45 Degrees North, European Time
Geography - location, area, maps, land, climate, environment, administrative division
Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
Geographic Coordonates: 45 00 N, 25 00 E
Romania stretches c. 514 km from North to South and 720 km from East to West.
Map references: Europe
Area: 237,500 sq. km
Land: 230,340 sq. km (13th in Europe)
Water: 7,160 sq. km; The Danube River (1,075 km length bordering Romania) drains the whole of Romania and completes its 2850 km course through nine countries in Romania's Danube Delta. In the 1970s, a new dam raised the Danube's level and eased navigation through the Iron Gates. The river has become an important source of hydroelectric power and of irrigation water for farming. Romania's rivers are mainly tributaries of the Danube.
Main rivers: Danube (1,075 km), Mures (768 km) runs westward between the Transylvanian Alps and the Bihor Mountains, Olt (736 km) forms a wide valley in the mountains before reaching the Wallachian Plain, Prut (716 km) which forms Romania's border with Moldova meets the Danube River just west of the Danube delta, Siret (596 km) and Bistrita (290 km) rivers are the major waterways in Moldavia, Iolomita (410 km) and Arges (344 km) rivers cross eastern Wallachia near Bucharest, Somes (388 km), Jiu (331 km), Buzau (324 km).
Lakes: approximately 2,300 lakes and over 1,150 ponds account for an area of 2,650 sq.km. Main lakes: Raselm (415 sq.km), Sinoe (171 sq. km), Brates (21 sq.km), Tasaul (20 sq.km), Techirghiol (12 sq.km), Snagov (5.8 sq.km).
Area - comparative: slighty smaller than Oregon,
half the size of France, slightly smaller than the United Kingdom,
about the combined size of New York and Pennsylvania.
Land boundaries: total 2,508 km
Neighbors: Moldova 450 km, Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (N) 362 km, Ukraine (E) 169 km
Coastline: 225 km
Maritime claims:
Contiguous zone: 24 NM
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
Territorial sea: 12 NM
Climate: temperate-continental; ranges between hot summers and very cold winters with lots of snow from mid December until the end of March. Romania's average annual temperature is 11C (52F) in the south and on the coast, 2C (36F) in the mountains. In June, July and August, the hottest places in Romania are near the Black Sea coast, where average temperatures reach 24-30C. In summer, there are frequent showers and thunderstorms in the mountains. The mild, sunny days of autumn linger from early September until late October. Spring starts in mid March in most of Romania's regions, April in the mountains and in the north part of the country. Annual rainfall is 600 mm to 700 mm, much of it in spring. Precipitation is heaviest in Transylvania and in the Carpathian Mountains, where an average of 53 inches of rain and snow fall each year. Dobrojea is Romania's warmest and driest region, with less than 15 inches of annual rainfall.
Terrain: The Carpathian Mountains (the tallest peak is Mt.Moldoveanu at 2544 m, 8346 ft) cross Romania from the north to the southwest. The Carpatians were glaciated and in Fagaras and Retezat Mountains are glacial lakes and mass of rock created when the ice melted circa 10,000 years ago. Around Transylvania, the mountains formed Europe's longest volcanic chain; the only remaining volcanic lake is St. Ana. The central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from Walachian Plain on the south by Transylvanian Alps. The Carpathian Mountains account for about a third (31%) of the country's area (eastern Carpathians - Pietrosu Peak 2303 m; southern Carpathians - Moldoveanu Peak 2544 m; western Carpathians - Cucubata Mare 1849 m). Another third of Romania (33%) is covered by hills and plateaus full of orchards and vineyards. The final third is a fertile plain of dark chernozem soil where cereals, vegetables, herbs and other crops are grown.
Dobrogea region (SE of the country) is separated from the rest of Romania by the Danube on its final northern fling to the sea; it is divided in two parts by a low, stegasaurean spine of hills, which are older than the Carpatians, and the Danube Delta's reed beds formed from the massive quantity of sediments brought down the river. It is Europe's most extensive wetland and the world's largest continous reedbed. Lowest point is Black Sea 0m.
Natural resources: petrolium, timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydro power.
