Romania
Year of EU entry: 2007
Political system: Republic
Capital city: Bucharest
Total area: 238 000 km²
Population: 21.6 million
Currency: Leu
Listen to the official EU language: Romanian
Romania, in southeast Europe, is mountainous in the north while the main feature in the south is the vast Danube valley. The river forms a delta as it approaches the Black Sea, which is a wildlife reserve for countless native and migratory birds.
The Romanian parliament consists of two chambers, the Senat (Senate), which has 140 members, and the Camera DeputaĊ£ilor (Chamber of Deputies), which has 345 members. The members of both chambers are chosen in elections held every four years.
Ethnically, the population is 90% Romanian and 7% Hungarian. The Romanian language, like a number of others in southern Europe, is directly descended from Latin, although Romania is separated from other Romance-language countries by Slav speakers. Romania has considerable natural resources – oil, natural gas, coal, iron, copper and bauxite. Metal-working, petrochemicals and mechanical engineering are the main industries.
Romanian specialities include grilled meatballs, pork stew with garlic and onions and doughnuts made with cream and cheese.
The spine-chilling tale of Dracula is based on the 15th century Romanian Count Vlad Dracul whose son was famous in wartime for impaling captured enemies. Well-known Romanians include the writer Eugene Ionesco, the gymnast Nadia Comaneci and the composer George Enesco.
