Romania Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 25, 2020

Romania, state of south-eastern Europe; 237,500 km², 19.5 million residents (2019).Romania borders in the north to Ukraine, in the northeast to Moldova, in the south to Bulgaria, in the southwest to Serbia and in the northwest to Hungary. The capital is Bucharest (1.9 million residents, 2012).

Country facts

Republica România / Romania
Country abbreviation: RO
Area: 237 500 km²
Population (2019): 19.5 million residents
Capital: Bucharest
Main language: Romanian
State: Republic
Head of State: Klaus Iohannis (President)
Head of Government: Ludovic Orban
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 12,301
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 11 290
Currency unit: 1 leu = 100 bani
Currency code: ROL
Country number (telephony): 40
Internet domain name: ro
Time difference compared to Sweden: +1
National Day: December 1 (Union Day Romania-Transylvania, 1918)

Nature

Land use: forest (26%), agricultural land (65%), other (9%)
Highest mountain: Moldoveanu (2,543 m asl)

Population

Population density (2019): 82 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): –0.3%; birth number 9 ‰, death number 12 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (16%), 15-64 (66%), 65- (18%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 72 years, women 79 years
Infant mortality (2019): 6 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 23 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.811 (place 52 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2019): 54%
Most populous cities (2012): Bucharest (1.9 million residents), Cluj-Napoca (324,600), Constanţa (283,900)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (4%), industry (33%), service (63%)
Exports (2017): US $ 64,580 million
Main export products: machinery, metal, metal products, textiles
Main exporting countries: Germany, Italy, France
Imports (2017): US $ 78 120 million
Main import products: machinery, chemicals, agricultural products
Main importing countries: Germany, Italy, Hungary
Railway network (2014): 10 300 km

The interior of Romania is made up of a triangular mountain country, Transylvania, which in the east and south is bounded by the Carpathians. The rest of the area consists of plains, mainly in the south and south-east and in the west as a continuation of the Hungarian plain. The country has a warm-tempered continental climate that provides large temperature differences between summer and winter.

The country’s executive power lies with the president, who is elected for five years. Legislative power resides with the National Assembly, where members are elected in general elections for four years.

When the Soviet Union disintegrated, Romania became devoid of important raw materials and at the same time lost its export markets. Production in agriculture and the heavy industry fell sharply. Privatization reforms and cuts in the public sector, together with a growing domestic market and increased productivity in the agricultural sector, led to a positive development of the economy up to the international financial crisis in 2008. Since then, the country has had major financial problems; In 2009, the country was forced to take international crisis loans. The cornerstones of the country’s business are agriculture and industry, now mainly light industries such as the textile, food and pharmaceutical industries.