Location
Romania is located in southwestern Europe, in a region called the Balkans. The Ukraine borders Romania on the northeast; Moldova and the Black Sea on the east; Bulgaria on the south; Serbia on the southwest and Hungary on the northwest. It is a little less than 3% as large as the United States, slightly smaller than the state of Oregon. Romania is 450 miles from east to west and 320 miles from north to south. It is the same latitude as the state of Maine, halfway between the equator and the north pole.

Climate
The climate is temperate, cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow; summers are sunny and humid with frequent showers. The Black Sea is the lowest point at sea level and the highest point is Moldoveanu at 4000 feet elevation. The average rainfall is 50", with half that much in the plains. The average temperature is 75-85 degrees in the summer and 26 degrees in the capital of Bucarest in the winter.

Land Use
41% is cultivated, agricultural
3% is permanent crops
21% is permanent pasture
29% is forest and woods
6% is other

Population
The population is estimated to be 23 million. Bucarest has a population of 2,400,000. 50% of the population is rural; 50% urban. Approximately 21.5% of the population is below poverty level.

Ethnic Groups
89% + are Romanian
7% are Hungarian
Smaller groups include Germans, Ukranians, Gypsies, Jews and Turks

Languages
Romanian is the official language, though Hungarian and German are also spoken in some areas.

Religion
Romanian Orthodox – 70%
Roman Catholic – (mostly Hungarians) 6%
Protestant – 6%
Unaffiliated – 18%

Education
Romanian law requires that children ages 6-16 attend school, grades 1-8. After a student graduates from elementary school, he must take rigorous exams, which determine his eligibility to attend high school or trade school. There are also many universities in Romania, particularly in the larger cities. Because jobs are scarce, many youth desire to leave the country and find work elsewhere.

Literacy Rate
97% (by age 15 can read and write)

History
In the 300's B.C., Dacians lived in what is now Romania. In A.D. 100's, Romania became part of the vast Roman Empire. (Native Romanians view themselves as one of the world's Latin cultures because many descended from the Romans who occupied the country between A.D. 106- A.D. 271.) Between 200 and 1100 A.D., Barbarians (Huns, Goths, Slavs) invaded Romania. In the next two centuries, Modavia and Walachia became independent, but in the 1500's, they were conquered by the Turks. In 1861 Moldavia and Walachia united and formed the nation of Romania. In 1918 Transylvania and other regions became part of Romania as well.

In more recent history, between 1940-1945, Romania fought in World War II, first on the German side and then for the Allies. It became a Soviet satellite, controlled by the Soviet Union.

Today Romania has a democratic form of government, with the top elected official being the president. However, many problems remain. It has been impossible to turn the economy around quickly, and the country struggles to make progress. Romanians have one of the lowest standards of living in Europe. Cost of goods is high, in some cases, similar to that in the United States. The minimum wage is approximately $65 per month, while an average wage is $100 per month. Most rural Romanians live in 2-3 room houses, which are plain and simple. City-dwellers live in crowded apartments, many which were Soviet bloc apartments during communist rule.

 Photos from the
Almaj Valley