Julia's Romania Guide is your travel guide to Romania.  This site will include articles about many things to do in romania for both visitor and resident.  There will be information about where to visit when traveling in Romania.  Just click on the colored link to visit that page.

 

 

Romania is located in central and southeast Europe.  It is bordered on the west by Hungary and Serbia.  The Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to the northeast and Bulgaria to the south.  Romania is also situated on the Black Sea.  The total area of the country is 238,500 square kilometers with a coastline of 225 kilometers (1).  The total land area which is water is 7,160 square kilometers (2).  The total land boundary of this country is 2,508 km with the boundaries of the neighboring country as follows: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km (3).  The northern part of Romania is mountaineous while the south part of the country is marked by the vast Danube valley.  The Carpathian Mountains which extended over a large part of the country are divided into three different ranges which are Eastern or Oriental Carpathians, the Southern Carpathians or Transylvanian Alps, and the Western Carpathians (4).  In Southeast Romania the Danube River ends its long journey through Europe where the river divides into the branches Chilia, Sulina, and Sfântu Gheorghe which form the Danube Delta (4).  The lowest point is the Black Sea at 0 m while the highest point is Moldoveanu at 2,544 m (3).  The Black Sea is a continental sea and typically has low tide and salinity with water temperatures of 77 - 79°F in the summertime  (4).  Due to it warm temperature, the Black Sea is home to several resort towns which are popular during the summer months. 

 

 

Pestera cu Oase or The Cave with Bones is where the earliest signs of human life in Europe were found in Southwest Romania and dated back about 40,500 years (5).  In 106 A. D., the Romans defeat the local Dacians and made what would eventually become romania, a Roman province  (6) ).The country of Romania was formed when the principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia gained autonomy from the Turkish Ottoman Empire in 1856 and then united in 1858 to form a country which a few years after this adopted the name Romania and finally was recognized as an independent nation in 1878 (3). In 1916, Romania declares war on Hungary and invades Tranyslvania during WW I (6).  In 1919, Romania through the Treaty of Versailles took over Transylvania, Bukovina, and parts of Bessarbia which increased the size of the country greatly (6).  In 1938 to prevent a fascist takeover, King Carol II declares a Royal Dictatorship (6).  In 1989, the communist dicator Nicolae Ceausescu was overthrown by a military coup and he and his wife were executed on Christmas Day of the same year (7). Romania joined NATO on March 29, 2004 (8) .  It became part of the European Union in 2007 (9).

 

 

Romania is a country loaded with natural resources including timber, petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, and salt (1).  The estimated amount of oil proven reserves is 600 million bbl and natural gas was 63 billion cu m on January 1st, 2009 (3).

 

 

The percentage of Romanians that live in Urban areas is 54% of the total population (3).

 

The capital of Romania is Bucharest and also its largest city is located in the southeast part of the country.  The longitude and latitude of this city is 44° 25' 57" N, 26° 6' 14" E.  Bucharest is on the banks of the Dâmbovita River.  This city is home to many cultural buildings.  Timisoara is Romania 2nd largest city and is located in the Banat region of western Romania.  The longitude and latitude of this city is 45° 45' 35" N,21° 13' 48" E.  Iasi is Romania 3rd or 4th largest city and is located on the Bahlui river in Eastern Romania.  The longitude and latitude of this Romanian city are 47° 9' 25" N, 27° 35' 25" E.  Cluj-Napoca is either the 3rd or 4th largest city as its population is similar to Iasi.  This city is located in the Somesul Mic River Valley in the northwestern part of Romania.  The longitude and latitude of this city are 47° 8' 41" N, 23° 54' 48" E. Constanta is the 5th largest city in Romania and is located on the Black Sea coast.  The longitude and latitude of this city is 44° 10' 24" N, 28° 38' 18" E.  Craiova is the 6th largest city and is located at 44° 20' 0" N,23° 49' 0" E.  Galati is located in Moldavia on the banks of the Danube and is the 7th largest city.  Its longitude and latitude are 45° 25' 24" N, 28° 2' 33" E.

 

 

 

The population of Romania was estimated to be  22,334,312 in July 2000 (1).  The ethnic groups according to 2002 census was Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (3).  The breakdown of the population according to religious beliefs was Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% in the year 2002 (3).

