Romania is a country in South-eastern Europe. It shares a border with Hungary and Serbia to the west, Ukraine and Moldova to the northeast, and Bulgaria to the south. Romania has a stretch of sea coast along the Black Sea, and the eastern and southern Carpathian Mountains run through its centre. The population is estimated at around 23 million, of whom 55% live in urban areas. Romania’s climate is temperate continental, with cold winters and hot summers, and often with short springs and autumns. The Black Sea coastal area enjoys mild winters and cool summers. The average summer temperature is around 22°C to 24°C; the winter average is -3°C to 0°C.

Romania has the majestic castles, medieval towns, great hiking, wildlife, and cheap skiing of much of the undiscovered former Eastern Bloc. The primary focal point is the capital Bucharest which lies on the Wallachian plains, between the Carpathian foothills and the Danube River. The Carpathian Mountains run north-south, almost as far as Bucharest, before turning west. There are fertile plains, gentle hills, prime agricultural land, and numerous vineyards. The Danube delta, rich in fauna and flora, has been designated a special protected area by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). The medieval Saxon towns of Brasov and Sighisoara are of great tourist appeal. Their Transylvanian hill location and association with everybody’s favourite Vampire has put them firmly on the tourist map. Resort towns such as Constanta, Romania’s largest port and second largest city, Mamaia, Eforie Nord, Neptun-Olimp and Costinesti are popular with tourists in the summer months.

The modern state of Romania was formed by the merging of the Danubian principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859. The state united with Transylvania in 1918. A flourishing period characterised the decades between the two World Wars. On 30 December 1948 the People’s Republic of Romania, which later became the Socialist Republic of Romania, was proclaimed. Following the revolution of December 1989, Romania returned to democracy. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, the sixth largest city in the European Union (EU). Romania joined NATO on March 29, 2004, and the EU on January 1, 2007. Romania has the seventh largest population and the ninth largest territory in the EU.

Bucharest: population 2,250,000 is the capital and the main commercial and political centre. Constanta: population 348,000, the principal port on the Black Sea. Galati: population 326,000, a major port on the Danube. Iasi: population 341,000. Cluj-Napoca: population 332,000. Timisoara: population 322,000. Brasov: population 322,000. Craiova: population 307,000.

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