Romania

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{{Infobox Country or territory|native_name = România|conventional_long_name = Romania|common_name = Romania|image_flag = Romanian flag.svg|image_coat = Romania Coat of Arms.svg|image_map = EU location ROM.png|map_caption = |national_motto =
(each main institution has its own Mottos of Romanian institutions)|national_anthem = Deşteaptă-te, române!]1|demonym = Romanian|government_type = Semi-presidential Unitary State Democratic Republic (Bucureşti)|latd=44 |latm=25 |latNS=N |longd=26 |longm=06 |longEW=E|largest_city = capital|leader_title1 = [President of Romania|leader_title2 = Prime Minister of Romania|leader_name1 = Traian Băsescu|area_rank = 82nd|area_magnitude = 1_E+11|area_km2 = 238,392|area_sq_mi = 92,043 -->|population_density_rank = 104th|GDP_PPP_year = 2007|GDP_PPP = $256.9 billion|GDP_PPP_rank = 43rd|GDP_PPP_per_capita = $10,661 {{Citation | title =GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity | place= | publisher = [IMF World Economic Outlook Database | date = April 2007 | url =http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/data/weorept.aspx?pr.x=21&pr.y=2&sy=2007&ey=2006&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=914%2C946%2C137%2C962%2C122%2C181%2C124%2C963%2C138%2C918%2C964%2C182%2C968%2C960%2C423%2C935%2C128%2C965%2C936%2C961%2C939%2C184%2C172%2C132%2C134%2C174%2C144%2C944%2C186%2C178%2C136%2C112%2C941&s=PPPPC&grp=0&a=--> |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = 64th|HDI_year = 2004|HDI = 0.805|HDI_rank = 60th|HDI_category = high|Gini = 31|Gini_year = 2003|Gini_category = medium|sovereignty_type = Independence [1877 (Old Style and New Style dates)²|established_date2 = 13 July 1878³] 2007|currency_code = RON|time_zone = [Eastern European Time|utc_offset = +2|time_zone_DST = Eastern European Summer Time|utc_offset_DST = +3|cctld = .ro .eu4], German language, Romani language, Croatian language, Ukrainian language and Serbian language, are official at various local levels.² Romanian War of Independence.³ Treaty of Berlin (1878).4 The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.-->Romania (, ) is a country in Southeastern Europe. It shares border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south. Romania has a stretch of sea coast along the Black Sea. It is located roughly in the lower basin of the Danube and almost all of the Danube Delta is located within its territory.

Romania is a parliamentary unitary state. As a nation-state, the country was formed by the merging of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 and it gained recognition of its Romanian War of Independence in Treaty of Berlin (1878). Later, in 1918, they were joined by Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia. At the end of World War II, parts of its territories (roughly the present day Moldova) were occupied by USSR and Romania became a member of Warsaw Pact. With the fall of the Iron Curtain in Romanian Revolution of 1989, Romania started a series of political and economic reforms that peaked with Romania joining the Accession of Romania to the European Union.

Romania has been a member of the European Union since January 1 2007, and has the List of European Union member states by area in the EU and with 22 million people {{Citation | publisher =Romanian National Institute of Statistics | title =Romanian Statistical Yearbook | year =2007 | url =http://www.insse.ro/cms/files/pdf/en/cp2.pdf | accessdate = Sep 17, 2007--> it has the [List of European Union member states by population among the EU member states. Its capital and largest city is [Bucharest ({{lang-ro with almost 2 million people. In 2007, [Sibiu, a large city in Transylvania, was chosen as [European Capital of Culture.{{Citation | last = | first = | author-link = | last2 = | first2 = | issuer =The Selection Panel for the European Capital of Culture (ECOC) 2007 | title =Report on the the Nominations from Luxembourg and Romania for the European Capital of Culture 2007 | date = April 5, 2004 | url =http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/other_actions/cap_europ/pdf_word/report_select_panel2007.pdf | accessdate = --> "" Romania joined NATO on [March 29, [, and is also a member of the [Latin Union, of the [Francophonie and of [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Etymology The name of Romania (România) comes from Român (Romanian) which is a derivative of the word Romanus ("Ancient Rome") from Latin. The fact that Romanians call themselves a derivative of Romanus () is mentioned as early as the 16th century by many authors among whom were Italy Humanists travelling in Transylvania, Moldavia and Wallachia. "nunc se Romanos vocant" A. Verres, Acta et Epistolae, I, p. 243 "...si dimandano in lingua loro Romei...se alcuno dimanda se sano parlare in la lingua valacca, dicono a questo in questo modo: Sti Rominest ? Che vol dire: Sai tu Romano,..." Cl. Isopescu, Notizie intorno ai romeni nella letteratura geografica italiana del Cinquecento, in Bulletin de la Section Historique, XVI, 1929, p. 1- 90 “Anzi essi si chiamano romanesci, e vogliono molti che erano mandati quì quei che erano dannati a cavar metalli...” in Maria Holban, Călători străini despre Ţările Române, vol. II, p. 158–161 "Tout ce pays la Wallachie et Moldavie et la plus part de la Transivanie a esté peuplé des colonie romaines du temps de Traian l’empereur…Ceux du pays se disent vrais successeurs des Romains et nomment leur parler romanechte, c'est-à-dire romain … " Voyage fait par moy, Pierre Lescalopier l’an 1574 de Venise a Constantinople, fol 48 in Paul Cernovodeanu, Studii si materiale de istorie medievala, IV, 1960, p. 444 The oldest surviving document written in the Romanian language is a 1521 letter (known as "Neacşu {{Citation | last =Iorga | first =N. | contribution = | year = | title =Neacsu's Letter from Campulung | editor-last =Hurmuzachi | editor-first =Apud | volume = Documente, XI | url = http://cimec.ro/Istorie/neacsu/rom/scrisoare.htm |page = 843--> from [Câmpulung") which notifies the mayor of [Braşov about the imminent attack of the [Ottoman Turks. This document is also notable for having the first occurrence of "Rumanian" in a Romanian written text, [Wallachia being here named The Rumanian Land - ''Ţeara Rumânească'' (''Ţeara'' < Latin ''Terra'' = land). In the following centuries, Romanian documents use interchangeably two spelling forms: ''Român'' and ''Rumân''. ''"am scris aceste sfente cǎrţi de învăţături, sǎ fie popilor '''rumânesti'''... sǎ înţeleagǎ toţi oamenii cine-s '''rumâni''' creştini"'' "Întrebare creştineascǎ" (1559), Bibliografia româneascǎ veche, IV, 1944, p. 6.

