a people known as geta . They were part of a tribe from Thrace and had migrated to the place, which at the time was known as Dacia.
The leader of this people was Burebista , who formed an army that posed a threat to Roman interests . Thus, even Emperor Julius Caesar intended to carry out attacks on Dacia . However, he was assassinated in 44 BC, before he could put his plans into practice.
The territory remained in conflict with the Romans for years. Only in the early Middle Ages did the Roman administration withdraw from Dacia.
Romania in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, several invasions were made to Romanian territory . Slavs, Bulgarians, Magyars and Tatars became part of the local population over the centuries and contributed to the formation of the Romanian people. They were part of the migratory movements to the region .
It was then that also emerged Romanian states, such as Moldova, the Wallachia and Transylvania . There have been many struggles in this regard, with Transylvania having belonged to the Austrian Empire , inclusive.
The Old Kingdom
The so-called Old Kingdom of Romania was led by Prince Charles of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. In 1877, Romania’s independence from the Ottoman Empire was declared .
Shortly after the war, Romania also acquired the territory of Dobruja and ceded the region of Bessarabia to Russia.
During the First World War , Romania joined the Entente side and, at the end of the period, moved to what became known as Greater Romania.
Greater Romania
In the so-called Greater Romania , one of the most significant events occurred in 1938, when King Charles II implemented a royal dictatorship , which had a short duration .
The Iron War also took place , an event that explored the fear of communism and foreign domination.
Communist Romania
After World War II , Romania became a communist country . Since the 1960s, the government has gained more independence from the Soviet Union.
For most of that period, the president of Romania was Nicolae Ceausescu, of the Romanian Communist Party. He was in power from 1974 to 1989, when the Romanian communist regime fell.
Current Romania
With the fall of the communist regime, Romania held presidential and parliamentary elections in 1990. In 1992, a new constitution was implemented and since then, this type of policy has been followed in the country.
Romanian Culture
The culture of Romania is full of legends and stories of mysteries. This can be seen, for example, in the region of Transylvania, which is popular because it is the setting for vampire stories , a theme commonly addressed in the country’s cultural industry .
Local buildings also attract tourists from all over the world, who are interested in visiting Bran Castle , where Count Dracula lived , in the literary work of Bram Stocker.
Romanian language
Romanian is the official language of Romania . In addition, there are also speakers of the language in countries such as Italy, Spain, Israel, Portugal, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany and France.
The language has influences from the ancient Dacian language , German, Greek, Hungarian and Turkish.
Flag of Romania
The Romanian flag is tricolor, with three vertical stripes. The colors are blue, yellow and green, meaning:
- blue: freedom;
- yellow: justice; and
- red: fraternity.
Curiosity about Romania
See below some curiosities about Romania:
- the capital of Romania is Bucharest;
- the HDI of Romania is 0.79;
- Romanians are often victims of xenophobia in other European countries;
- the currency used in Romania is the Romanian Leu, which currently amounts to R $ 0.88;
- in Romania, people are in the habit of following the orthodox calendar ;
- for Romanian breakfast, bread and many sausages are common;
- the Romanian women are known for their strength and have a lot of respect in families;
- in communist times, people were instructed to follow a pattern in the formation of families. Therefore, it is quite common to find family groups with 5 siblings;
- in Romanian custom, only one child from each family can marry each year , so as not to attract bad luck. The choice is made according to the courtship time.
Now you know more about Romania, its history, culture and main customs. We hope that this content will be useful for you to do well in the entrance exam, in case you are asked about the country.