 

 

Romanian is one of the Romance languages which also includes Spanish, Portugese, French, Italian, and Catalan and is spoken by the vast majority of Romanians.  The Romanian language appears to be the first of the Romance languages to spin off from Latin due to its relative isolations from most of the Roman Empire (10) .  In 1991, the Constitution of Romania made romanian the official language of Romania and thus by law all Government documents, public education, and legal contracts must be done in this language (10).  The Romanian language has the most in common with the Eastern Romance Languages which are spoken south of the Danube.  These languages include Aromanian, Megleno-Romanian, and Istro-Romanian which are also considered by some to be dialects of Romanian. 

 

In general if you know any of the other Romance language, you will be able to decipher many words in Romanian.  The main difference is the influence of Slavic languages on its vocabulary.  In Translyvania, Hungarian and German are widely spoken. French is often a second language for the older generation while English is the second language for the younger generation. 

 

Some phrases that English speakers should learn their equivalent in Romanian include: yes which is da in romanian and is pronounced as dah; no which is nu in Romanian and is pronounced as noo; Hello which is buna ziua and is pronounced as BOO-nuh ZEE wah; Thank you which is multumesc in Romanian and is pronounced as mool-tsooMENSK; and Goodbye which is la revedere in Romanian and is pronounced lah reh-veh-DEH-reh.  Help is ajutor in Romanian and is pronounced as ah-zhoo-TOHR. Buna dimineata is Romanian for Good Morning and is pronounced as BOO-nuh dee-mee-NYAH-tsah. Buna seara is the English equivalent of Good Evening and is pronounced as BOO-nuh seh-AH-rah.  Good night is noapte buna in Romanian and is prounounced as NWAHP-teh BOO-nuh.  Unde e toaleta? is romanian for where is the bathroom? and is pronounced OON-deh YEH twah-LEH-tah.

 

 

Romania's climate is transitional between temperate and continental due to its location in the southeatern part of the European continent but the extreme southeast part of the country does have a mild maritime climate due to the Mediterranean (2).  The average annual temperature is 11° C in the south and 8° C in the north (Federal Research Division).  Rainfall decreases from west to east and from mountains to plains with some mountaneous areas get over 1000 millimeters a year (2).  The general climate of Romania for most of the country is temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog;  while the summers are sunny but there are frequent showers and thunderstorms (3).  Due to its varied climate, Romania can be a year round destination.  The Black Sea Coast is at its peak as a tourist destination during the hot summer months of July and August.

 

 

The head of the Romania government is called the Prime Minister.  The cabinet or Ministries besides the Prime Minister has a Deputy Prime Minister and Ministers who each run a different part of the government.  There are currently 19 ministries in the Romanian Government.  The Ministry of Interior and Adminstration or Ministerul Administratiei si Internelor includes overseeing departments that deal with the following government duties including passports, driver's license & vehicle registration, emergency situations, immigration, international police, Romanian police & Romanian border police and National Archives. The  Ministry of Public Finance or Ministerul Finantelor Publice runs most of the public finance in Romania.  The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure or Ministerul Transportutilor si Infrastructurii is in charge of all means of transportation in Romania.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministerul Afacerilor Externe conducts the foreign affairs of Romania including the intergration of this country into both NATO and the EU.  The Ministry of Economy, Commerce and Business Environment of Romania or Ministerul Economiei, Comertului si Mediului de Afaceri deals with run the economy include commerce and other monetary policies.  The Ministry of Education, Research and Innovation or Ministerul Educatiei, Cercetarii si Inovarii is involved in the educational system and one of its main projects is rural education.  The Ministry of Regional Development and Housing or Ministerul Dezvoltarii Regionale si Locuintei duties include regional development, territoral development, public works, and promoting tourism.  The Ministry of Labor, Family and Social Protection or Ministerul Muncii, Familiei si Protectiei Sociale has many agencies under it including National House of Pensions and Other Social Insurance Rights, National Agency for Employment, National Authority for Disabled Persons; National Agency for Family Protection and Labour Inspection.  The Ministry of National Defense  or Ministerul Apararii Nationale includes the following agencies under it:  Department of Euro-Atlantic Integration and Defense Policy, Armaments Department, General Staff, Inspectorate of the Ministry of National Defense, General Secretariat, Defence Intelligence General Directorate, Human Resources Management Directorate, Financial-Accounting Directorate and Internal Audit Directorate.  TheMinistry of Justice or Ministerul Justitiei is in charge of running the judicial system in this country.  The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development or Ministerul Agriculturii si Dezvoltarii Rurale is in charge of Agricultural practices there.  The Ministry of Health or Ministerul Sanatatii deals with health issues.  The Ministry of Culture and National Patrimony or Ministerul Culturii si Patrimoniului National deals with art, religion and other cultural activities in this country.  The Ministry of the Environment and Forests or Ministerul Mediului si Padurilor is involved with environmental protection.  The Ministry of Communications and Information Society or Ministerul Comunicatiilor si Societatii Informationale is the information branch of the Romanian government.