"...că văzum cum toate limbile au şi înfluresc întru cuvintele slǎvite a lui Dumnezeu numai noi 'românii pre limbă nu avem. Pentru aceia cu mare muncǎ scoasem de limba jidoveascǎ si greceascǎ si srâbeascǎ pre limba româneascǎ 5 cărţi ale lui Moisi prorocul si patru cărţi şi le dăruim voo fraţi rumâni şi le-au scris în cheltuială multǎ... şi le-au dăruit voo fraţilor români,... şi le-au scris voo fraţilor români" Palia de la Orǎştie (1581–1582), Bucureşti, 1968.

" În Ţara Ardealului nu lăcuiesc numai unguri, ce şi saşi peste seamă de mulţi şi 'români peste tot locul...", Grigore Ureche, Letopiseţul Ţării Moldovei, p. 133-134. Socio-linguistic evolutions in the late 17th century lead to a process of semantic differentiation: the form "rumân", presumably usual among lower classes, got the meaning of "bondsman", while the form "român" kept an ethno-linguistic meaning. {{cite book | last = Brezeanu | first = Stelian | authorlink = | title =Romanitatea Orientalǎ în Evul Mediu | publisher =Editura All Educational | date =1999 | location =Bucharest | pages =229-246 --> After the abolition of serfdom in 1746, the form "rumân" gradually disappears and the spelling definitively stabilises to the form ''"român", "românesc"''. In his well known literary testament [Ienăchiţă Văcărescu writes: "Urmaşilor mei Văcăreşti!/Las vouă moştenire:/Creşterea limbei '''româneşti'''/Ş-a patriei cinstire."

In the "Istoria faptelor lui Mavroghene-Vodă şi a răzmeriţei din timpul lui pe la 1790" a Pitar Hristache writes: "Încep după-a mea ideie/Cu vreo câteva condeie/Povestea mavroghenească/Dela Ţara Românească. The name "România" as common homeland of all Romanians is documented in the early 19th century. The first known mention of the term "Romania" in its modern denotation dates from 1816, as the Greek scholar Dimitrie Daniel Philippide published in Leipzig his work "The History of Romania", followed by "The Geography of Romania".

On the Headstone of Gheorghe Lazăr in Avrig (built in 1823) there is the inscription: "Precum Hristos pe Lazăr din morţi a înviat/Aşa tu România din somn ai deşteptat."

