Romania

President: Traian Basescu (2004)

Prime Minister: Calin Popescu-Tariceanu (2004)

Land area: 88,934 sq mi (230,339 sq km); total area: 91,699 sq mi (237,500 sq km)

Population (2006 est.): 22,303,552 (growth rate: –0.1%); birth rate: 10.7/1000; infant mortality rate: 25.5/1000; life expectancy: 71.6; density per sq mi: 251

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Bucharest, 2,210,800 (metro. area), 1,906,800 (city proper)

Other large cities: Iasi, 320,000; Cluj-Napoca, 316,400; Timisoara, 316,100; Constanta, 309,000; Craiova, 301,100, Galati, 297,100; Brasov, 282,500

Monetary unit: Leu

Languages: Romanian (official), Hungarian, German

Ethnicity/race: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma (Gyspy) 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002)

Religions: Romanian Orthodox 87%, Protestant 8%, Roman Catholic 5%, Islam and other (2002)

Literacy rate: 98% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2005 est.): $186.7 billion; per capita $8,400. Real growth rate: 4.5%. Inflation: 8.6%. Unemployment: 5.5%. Arable land: 39%. Agriculture: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep. Labor force: 9.31 million; agriculture 31.6%, industry 30.7%, services 37.7% (2004). Industries: textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining. Natural resources: petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower. Exports: $27.72 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products. Imports: $38.15 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.): machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and products, basic metals, agricultural products. Major trading partners: Italy, Germany, France, Turkey, UK, Russia (2004).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 3.777 million (1997); mobile cellular: 645,500 (1999). Radio broadcast stations: AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998). Radios: 7.2 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995). Televisions: 5.25 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 38 (2000). Internet users: 1 million (2002).

Transportation: Railways: total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified) (2002). Highways: total: 198,603 km; paved: 98,308 km (including 113 km of expressways); unpaved: 100,295 km (2000). Waterways: 1,724 km (1984). Ports and harbors: Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea. Airports: 65 (2002).

International disputes: has not resolved claims to Ukrainian-administered Zmyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary despite ongoing talks based on 1997 friendship treaty to find a solution in two years; joint boundary commission is rectifying boundary with Bulgaria based on shifts in Danube since last delimitation in 1920; Hungary has yet to amend status law extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Romania, who protest the law.

 

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