Fast Facts

Official Name: Romania

Location: (Southeastern) Central Europe

Time Zone: Seven hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time (GMT + 2)

Area: 91,725 sq. miles (237,502 sq. km)

Flag of Romania: Three vertical stripes: red, yellow and blue.

flag of romania
Population: 21,400,000 (2009 mid-year estimate)

Ethnic Groups: Romanian 89%, Hungarian 7.5%, Gipsy 1.9%, German, Other 1.6%

Religions: Christian Orthodox 87%, Roman Catholic 5%, Protestant 5%, Jewish

Official Language: Romanian

Currency: Romanian Leu (RON)

Climate: Temperate, four distinct seasons, similar to northeastern USA

Capital: Bucharest (Bucuresti)

Form of State: Semi-parliamentary Republic with two legislative bodies: Senate (Senat) and Chamber of Representatives (Camera Deputatilor)

Legal system: Based on European models and Constitution of 1991.

Electoral System: Universal direct suffrage over the age of 18.
Parties must win at least five percent of the national vote to gain representation in the Parliament.

National Elections: November 2008;
next ellections: Fall 2012 (parliamentary), Fall 2014 (presidential).

Head of State: President of the Republic, currently Mr. Traian Basescu (re-elected on December 6, 2009).
Romania's president is allowed to serve two consecutive five-year terms.

National Government: The government is led by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the Parliament on the nomination of the President of Romania.
The present Government is formed by the Democratic - Liberal Party.

Head of the Government: the Prime Minister, currently Mr. Emil Boc (Democratic-Liberal Party).

Main political parties: Social Democratic Party (PSD), Democratic-Liberal Party (PD-L), National Liberal Party (PNL), Democratic Union of the Hungarian Minority (UDMR).

Regional Government: Forty-one County Councils (Consiliu Judetean).