, European Capital of Culture in 2007

History Prehistory and Antiquity (before 4th century AD) In 2002, the oldest modern human (Homo sapiens sapiens) remains in Europe were discovered in the "Cave With Bones" (Peştera cu Oase) near Anina in present day Romania. {{Citation | last =Trinkaus | first =E. | last2 =Milota | first2 =Ş. | last3 =Rodrigo | first3 = R. | last4 =Gherase | first4 =M. | last5 =Moldovan | first5 =O. | title =Early Modern Human Cranial remains from the Peştera cu Oase | journal =Journal of Human Evolution | volume =45 | pages =245 –253 | date = | year =2003 | url =http://www.geo.edu.ro/sgr/mod/downloads/PDF/Trinkaus-JHE-2003-45-245.pdf--> The remains (the lower jaw) are approximately 42,000 years old and have been nicknamed "[John of Anina" (''Ion din Anina''). As Europe’s oldest remains of ''[Homo sapiens'', they may represent the first such people to have entered the continent. {{Citation | last =Zilhão | first =João | title =Neanderthals and Moderns Mixed and It Matters | journal =Evolutionary Anthropology | volume =15 | pages =183–195 | date = | year =2006 | url =http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/113440973/PDFSTART--> The remains are especially interesting because they present a mixture of archaic, early modern human and Neanderthal morphological features, {{Citation | last = Trinkaus | first = E. | last2 =Moldovan | first2 =O. | last3 =Milota | first3 =Ş. | last4 =Bîlgăr | first4 =A. | last5 =Sarcina | first5 =L. | last6 =Athreya | first6 = S. | last7 =Bailey | first7 =S.E. | last8 =Rodrigo | first8 =R. | last9 =Gherase | first9=M. | last10 =Hilgham | first10 =T. | last11 =Bronk Ramsey | first11 =C. | last12 =Van Der Plicht | first12 =J. | title =An early modern human from Peştera cu Oase, Romania | journal =Proceedings of the National Acadademy of Science U.S.A. | volume =100 | issue =20 | pages =11231–11236 | year =2003 | url =http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/100/20/11231--> indicating possible Neanderthal/modern human admixture. {{Citation | last =Soficaru | first =Andrei | last2 =Dobo | first2 =Adrian |last3=Trinkaus |first3=Erik | title =Early modern humans from the Peştera Muierii, Baia de Fier, Romania | journal =Proceedings of the National Acadademy of Science U.S.A. | volume =103 | issue =46 | pages =17196-17201 | date = | year =2006 | url =http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0608443103--> {{Citation | publisher = University of Bristol Press Releases | title = A 40,000-year-old skull shows both modern human and Neanderthal traits | year = 2007 | url = http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2007/5245.html--> {{Citation | last =Rougier | first =Hélène | last2 =Milota | first2 =Stefan | last3 =Rodrigo | first3 =Ricardo | last4 =Gherase | first4 =Mircea | last5 =Sarcin | first5 =Laureniu | last6 =Moldovan | first6 = Oana | last7 =Zilhão | first7 =João | last8 =Constantin | first8 =Silviu | last9 =Franciscus | first9=Robert G. | last10 =Zollikofer | first10 =Christoph P. E. | last11 =de León | first11 =Marcia Ponce | last12 =Trinkaus | first12 =Erik | title =Pestera cu Oase 2 and the cranial morphology of early modern Europeans | journal =Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA | volume =104 | issue =4 | pages =1165–1170 | year =2007 | url =http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0610538104v1-->

depicted on Trajan's column

The earliest written evidence of people living in the territory of the present-day Romania comes form Herodotus in 513 BC. {{Citation | title =History of costume elements | publisher =Eliznik.co.uk, a website dedicated to the study of the traditional peasant culture in Romanian and Bulgaria | url =http://www.eliznik.org.uk/RomaniaPortul/history_costume.htm--> In one of his books, he writes that the tribal confederation of the [Dacia were defeated by the [Persian Empire Emperor [Darius I of Persia during his campaign against the [Scythians. {{Citation | last =Herodotus | author-link =Herodotus | translation = William Beloe | title =The Ancient History of Herodotus By Herodotus | digitized =Google Book Search | pages =213-217 | Publisher = Derby & Jackson | year =1859 | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=sfHsgNIZum0C&pg=PA215&lpg=PA215&dq=herodotus+dacians+darius&source=web&ots=G4uX7Mnsqb&sig=kYPtXH157JEzuk7V618EreDadqY&hl=en --> Over half a millennium later, the Dacians were defeated by the Roman Empire under Emperor Trajan in Dacian Wars stretching from 101 AD to 106 AD,{{Citation | title =Assorted Imperial Battle Descriptions | publisher =De Imperatoribus Romanis, An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors | url =http://www.roman-emperors.org/assobd.htm#s-inx --> and the core of their kingdom was turned into the [Roman province of [Dacia. Because the province was rich in ores, and especially silver and gold , {{cite web | title = Dacia-Province of the Roman Empire | publisher =United Nations of Roma Victor | url =http://www.unrv.com/provinces/dacia.php | text="gold and silver were found in great quantities in the Western Carpathians. After Trajan's conquest, he brought back to Rome over 165 tons of gold and 330 tons of silver"-->, the Romans heavily colonized the province, {{cite book | last = Deletant | first = Dennis | title = Colloquial Romanian | publisher = Routledge | date =1995 | location =New York | pages =1--> brought with them the [Vulgar Latin and started a period of intense [romanization (giving birth to proto-[Romanian language). {{cite book|| last =Matley|| first =Ian|| title =Romania; a Profile|| publisher =Praeger|| date =1970|| pages =85--> {{cite book|| last = Giurescu | first =Constantin C. | title = The Making of the Romanian People and Language | publisher =Meridiane Publishing House | date =1972 | location =Bucharest | pages =43, 98-101,141--> But in the 3rd century AD, with the invasions of migratory populations such as [Goths, the [Roman Empire was forced to pull out of [Dacia in 270 AD, thus making it the first province to be abandoned. {{cite book | last =Eutropius | authorlink = Eutropius | coauthors = Justin, Cornelius Nepos | title =Eutropius, Abridgment of Roman History | publisher =George Bell and Sons | date =1886 | location =London | url = http://www.ccel.org/p/pearse/morefathers/eutropius_breviarium_2_text.htm--> {{cite web | last = Watkins | first = Thayer | title = The Economic History of the Western Roman Empire | publisher = | date = | url =http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/barbarians.htm | text= "The Emperor Aurelian recognized the realities of the military situation in Dacia and around 271 A.D. withdrew Roman troops from Dacia leaving it to the Goths. The Danube once again became the northern frontier of the Roman Empire in eastern Europe"--> first attested in the 12th century is famous for its Medieval Festival

Dark Ages, Middle Ages and early Modern Romania (4th century BC - 18th century AD) In either 271 or 275 the Roman army and administration left Dacia, which was invaded by the Goths{{cite book | last =Jordanes | authorlink =Jordanes | title = Getica, sive, De Origine Actibusque Gothorum | year =551 A.D. | location =Constantinople | pages = | url =http://www.harbornet.com/folks/theedrich/Goths/Goths1.htm-->. The Goths lived with the local people until the 4th century, when another nomadic people, the [Huns, arrived. {{Citation | last = Iliescu | first = Vl. | last2=Paschale | first2=Chronicon | title = Fontes Historiae Daco-Romanae | volume = II | pages = 363, 587 | place = Bucureşti | year = 1970--> The [Gepids {{Citation | last = Teodor | first =Dan Gh. | title =Istoria României de la începuturi până în secolul al VIII-lea | year =1995 | location =Bucureşti | page =311 | volume=2 --> {{Citation | first=István | last=Bóna | editor-last = Köpeczi | editor-first = Béla | title = History of Transylvania: II.3. The Kingdom of the Gepids | volume = 1 | publisher = Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences | distributor = Columbia University Press | place = New York | year = 2001 | url = http://mek.oszk.hu/03400/03407/html/33.html--> and the [Eurasian Avars {{Citation | first=István | last=Bóna | editor-last = Köpeczi | editor-first = Béla | title = History of Transylvania: II.4. The Period of the Avar Rule | volume = 1 | publisher = Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences | distributor = Columbia University Press | place = New York | year = 2001 | url = http://mek.oszk.hu/03400/03407/html/41.html--> ruled [Transylvania until the 8th century, and the [Bulgarians arrive {{Citation | last = Teodor | first =Dan Gh. | title =Istoria României de la începuturi până în secolul al VIII-lea | year =1995 | location =Bucureşti | page =294-325 | volume=2 --> include the territory of modern Romania in [First Bulgarian Empire until around 1000. The [Pechenegs,{{cite book | last =Constantine VII | first =Porphyrogenitus | authorlink =Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus | title =Constantine Porphyrogenitus De Administrando Imperio | date =950 | location =Constantinople | url =http://faculty.washington.edu/dwaugh/rus/texts/constp.html--> the [Cumans {{Citation | last =Xenopol | first =Alexandru D. | title =Histoire des Roumains | place=Paris | year =1896 | volume =i | page=168--> and [Uzes were also mentioned by historic chronicles on the territory of Romania, until the founding of the Romanian principalities of [Wallachia by [Basarab I around 1310,{{Citation | last =Ştefănescu | first =Ştefan | title =Istoria medie a României | page=114 | year =1991 | location =Bucharest | volume =I--> and [Moldavia by [Dragoş around 1352. {{Citation | last =Predescu | first =Lucian | title =Enciclopedia Cugetarea | year =1940--> , 1419, with its impressive size and architectural beauty sets it among the most precious monuments of medieval art. It was the home of one of the greatest List of Hungarian rulers, Matthias Corvinus (reigned from 1458-1490), son of the Romanian John Hunyadi.

Several competing theories have been generated to explain the Origin of Romanians. Linguistic and geo-historical analyses tend to indicate that Romanians have coallesced as a major ethnic group both South and North of the Danube. {{Citation | last =Ghyka | first =Matila | title =A Documented Chronology of Roumanian History | place=Oxford | publisher =B. H. Blackwell Ltd. | year =1841 | url =http://www.vlachophiles.net/ghika.htm --> ''For further discussion, see [Origin of Romanians''.

In the Middle Ages, Romanians lived in three distinct principalities: Wallachia (Romanian language: Ţara Românească - "Romanian Land"), Moldavia (Romanian language: Moldova) and Transylvania.Transylvania was part of the Kingdom of Hungary from the 10-11th century until the 16th century, {{Citation | first=László | last=Makkai | editor-last = Köpeczi | editor-first = Béla | title = History of Transylvania: III. Transylvania in the Medieval Hungarian Kingdom (896–1526) | volume = 1 | publisher = Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences | distributor = Columbia University Press | place = New York | year = 2001 | url = http://mek.oszk.hu/03400/03407/html/57.html --> when it became the independent [Principality of Transylvania {{Citation | editor-last = Köpeczi | editor-first = Béla | title = History of Transylvania: IV. The First Period of the Principality of Transylvania (1526–1606) | volume = 1 | publisher = Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences | distributor = Columbia University Press | place = New York | year = 2001 | url=http://mek.oszk.hu/03400/03407/html/97.html--> until 1711.{{Citation | first=Ágnes R. | last=Várkonyi | editor-last = Köpeczi | editor-first = Béla | title = History of Transylvania: VI. The Last Decades of the Independent Principality (1660–1711) | volume = 2 | publisher = Institute of History of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences | distributor = Columbia University Press | place = New York | year = 2001 | url=http://mek.oszk.hu/03400/03407/html/221.html--> Independent Wallachia has been on the border of the Ottoman Empire since the 14th century and slowly fell under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire during 15th. Among the rulers was Vlad III the Impaler (, in common Romanian language reference; also known as Vlad Dracula) was List of rulers of Wallachia of Wallachia in 1448, 1456–62, and 1476. {{cite book | last =Schoolfield | first =George C. | title =A Baedeker of Decadence: Charting a Literary Fashion, 1884-1927 | publisher =Yale University Press | date =2004 | isbn = 0300047142 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=LzBSu7HZLhcC&pg=PA219&dq=isbn:0300047142+vlad&as_brr=0&sig=b8Gx-Er8uF6EzOVjJRSXTKspVeQ#PPA219,M1--> {{Citation | title =Vlad Tepes: The Historical Dracula | url =http://www.donlinke.com/drakula/vlad.htm#Evidence | accessdate = --> In the [English language-speaking world, Vlad is best known for the legends of the exceedingly cruel punishments he imposed during his reign and for serving as the primary inspiration for the [vampire [Count Dracula in [Bram Stoker's popular ''[Dracula (novel)'' novel. As king, he maintained an independent policy in relation to the [Ottoman Empire, and in Romania he is viewed by many as a prince with a deep sense of justice {{Citation | title =Count Dracula's Legend | year =2006 | url =http://www.romaniatourism.com/dracula.html | accessdate = --> and a defender of both Wallachia and European [Christianity against [Ottoman [expansionism. built in 1212, is commonly known as Dracula's Castle and is situated in the centre of present-day Romania. In addition to its unique architecture, the castle is famous because of persistent myths that it was once the home of Vlad III Dracula.

