Romania

The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia -- for centuries under the control of the Turkish Ottoman Empire -- secured their autonomy through the Treaty of Paris in 1856. They were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country joined the Allied Powers in World War I and subsequently acquired new territories -- most notably Transylvania -- that more than doubled its size. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine

46 00 N, 25 00 E

Europe

twice the size of Pennsylvania; slightly smaller than Oregon

225 km

temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower

5,280 sq km (2022)

Dunărea (Danube) river mouth (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine) - 2,888 km<br><br><strong>note:</strong> [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

urbanization is not particularly high, and the population distribution is fairly even throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides

controls the most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine; the Carpathian Mountains dominate the center of the country, and the Danube River forms much of the southern boundary with Serbia and Bulgaria

Romanian 89.3%, Hungarian 6%, Romani 3.4%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, other 0.9% (2021 est.)

Romanian Orthodox 85.3%, Roman Catholic 4.5%, Reformed 3%, Pentecostal 2.5%, other 4.7% (2021 est.)

-0.86% (2025 est.)

8.45 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

14.28 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)

-2.81 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

urbanization is not particularly high, and the population distribution is fairly even throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations

1.776 million BUCHAREST (capital) (2023)

27.1 years (2020 est.)

12 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

1.63 children born/woman (2025 est.)

0.79 (2025 est.)

3.63 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

7.1 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

22.5% (2016)

56% (2021 est.)

soil erosion, degradation, and desertification; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands

temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

14.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

212.01 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

semi-presidential republic

41 counties (<em>judete</em>, singular - <em>judet</em>) and 1 municipality* (<em>municipiu</em>); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dambovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Valcea, Vrancea

civil law system

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

Alliance for the Fatherland or APP <br>Alliance for the Unity of Romanians or AUR<br>Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party or PNT-CD <br>Civic Hungarian Party<br>Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR <br>Ecologist Party of Romania or PER <br>Force of the Right or FD <br>Greater Romania Party or PRM <br>Green Party<br>National Liberal Party or PNL<br>Popular Movement Party or PMP <br>PRO Romania or PRO<br>Romanian Nationhood Party or PNR <br>Save Romania Union Party or USR <br>Social Democratic Party or PSD <br>Social Liberal Humanist Party or PUSL (formerly Humanist Power Party (Social-Liberal) or PPU-SL)<br>S.O.S. Romania <br>The Right Alternative or AD <br>United Romania Party or PRU <br>We are Renewing the European Project in Romania or REPER 

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CBSS (observer), CD, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUSCO, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA,UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; 13 July 1878 (independence recognized by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)

Unification Day (unification of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)

<strong>description:</strong> three equal vertical bands of blue (left side), yellow, and red<br><br><strong>meaning:</strong> the colors come from the principalities of Walachia (red and yellow) and Moldavia (red and blue), which united in 1862 to form Romania<br><br><strong>history:</strong> modeled on the French flag; the national coat of arms that used to be centered on the yellow band has been removed

golden eagle

blue, yellow, red

<p>high-income, EU-member economy; euro membership delayed over macroeconomic indicators; persistent inflation, but consumption and EU-funded investments driving recovery; skilled labor shortage; high public debt and budget deficit; challenges include fiscal sustainability and political instability</p>

$382.768 billion (2024 est.)

wheat, maize, milk, sunflower seeds, barley, rapeseed, potatoes, grapes, plums, apples (2023)

electric machinery and equipment, auto assembly, textiles and footwear, light machinery, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining, mining, timber, construction materials

-0.9% (2024 est.)

8.263 million (2024 est.)

21.1% (2022 est.)

16.2% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

Germany 19%, Italy 10%, France 6%, UK 5%, Hungary 4% (2023)

cars, vehicle parts/accessories, insulated wire, garments, wheat (2023)

Germany 19%, Italy 8%, Hungary 6%, Poland 6%, China 6% (2023)

vehicle parts/accessories, packaged medicine, cars, crude petroleum, plastic products (2023)

a mixture of public and private TV stations; 7 public (2 national, 5 regional) and 187 private TV stations using terrestrial broadcasting, plus 11 public and 86 private TV stations using satellite broadcasting; state-owned public radio broadcaster operates 4 national networks, as well as regional and local stations; 502 private radio stations using terrestrial broadcasting, and 26 using satellite broadcasting

.ro

YR

103 (2025)

24 (2025)

Romanian Armed Forces (Forțele Armate Române or Armata Română): Romanian Land Forces, Romanian Naval Forces, Romanian Air Force<br><br>Ministry of Internal Affairs: Romanian Police, Romanian Gendarmerie, Romanian Border Police (2025)

approximately 70,000 active Armed Forces (2025)

the military's inventory includes a considerable amount of Soviet-era and older domestically produced weapons systems, although in recent years Romania has launched an effort to acquire more modern and NATO-standard equipment from European countries and the US, including aircraft and armored vehicles (2025)

typically 18-35 years of age for voluntary service for men and women; compulsory service ended in 2007 (2025)

470 Bosnia Herzegovina (EUFOR); 200 Kosovo (KFOR/NATO); up to 120 Poland (NATO); Romania also has small numbers of military personnel deployed on other international missions under the EU, NATO, and UN (2025)

the Romanian Armed Forces are responsible for territorial defense, fulfilling the country's commitments to European security, and contributing to multinational peacekeeping operations; the military has a variety of concerns, including Russian aggression against Ukraine, Russia's activities in the Black Sea and in Moldova, cyber attacks, hybrid threats, and terrorism; a key focus for the military is equipment modernization<br><br>Romania joined NATO in 2004, and its membership forms a key pillar of the country’s defense policy; it hosts a NATO multinational divisional headquarters (Multinational Division Southeast) and a French-led ground force battlegroup as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence initiative in the southeastern part of the Alliance, which came about in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine; NATO allies have also sent detachments of fighters to augment the Romanian Air Force since 2014 because of aggressive Russian activity in the Black Sea region; the Romanian military trains with NATO and its member states and has participated in NATO- and EU-led multinational missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Poland; it also participates in UN peacekeeping missions (2025)

Romanian Space Agency (Agentia Spatiala Romania, ROSA; established 1991) (2025)

develops and produces a range of capabilities and technologies, including satellites, satellite launch vehicles, remote sensing, human space flight, navigation, and telecommunications; program is integrated into the ESA; participates in EU and international space programs; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial space entities, including those of Azerbaijan, China, Japan, Russia, and the US; also works bilaterally with ESA member states, particularly Bulgaria, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy; has an active space-industry sector with over 50 entities (2025)

1967-1968 - began participating in Soviet Intercosmos program and established the Romanian Commission for Space Activities to coordinate national space activities<br><br>1981 - first Romanian in space on Soviet spacecraft<br><br>2010 - domestically developed commercial rocket launched to an altitude of 40,000 m (24.9 mi)<br><br>2012 - first domestically produced scientific/experimental microsatellite (Goliat) launched (failed to operate)<br><br>2022 - joined US-led Artemis Accords for space exploration <br><br>2023 - digital amateur-radio-repeater microsatellite (ROM-2) launched on US commercial rocket

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS)