Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of <a href="/facts/Central_Europe/VdxzSbJz">Central</a>, <a href="/facts/Eastern_Europe/f5CDGzNA">Eastern</a> and <a href="/facts/Southeast_Europe/zxgEvCdQ">Southeast Europe</a>. It borders <a href="/facts/Ukraine/Qof0uqAj">Ukraine</a> to the north and east, <a href="/facts/Hungary/YRedQLtI">Hungary</a> to the west, <a href="/facts/Serbia/U0LVzPdI">Serbia</a> to the southwest, <a href="/facts/Bulgaria/Er5pY3YS">Bulgaria</a> to the south, <a href="/facts/Moldova/qGBNGewt">Moldova</a> to the east, and the <a href="/facts/Black_Sea/M0rLKvge">Black Sea</a> to the southeast. It has a mainly <a href="/facts/Continental_climate/Yn5Erc8Y">continental climate</a>, and an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi) with a population of 19 million people. Romania is the <a href="/facts/List_of_European_countries_by_area/6jTfv2P5">twelfth-largest country</a> in Europe and the <a href="/facts/List_of_European_Union_member_states_by_population/c2J1boMF">sixth-most populous</a> member state of the <a href="/facts/European_Union/6GYcR8qM">European Union</a>. Europe's second-longest river, the <a href="/facts/Danube/8lMeM9xg">Danube</a>, empties into the <a href="/facts/Danube_Delta/lfVQy0sk">Danube Delta</a> in the southeast of the country. The <a href="/facts/Carpathian_Mountains/I3TkYUjj">Carpathian Mountains</a> cross Romania from the north to the southwest and include <a href="/facts/Moldoveanu_Peak/QnQrGz80">Moldoveanu Peak</a>, at an altitude of 2,544 m (8,346 ft). <a href="/facts/Bucharest/4xQnsGwM">Bucharest</a> is the country's <a href="/facts/Bucharest_metropolitan_area/F2kfskVS">largest urban area</a> and <a href="/facts/Economy_of_Romania/jyfNI2xl">financial centre</a>. Other major <a href="/facts/Urban_centers/fu9v8h5P">urban areas</a> include <a href="/facts/Cluj-Napoca/Mbz4SrUY">Cluj-Napoca</a>, <a href="/facts/Timi%25C8%2599oara/z4PAkdCE">Timișoara</a>, <a href="/facts/Ia%25C8%2599i/hPXRM7WJ">Iași</a>, <a href="/facts/Constan%25C8%259Ba/4hQxbEuP">Constanța</a> and <a href="/facts/Bra%25C8%2599ov/U0I6JfxX">Brașov</a>.
Settlement in the territory of modern Romania began in the <a href="/facts/Lower_Paleolithic/oeIoC6WB">Lower Paleolithic</a>, later becoming the <a href="/facts/Dacian_Kingdom/cVJqvGeA">Dacian Kingdom</a> before <a href="/facts/Trajan%2527s_Dacian_Wars/NsdI5bVD">Roman conquest</a> and <a href="/facts/Romanization_(cultural)/XtyKWbgT">Romanisation</a>. The modern Romanian state formed in 1859 with <a href="/facts/Unification_of_Moldavia_and_Wallachia/p2U4bWgX">the unification</a> of <a href="/facts/Moldavia/KDqRzNHf">Moldavia</a> and <a href="/facts/Wallachia/FcqBf1oT">Wallachia</a> under <a href="/facts/Alexandru_Ioan_Cuza/WRpdCwHV">Alexandru Ioan Cuza</a>, becoming <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Romania/CwhVjbwD">Kingdom of Romania</a> in 1881 under <a href="/facts/Carol_I/AmAseCTw">Carol I</a>. Romania <a href="/facts/Romanian_War_of_Independence/aDnSuvKn">gained independence</a> from the <a href="/facts/Ottoman_Empire/6QvfTRsg">Ottoman Empire</a> in 1877, formalised by the <a href="/facts/Treaty_of_Berlin_(1878)/LY7XSBs3">Treaty of Berlin</a>. After <a href="/facts/World_War_I/vITTUanQ">World War I</a>, <a href="/facts/Transylvania/6MH7dvbq">Transylvania</a>, <a href="/facts/Banat/p6myPulX">Banat</a>, <a href="/facts/Bukovina/7XrPSXxt">Bukovina</a>, and <a href="/facts/Bessarabia/Qe3PXVcJ">Bessarabia</a> joined the <a href="/facts/Romanian_Old_Kingdom/w5m1Gdlg">Old Kingdom</a>, forming <a href="/facts/Greater_Romania/vXful6cD">Greater Romania</a>, which reached its largest territorial extent. In 1940, under <a href="/facts/Axis_powers/Q3z1D8R9">Axis</a> pressure, Romania lost territories to <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Hungary/91tLqn81">Hungary</a>, <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Bulgaria/8p074GL0">Bulgaria</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Soviet_Union/m7wWsPto">Soviet Union</a>. Following the <a href="/facts/1944_Romanian_coup_d%2527%25C3%25A9tat/cASy7ut7">1944 Romanian coup d'état</a>, Romania switched sides to join <a href="/facts/Allies_of_World_War_II/YzCdtjDY">the Allies</a>. After <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, it regained <a href="/facts/Northern_Transylvania/227QENhA">Northern Transylvania</a> through the <a href="/facts/Paris_Peace_Treaties%2c_1947/WrsRCGqq">Paris Peace Treaties</a>. Under <a href="/facts/Soviet_occupation_of_Romania/FlGV0hME">Soviet occupation</a>, <a href="/facts/King_Michael_I/5JoQGCK7">King Michael I</a> was <a href="/facts/Michael_I_of_Romania/5JoQGCK7">forced to abdicate</a>, and Romania became a <a href="/facts/Socialist_Republic_of_Romania/sIqLNfBy">socialist republic</a> and <a href="/facts/Warsaw_Pact/SLEsUSAS">Warsaw Pact</a> member. After the <a href="/facts/Romanian_revolution/gEmUEELt">1989 Revolution</a>, Romania <a href="/facts/Transition_economy/udTGKCjg">began a transition</a> to <a href="/facts/Liberal_democracy/5blgnbkS">liberal democracy</a> and a <a href="/facts/Market_economy/d56S7haK">market economy</a>.
Romania is a <a href="/facts/Developing_country/eTfS4kxl">developing country</a> with a <a href="/facts/World_Bank_high-income_economy/KTrB8swr">high-income economy</a>, classified as a <a href="/facts/Middle_power/ku44qNYY">middle power</a> in <a href="/facts/Foreign_relations_of_Romania/qvJazjcJ">international relations</a>. It is a <a href="/facts/Unitary_republic/HAxK1eMM">unitary republic</a> with a <a href="/facts/Multi-party_system/QaTh5oox">multi-party system</a> and a <a href="/facts/Semi-presidential/vncj96gR">semi-presidential</a> <a href="/facts/Representative_democracy/svAbpym5">representative democracy</a>. It is home to <a href="/facts/List_of_World_Heritage_Sites_in_Romania/2bFMqC31">11</a> <a href="/facts/UNESCO_World_Heritage_Sites/6AbWWKV4">UNESCO World Heritage Sites</a> and has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, attracting <a href="/facts/Tourism_in_Romania/Hjcee6K1">14 million foreign visitors</a> in 2024. Romania is a <a href="/facts/List_of_countries_by_vehicle_exports/EaDscj68">net exporter of automotive and vehicle parts</a> worldwide and has established a growing reputation as a <a href="/facts/List_of_technology_centers/vuchBXx6">technology centre</a>, with some of the <a href="/facts/List_of_sovereign_states_by_Internet_connection_speeds/JDSA5KVN">fastest internet speeds globally</a>. Romania is a member of several <a href="/facts/International_organizations/6yJu9qNB">international organisations</a>, including the European Union, <a href="/facts/NATO/dCeTddMY">NATO</a>, and the <a href="/facts/Organization_of_the_Black_Sea_Economic_Cooperation/TVojhSHp">BSEC</a>.

Romania open-in-new

Romania