The principality of Moldavia reached its most glorious period under the rule of Stephen III of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504. {{Citation | last =Marek | first =Miroslav | title =Rulers of Moldavia: Mushati family | url =http://genealogy.euweb.cz/balkan/balkan18.html | accessdate = --> His rule of 47 years was unusually long, especially at that time - only [List of longest reigning monarchs of all time were recorded to have ruled for at least 50 years until the end of 15th century. He was a very successful military leader (winning 47 battles and losing only 2 {{Citation | title =St. Stephen the Great Charitable Trust | year = | url =http://www.ststephentrust.org.uk/html/ststephen.html | accessdate = -->), and after each victory, he raised a church, managing to build 48 churches or monasteries, {{Citation | last = Orthodox Church in America | title = St. Stephen the Great - Commemorated on July 2 | url =http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=149011 | accessdate = --> some of them with unique and very interesting painting styles. For more information see Painted churches of northern Moldavia listed in UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites. Stephen's most prestigious victory was over the Ottoman Empire in 1475 at the Battle of Vaslui for which he raised the Voroneţ Monastery. For this victory, Pope Sixtus IV deemed him verus christianae fidei athleta (true Champion of Christian Faith). However, after his death, Moldavia would also come under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century.

built in 1488 by Stephen III of Moldavia after his victory at the Battle of Vaslui

Michael the Brave (Romanian: Mihai Viteazul) was the Prince of Wallachia (1593-1601), of Rulers of Transylvania (1599-1600), and of List of rulers of Moldavia (1600). Briefly, during his reign the three principalities largely inhabited by Romanians were for the first time united under a single rule.{{Citation | last =Rezachevici | first =Constantin | title =Mihai Viteazul: itinerariul moldovean | year =2000 | journal =Magazin istoric | issue =5 | url =http://www.itcnet.ro/history/archive/mi2000/current5/mi5.htm--> After his death, as vassal tributary states, [Moldova and [Wallachia had complete internal autonomy and an external independence, which was finally lost in the 18th century.

National Revival, Union, Independence and Kingdom of Romania (1821-1916) During the period of Austro-Hungarian Empire rule in Transylvania, and Ottoman Empire suzerainty over Wallachia and Moldavia, most Romanians were in the situation of being Supplex Libellus Valachorum (or even non-citizens){{Citation | publisher =GenealogyRO Group | title =The Magyarization Process | url =http://www.genealogy.ro/cont/13.htm | accessdate = --> in a territory where they were forming the majority of the population. {{Citation | last =Kocsis | first =Karoly | last2 =Kocsis-Hodosi | first2 =Eszter | year =1999 | title =Ethnic structure of the population on the present territory of Transylvania (1880-1992) | url =http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/hmcb/Tab14.htm | accessdate = --> {{Citation | last =Kocsis | first =Karoly | last2 =Kocsis-Hodosi | first2 =Eszter | title =Ethnic Geography of the Hungarian Minorities in the Carpathian Basin | year =2001 | pages =102 | publisher =Simon Publications | isbn =193131375X | url =http://books.google.com/books?id=-zZ_NVM9mNEC&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=hungarian+census+transylvania+1910&source=web&ots=pcesU0UOYB&sig=0h53xLxEHT3rtVue_FWlkollBns#PPA102,M1--> In some Transylvanian cities, such as [Braşov (at that time the [Transylvanian Saxons citadel of Kronstadt), Romanians were [Transylvanian Memorandum to reside within the city walls.{{Citation | last =Prodan | first =David | title =Supplex Libellus Valachorum | year =1948 | location =Bucharest-->

After the failed Revolutions of 1848, the Great Powers did not support the Romanians' expressed desire to officially unite in a single state, forcing Romania to proceed alone against the Turks. The electors in both Moldavia and Wallachia chose in 1859 the same person – Alexander John Cuza – as Romanian heads of state (Domnitor in Romanian language). {{Citation | last =Bobango | first =Gerald J | title =The emergence of the Romanian national State | publisher =Boulder | year =1979 | location =New York | isbn = 9780914710516--> Thus, Romania was created as a personal union, albeit a Romania that did not include Transylvania, where Romanian nationalism inevitably ran up against Hungarian nationalism. For some time yet, Austria-Hungary, especially under the [History of Hungary of 1867, would keep the Hungarians firmly in control, even in parts of Transylvania where Romanians constituted a local majority.

in Iaşi was built in 1925 and hosts several museumsVia a 1866 coup d'etat, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was exiled and replaced by Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who became known as Prince Carol of Romania. During the Russo-Turkish War, 1877-78, Romania fought on the Russian side; {{Citation | title =San Stefano Preliminary Treaty | year =1878 | url =http://www.hist.msu.ru/ER/Etext/FOREIGN/stefano.htm | accessdate = --> in the 1878 [Treaty of Berlin, 1878,{{Citation | title =Modern History Sourcebook: The Treaty of Berlin, 1878 - Excerpts on the Balkans | date =July 13, 1878 | place=Berlin | url =http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1878berlin.html | accessdate = --> Romania was recognized as an [Romanian War of Independence state by the [Great Powers. {{Citation | last =Patterson | first =Michelle | title =The Road to Romanian Independence | journal =Canadian Journal of History | date =Aug 1996 | url =http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3686/is_199608/ai_n8755098--> In return, Romania ceded three southern districts of [Bessarabia to [Russia and acquired [Dobruja. In 1881, the [principality was raised to a [monarchy and Prince Carol became [Monarch [Carol I.

The 1878-1914 period was one of Kingdom of Romania for Romania. During the Second Balkan War, Romania joined Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey against Bulgaria. In the peace Treaty of Bucharest (1913) Romania gained Southern Dobrudja - the Quadrilateral (the Durostor and Caliacra counties). {{Citation | last =Anderson | first =Frank Maloy | last2 =Hershey | first2 =Amos Shartle | title =Handbook for the Diplomatic History of Europe, Asia, and Africa 1870-1914 | publisher =Government Printing Office | year =1918 | location =Washington D.C.-->

World Wars and Greater Romania (1916-1947) , retreat of Romanian monarchs In August 1914, when World War I broke out, Romania declared neutrality. Two years later, under the pressure of Allies (especially France desperate to open a new front), on August 14/27 1916 it joined the Allies, for which they were promised support for the accomplishment of national unity, Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary. {{Citation | last =Horne | first =Charles F. | year =Horne | title =Ion Bratianu's Declaration of War Delivered to the Austrian Minister in Romania on 28 August 1916 | volume =V | publisher =Source Records of the Great War | url = http://www.firstworldwar.com/source/romaniawardeclaration.htm-->

The Romanian Campaign (World War I) ended in disaster for Romania as the Central Powers conquered two-thirds of the country and captured or killed the majority of its Romanian Army within four months. Nevertheless, Moldova remained in Romanian hands after the invading forces were stopped in 1917 and since by the war's end, Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire had collapsed, Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania were allowed to unite with the Kingdom of Romania in 1918. By the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, Hungary renounced in favour of Romania all the claims of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy over Transylvania. The union of Bucovina and Bessarabia with Romania was ratified in 1920 by the Treaty of Versailles.

and World War I but were lost after World War II, and rose indicates areas that joined Romania after WWI and remained so after WWII.The Romanian expression România Mare (literal translation "Great Romania", but more commonly rendered "Greater Romania") generally refers to the Romanian state in the years between the First and Second World Wars and, by extension, to the territory Romania covered at the time (see the map). Romania achieved at that time its greatest territorial extent, managing to unite all the historic Romanian lands.

During the Second World War, Romania tried again to remain neutral but in 1940, it received a June 1940 Soviet Ultimatum in which it agreed to cede Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia to the Soviet Union. This, in combination with other factors, prompted the government to join the Axis. Thereafter, southern Dobruja was awarded to Bulgaria, while Hungary received Northern Transylvania as result of an Axis arbitration. The authoritarian Carol II of Romania abdicated in 1940, succeeded by the National Legionary State, in which power was shared by Ion Antonescu and the Iron Guard. Within months, Antonescu had crushed the Iron Guard, and the subsequent year Romania entered the war on the side of the Axis powers of World War II. During the war, Romania was by far the most important source of oil for Nazi Germany, which attracted multiple bombing raids by the Allies. By means of the Operation Barbarossa, Romania recovered Bessarabia and northern Bukovina from the Soviet Russia, under the leadership of general Ion Antonescu. The Antonescu regime played a role in the Holocaust, following to a lesser extent the Nazi policy of oppression and massacre of the Jews, and Roma peoples, primarily in the Eastern territories Romania recovered or occupied from the Soviet Union (Transnistria (World War II)) and in Moldavia.

In August 1944, Antonescu was toppled and arrested by King Michael I of Romania. Romania changed sides and joined the Allies of World War II, but its role in the defeat of Nazi Germany was not recognized by the Paris Peace Treaties, 1947 of 1947. With the Red Army forces still stationed in the country and exerting de facto control, communism and their allied parties claimed 80% of the vote, through a combination of vote manipulation, "Petru Groza's Premiership" elimination and forced mergers of competing parties, establishing themselves as the dominant force.

Communist Era (1947-1989) In 1947, Michael I of Romania was forced by the Communists to abdicate and leave the country, Romania was proclaimed a republic, and remained under direct military and economic control of the Soviet Union until the late 1950s. During this period, Romania's resources were drained by the "SovRom" agreements: mixed Soviet-Romanian companies established to mask the looting of Romania by the Soviet Union.{{Citation | first =Carmen | last =Rîjnoveanu | title =Romania's Policy of Autonomy in the Context of the Sino-Soviet Conflict | year =2003 | pages =1 | place = | publisher =Czech Republic Military History Institute, Militärgeschichtliches Forscheungamt | url =http://www.servicehistorique.sga.defense.gouv.fr/07autredossiers/groupetravailhistoiremilitaire/pdfs/2003-gthm.pdf | doi = | id =--> {{Citation | last =Roper | first =Stephen D. | title =Romania: The Unfinished Revolution | place=London | publisher =Routledge | year =2000 | page =18 | isbn = 9058230279 --> {{Citation | last =Cioroianu | first =Adrian | author-link =Adrian Cioroianu | title =Pe umerii lui Marx. O introducere în istoria comunismului românesc ("On the Shoulders of Marx. An Incursion into the History of Romanian Communism") | publisher =Editura Curtea Veche | year =2005 | location =Bucharest | pages =68-73 | isbn = 9736691756--> A large number of people were arbitrarily imprisoned for political, economic or unknown reasons: {{ro icon-->{{Citation | last =Caraza | first =Grigore | title =Aiud însângerat | place= | publisher =Editura Vremea XXI. | year = 2004 | location = | volume =Chapter IV | edition = | isbn=9736450503 | url =http://www.procesulcomunismului.com/marturii/fonduri/gcaraza/aiud/docs/cap4.htm--> detainees in prisons or camps, deported, persons under house arrest, and administrative detainees. Political prisoners were also detained as psychiatric patients. Estimations vary, from 60,000, Cartea albă a Securităţii, vol. 2 80,000, Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, ''Speech at the Plenary session of the Central Committee of the Romanian Workers' Party'', 30 November 1961 up to two million.''Recensământul populaţiei concentraţionare din România în anii 1945-1989'' - report of the "Centrul Internaţional de Studii asupra Comunismului", Sighet, 2004 There were hundreds of thousands of abuses, deaths and incidents of torture against a large range of people, from political opponents to ordinary citizens.Cicerone Ioniţoiu, Victimele terorii comuniste. Arestaţi, torturaţi, întemniţaţi, ucişi. Dicţionar. Editura Maşina de scris, Bucureşti, 2000. ISBN 973-99994-2-5. Most political prisoners were freed in a series of amnesties between 1962 and 1964.

After the negotiated retreat of Soviet troops, in 1958, Romania started to pursue independent policies, including the condemnation of the Soviet-led 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia (Romania was the only Warsaw Pact country not to take part in the invasion), the continuation of diplomatic relations with Israel after the Six-Day War of 1967 (again, the only Warsaw Pact country to do so), the establishment of economic (1963) and diplomatic (1967) relations with the Federal Republic of Germany, and so forth. Also, close ties with the Arab countries (and the PLO) allowed Romania to play a key role in the Israel-Egypt and Israel-PLO peace processes (intermediated the visit of Sadat in Israel. "Middle East policies in Communist Romania") A short-lived period of relative economic well-being and openness followed in the late 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s. As Romania's foreign debt sharply increased between 1977 and 1981 (from 3 to 10 billion US dollars),{{Citation | last =Deletant | first =Dennis | author-link =Dennis Deletant | title =New Evidence on Romania and the Warsaw Pact, 1955-1989 | publisher =Cold War International History Project e-Dossier Series | url =http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1409&fuseaction=topics.publications&doc_id=16367&group_id=13349--> the influence of international financial organisations such as the [IMF or the [World Bank grew, conflicting with [Nicolae Ceauşescu's [autarky policies. Ceauşescu eventually initiated a project of total reimbursement of the foreign debt (completed in 1989, shortly before his overthrow). To achieve this goal, he imposed policies that impoverished Romanians and exhausted the Romanian economy. He profoundly deepened Romania's [Securitate and imposed a [cult of personality which led to his overthrow and death in the bloody [Romanian Revolution of 1989.

Present Romania (after 1989) After the fall of Ceauşescu, the National Salvation Front (FSN), led by Ion Iliescu, restored civil order and took partial democratic measures. Several major political parties of the pre-war era, such as the Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party (Romania), the National Liberal Party (Romania) and the Romanian Social Democrat Party were resurrected. After several major political rallies (especially in January), in April 1990, a sit-in protest contesting the results of the recently held parliamentary elections began in the University Square, Bucharest. The protesters accused the FSN of being made up of former Communists and members of the Securitate. The protesters did not recognize the results of the election, which they deemed undemocratic, and were asking for the exclusion from the political life of the former high-ranking Communist Party members. The protest rapidly grew to become an ongoing mass demonstration (known as the Golaniad). The peaceful demonstrations degenerated into violence. After the police failed to bring the demonstrators to order, Ion Iliescu called on the "men of good will" to come and defend the Bucharest and State institutions. Coal miners of the Jiu River answered the call and arrived in Bucharest on June 14. Their violent intervention is remembered as the June 1990 Mineriad.

The subsequent disintegration of the FSN produced several political parties including the Romanian Democrat Social Party (PDSR, later Social Democratic Party (Romania), PSD), the Democratic Party (Romania) (PD) and the ApR (List of political parties in Romania#Other post-1989 parties). The PDSR party governed Romania from 1990 until 1996 through several coalitions and governments with Ion Iliescu as head of state. Since then there have been three democratic changes of government: in 1996, the democratic-liberal opposition and its leader Emil Constantinescu acceded to power; in 2000 the Social Democrats returned to power, with Iliescu once again president; and in 2004 Traian Băsescu was elected president, with an electoral coalition called Justice and Truth (DA). The government was formed by a larger coalition which also includes the Conservative Party (Romania) and the UDMR.Post-Cold War Romania developed closer ties with Western Europe, eventually joining NATO in 2004. The country applied in June 1993 for membership in the European Union (EU). It became an Associated State of the EU in 1995, an Acceding Country in 2004, and a member on January 1, 2007.