 

The 42 prefectures are representatives of the Government of Romania in the 41 counties plus the municipality of Bucharest.  The parliament has two chambers which are the Senat (Senate) and the Camera Deputatilor (Chamber of Deputies) who are elected every four years.  Guvernul României is the official web site of the Government of Romania.  Presedintele României is the official web site of the President.  The Parlamentul României Senat has their own web site.  The Camera Deputatilor also has an official web site.   Înalta Curte de Casatie si Justitie is the Supreme Court of Romania.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 A popular destination for residents and vistors alike are the Spas and Health Resorts In Harghita County Romania which are known for their mineral water. Another popular destination is the Spas and Tourist Health Resorts from Covasna county,Romania.  Many people travel to see the Valleys and Waterfalls and spas and tourist health resorts of Maramures county, Romania.   Another popular destination for travellers is the Nature reserves and monuments, Spas and Tourist Health Resorts of Bistrita-Nasaud county, Romania.  Another place many people visit is Spas and tourist health resorts of Bihor county.  Tourist Attractions of Hunedoara County includes mountains, caves, and lakes.  A popular travel destination is the Spas and tourist health resorts of Caras-Severin county.

 

The Religious Buildings of Valcea County, Romania has information about the churches and other religious buildings located there.  The Historical Vestiges of Neamt has many things to see there.

 

Among the many attractions in Romania are the Kissing Gate or Kiss Gate which is located in the city of Targu Juiand can be found at a longitude and latitude of 45° 2' 18.07" N, 23° 16' 9.79" E.  Another attraction in that city is the Table of Silence.  Another place many vistors to this country go see is the Endless Column which is a very famous scuplter which has a longitude and latitude of 45° 2' 8.9" N,23° 16' 51.2" E. .  Another popular destination is the Merry Cemetery which celebrates life as much as final passage and is located at a longitude and latitude of 47° 58' 21.24" N, 23° 41' 53.22" E..  The former House of the People now called the Parliament Palace is a popular destination for vistors to Bucharest.  Pelisor Castle which goes back to somewhere between 1899 and 1902 is another place travellers go see.  The Arch of Triumph or Triumph Arch was constructed to celebrate the Romanians victory in World War I.  The  Romanian Atheneum is a Bucharest concert hall.  Sutu Palace is located in the heart of Bucharest near the University.  Banffy Castle which is near Cluj goes back to the 1300s.  Another castle which is located in the Prahova County, Romania is Iulia Hasdeu Castle.  Ghighiu Monastery is an important Orthodox monastery located in Prahova County.  Calnic Castle or Fortress is located in Calnic, Romania.  The Feldioara Fortress is located in the town of Feldioara about 20 km north of Brasov.  Deva Fortress is located in the Poiana Rusca Mountains in Western Romania. Another attraction in Romania is the People's Art Exhibition "Juliana Folea Troceanu" which is located in Buzias and among it exhibits includes clothing and local fabrics.  The Historical Vestiges of Salaj County highlights the many old fortress and buildings that were there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(3)  Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)  "The World Factbook:  Romania" Central Intelligence Agency 03 Jan. 2010.  <https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ro.html>

 

(4) Romanian Tourist Office "Romania Geography" 2009. Romania Tourist Office. 12 Jan 2010 <http://www.romaniatourism.com/geography.html>

 

(5) Wikipedia contributors   "Pestera cu Oase"   24 October 2009 Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 04 January 2010.  <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pe%C5%9Ftera_cu_Oase&oldid=321727652>

 

(6)  Encyclopedia of the Nations   "Romania - Country history and economic development  "  2009.  Encyclopedia of the Nations.  31 Dec. 2009. <http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Europe/Romania-COUNTRY-HISTORY-AND-ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT.html>

 

 

(9)  European Union  "Member States of the EU:  Romania" 2010. European Union.  05 Jan 2010.  http://europa.eu/abc/european_countries/eu_members/romania/index_en.htm  

 

(10) Wikipedia contributers   "Romanian language"  04 January 2010.  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 06 January 2010.  <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Romanian_language&oldid=335885405>

 

 

 

Wikipedia contributers  "Main Page"  09 January 2010.  Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.  09 January 2010.   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page