Land use: | |
Environment: Romania passed environment protection lows in 1967, 1973 and 1976, and a National Council for the Protection of the Environment was created in 1975. Water quality has been monitored since 1960, and air quality since 1973. After the revolution, a new Ministry of Waters, Woods and Environment Protection was created, with the aim of reducing polluation by 20% by 1995, and bringing it down to European levels by 2000. An ordonance on atmospheric polluation was passed in 1993 and a new environment low in 1995 created Environment Protection Agency in each of the Romania's counties, responsible for polluation monitoring and permits. Uncontrolled and/or non-existent waste storage is one of Romania's greatest environmental problems. Air pollution exceeds maximum allowable levels more than 50% of the time in 11 of Romania's 41 counties, and nitrate levels exceed safety levels in 14 counties' water supply. Ecological disaster struck Romania in January 2000 when a tailing dam burst at a Romanian-Australian owened gold mine in Baia Mare, prompting 100,000 cubic metres of cyanide-contaminated water to spill into Tisa and Danube rivers and subsequently kill thousands of fish and birds in Romania. In March 2000 another dam burst at a zinc plant in Baia Borsa and an estimated 20,000 tons of pollutive waste gushed into Tisa. Experts say it will take 10 years for the affected habitat to fully recover, although 95% of river life should return by 2004. The ecological ills of the Black Sea and Danube Delta have long been a thorn in Romania's side. Since 1991 the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve has ecologically reconstructed large areas of land in the Delta, removing dikes and reflooding what was originally natural marshland. Romania continues to be involved in various joint projects with the World Bank to protect Black Sea ecosystems. The electrical power industry has relied on thermal and hydro-power stations. The only nuclear power station is at Cernavoda (built jointly with Canada), saving over $ 100 millions per year in fuel imports. However radioactive waste continues to be a problem until Romania discovers a safe means of disposal.
Environmental international agreements: party to: Air Pollution, Antartic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Polluation, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Polluants, Antartic-Environment Protocol.
Nature reserves have existed in Romania since 1930's, and some 6.6% of the country is now protected. The first National Park was created in 1935 in the Retezat Mountains. Romania has 13 national parks and 586 protected areas, most of which are in the Carpathians. The reserves range from vast uninhabited areas (such as Rodna, Caliman and Piatra Craiului mountains) to relatively modest sites, including caves, rocks and individual trees.The Danube Delta has been protected as a biosphere reserve on Unesco's World Heritage list since 1991, and some 50,000 hectares of the Delta are strictly off-limits to tourists and locals alike.
International Membership: Romania has diplomatic and consular relations with 164 states and is a member of UNO, IAEA, IBIRD, FAO, IFAD, GATT, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ILO, IMO, WMO, WIPO, WHO, UNIDO, ITU, UNESCO, UPU, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, WCL, WCO, WEU. In 1993 Romania becomes EEC and EFTA associate member, and the 32nd Council of Europe member.
Administrative Division: Romania has 9 regions (see map): Banat, Bucovina, Crisana, Dobrogea, Maramures, Muntenia, Moldavia, Oltenia, Transylvania. These are divided into 41 counties plus the capital of Bucharest, with similar county status.Towns (262), Communes (2,686), Villages (13,000). Romanian Counties: Bucharest (capital, municipal status), Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Braila, Brasov, Botosani, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dambovita, Dolj, Galati, Giurgiu, Gorj, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov (Bucharest county), Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Valcea, Vrancea.
Ports: On the Black Sea: Constanta (can take ships of over 150,000dwt), Mangalia, Sulina (free port). On the Danube river : Turnu Severin, Turnu Magurele, Giurgiu, Oltenita, Cernavoda, Braila, Galati, Tulcea. The Danube-Black Sea Canal (64.2 km long), between Cernavada and Agigea-Constanta was opened to traffic in 1984. Following the inauguration in 1992 of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, it facilitates a direct connection with the North Sea. It is navigable for river and sea-going ships of up to 5,000 dwt. Independence: 9 May 1877 Independence proclaimed from Turkey, recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; Romania Kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881; Republic of Romania proclaimed 30 December 1947 Constitution: 8 December 1991 Net migration rate: -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) Infant mortality rate: total 18.4 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 16.37deaths/1,000 live births; male: 20.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Merchant marine: total: 61 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 494,670 GRT/650,863 DWT, includes 1 Greece foreign-owened ship and 5 Italy foreign-owned ships registered in Romania as a flag of convenience (2002 est.) ships by type: cargo 39, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, bulk 9, container 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4.