Geography

With a surface area of 238,391 km², Romania is the largest country in southeastern Europe and the twelfth-largest in Europe. A large part of Romania's border with Serbia and Bulgaria is formed by the Danube. The Danube is joined by the Prut River, which forms the border with the Republic of Moldova. The Danube flows into the Black Sea on Romanian territory, forming the Danube Delta, the largest delta in Europe, which is currently a biosphere reserve and World Heritage-listed site due to its biodiversity. Other important rivers are the Siret River, running north-south through Moldavia, the Olt River, running from the oriental Carpathian Mountains to Oltenia, and the Mureş River, running through Transylvania from East to West.

Romania's terrain is distributed roughly equally between mountainous, hilly and lowland territories. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the center of Romania, with fourteen of its mountain ranges reaching above the altitude of 2,000 meters. The highest mountain in Romania is Moldoveanu Peak (2544 m). In south-central Romania, the Carpathians sweeten into hills, towards the Bărăgan Plains. Romania's geographical diversity has led to an accompanying diversity of flora and fauna.

Environment A high percentage of natural ecosystems (47% of the land area of the country) is covered with natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Since almost half of all forests in Romania (13% of the country) have been managed for watershed conservation rather than production, Romania has one of the largest areas of undisturbed forest in Europe. The integrity of Romanian forest ecosystems is indicated by the presence of the full range of European forest fauna, including 60% and 40% of all European brown bears and wolves, respectively. "Biodiversity" There are also almost 400 unique species of mammals (of which Carpathian chamois are best known), birds, reptiles and amphibians in Romania. "Danube Delta Reserve Biosphere"The significance of the biodiversity of the Danube Delta has been internationally recognised. It was declared a Biosphere Reserve in September 1990, a Ramsar site in May 1991, and over 50% of its area was placed on the World Heritage List in December 1991. Within its boundaries is one of the most extensive reed bed systems in Europe. Besides the delta, there are two more biosphera reserves: Retezat National Park and Rodna National Park.

Climate Owing to its distance from the open sea, Romania has a continental climate. Summers are generally very warm to hot, with average maxima in Bucharest being around 27°C (81°F), with temperatures over 35°C (95°F) not unknown in the lower-lying areas of the continent. Minima in Bucharest and other lower-lying areas are around 18°C (64°F), but at higher altitudes both maxima and minima decline considerably.

Winters are famously cold, with average maxima even in lower-lying areas being no more than 2°C (36°F) and below -15°C (5°F) in the highest mountains, where some areas of permafrost occur on the highest peaks.

Precipitation is generally modest, averaging over 750mm (30 inches) only on the highest western mountains - much of it falling as snow which allows for an extensive skiing industry. In the delta of the Danube rainfall is very low, averaging only around 370mm (15 inches) per year, whilst in the more westerly lowland like Bucharest it is around 530mm (21 inches).

Demographics According to the 2002 census, Romania has a population of 22,680,974 and, similarly to other countries in the region, is expected to gently decline in the coming years as a result of sub-replacement fertility rates. Romanians make up 89.5% of the population. The largest Minorities of Romania are Hungarian minority in Romania, who make up 6.6% of the population and Roma minority in Romania, who make up 2% of the population. By the official census 409,000 Roma live in Romania. Hungarians, who are a sizeable minority in Transylvania, constitute a majority in the counties of Harghita County and Covasna County. Ukrainians of Romania, Germans of Romania, Lipovans, Turks of Romania, Tatars of Romania, Serbs of Romania, Slovaks of Romania, Banat Bulgarians, Croats of Romania, Greeks of Romania, Russians, History of the Jews in Romania, Czechs of Romania, Polish minority in Romania, Italians of Romania, Armenians in Romania, as well as other ethnic groups, account for the remaining 1.4% of the population. 2002 Census ResultsThe population density of the country as a whole has doubled since 1900 although, in contrast to other central European states, there is still considerable room for further growth. The overall density figures, however, conceal considerable regional variation. Population densities are naturally highest in the towns, with the plains (up to altitudes of some 700 ft) having the next highest density, especially in areas with intensive agriculture or a traditionally high birth rate (e.g., northern Moldavia and the “contact” zone with the Subcarpathians); areas at altitudes of 700 to , rich in mineral resources, orchards, vineyards, and pastures, support the lowest densities. The number of Romanians and individuals with ancestors born in Romania living abroad is estimated at around 12 million.

The official language of Romania is Romanian language, an Eastern Romance languages related to French language, Spanish language, Catalan language, Italian language and Portuguese language. Romanian is spoken as a first language by 91% of the population, with Hungarian language and Romani being the most important minority languages, spoken by 6.7% and 1.1% of the population, respectively. Until the 1990s, there was also a substantial number of German-speaking

Country Profile: Romania
Country Profile: Romania ... Area: 238,391 sq km Population: 22.6m Capital City: Bucharest (population: 2m)

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