Romania (Listeni/ro?'me?ni?/ roh-may-nee-?; Romanian: Romnia [rom?'ni.

a] ( listen
)), formerly also spelled Roumania[10][11] and Rumania,[12][13] is a unitary sem
i-presidential republic located in southeastern-central Europe, north of the Bal
kan Peninsula and on the western shore of the Black Sea. It borders Hungary, Ser
bia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Bulgaria. It covers 238,391 square kilometres (92,043
sq mi) and has a temperate-continental climate. With its 20.1 million inhabitan
ts, it is the seventh most populous member of the European Union. Its capital an
d largest city, Bucharest, is the sixth largest city in the European Union.
Romania emerged within the territories of former Roman Empire province Dacia as
the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia formed in 1859 a personal union. It
gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, and at the end of World Wa
r I, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia united with the sovereign Kingdom of
Romania. At the end of World War II, territories which today roughly correspond
to Moldova were occupied by the Soviet Union and Romania became a socialist repu
blic and member of the Warsaw Pact. Following the 1989 Revolution, Romania began
a transition towards democracy and a capitalist market economy.
Since then, the living standards saw a vast improvement, and currently, Romania
is an upper-middle income country with a high Human Development Index. It has be
en a member of NATO since 2004, and part of the European Union since 2007. Follo
wing rapid economic growth in the 2000s, Romania has an economy predominantly ba
sed on services, and is a producer and net exporter of machines and electric ene
rgy, featuring companies like Automobile Dacia and OMV Petrom. Around 90% of the
population identifies themselves as practitioners of Eastern Orthodoxy, and are
native speakers of Romanian, a Romance language. With a rich cultural history,
Romania has been the home of influential artists, musicians, and inventors, and
features a variety of tourist attractions such as "Dracula's Castle".
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Early history
2.2 Middle Ages
2.3 Independence and monarchy
2.4 World Wars and Greater Romania
2.5 Communism
2.6 Democracy
3 Geography
4 Governance
4.1 Foreign relations
4.2 Military
4.3 Administrative divisions
5 Economy
5.1 Infrastructure
5.2 Tourism
5.3 Science and technology
6 Demographics
6.1 Languages
6.2 Religion
6.3 Urbanisation
6.4 Education
6.5 Healthcare
7 Culture
7.1 Arts and monuments
7.2 Holidays, traditions and cuisine
7.3 Sports
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
Etymology[edit]
Main article: Name of Romania
Romania derives from the Latin romanus, meaning "citizen of Rome".[14] The first
known use of the appellation was attested in 16th-century by Italian humanists
travelling in Transylvania, Moldavia, and Wallachia.[15][16][17][18]
Neac?u's Letter from 1521, the oldest surviving document written in Romanian.
The oldest surviving document written in Romanian, a 1521 letter known as the "L
etter of Neac?u from Cmpulung",[19] is also notable for including the first docum
ented occurrence of the country's name: Wallachia is mentioned as ?eara Rumneasca
("The Romanian Land", ?eara from the Latin terra, "land"; current spelling: ?ar
a Romneasca).
Two spelling forms: romn and rumn were used interchangeably [a] until sociolinguis
tic developments in the late 17th century led to semantic differentiation of the
two forms: rumn came to mean "bondsman", while romn retained the original ethnoli
nguistic meaning.[20] After the abolition of serfdom in 1746, the word rumn gradu
ally fell out of use and the spelling stabilised to the form romn.[b] Tudor Vladi
mirescu, a revolutionary leader of the early 19th century, used the term Rumnia t
o refer exclusively to the principality of Wallachia."[21]
The use of the name Romania to refer to the common homeland of all Romaniansits m
odern-day meaningis first documented in the early 19th century.[c] The name has b
een officially in use since 11 December 1861.[22] English-language sources still
used the terms Rumania or Roumania, derived from the French spelling Roumanie a
nd/or the Greek ???a??a, as recently as World War II,[23] but the name has since
been replaced with the official spelling Romania.[24]
History[edit]
Main article: History of Romania
Early history[edit]
Main articles: Romania in Antiquity, Dacia and Roman Dacia
Map of Roman Dacia
Roman provinces in the regions now forming Romania in the 2nd century AD
Archaeological studies have uncovered some of the oldest human remains of Homo s
apiens in Europe at Pe?tera cu Oase, possibly from the first modern humans to ha
ve entered the continent some 42,000 years ago.[25] The earliest written evidenc
e of people living in the territory of present-day Romania, the Getae, comes fro
m Herodotus in his Histories (c. 440 BC).[26]
At the time when the Roman Emperor Domitian led military campaigns in the region
between 87 and 88 AD, the territories were inhabited by Dacians, a branch of Th
racian people. Roman incursions under Emperor Trajan between 101102 AD and 105106
AD led to annexed parts of the Dacian kingdom as the Dacia Traiana province of t
he Roman Empire. Due to the rich local ore deposits (especially gold and silver
in places like Alburnus Maior),[27] colonists were brought from all over the emp
ire.[28] This introduced Vulgar Latin and started a period of intense Romanisati
on that would give birth to the Proto-Romanian language.[29][30] During the 3rd
century AD, as a result of invasions by migratory populations, Roman troops were
pulled out of Dacia around 271 AD, making it the first province to be abandoned
.[31][32]
The territory was later invaded by various migratory populations including Goths
,[33] Huns,[34] Gepids,[35] Avars,[36] Bulgars,[35] Pechenegs,[37] and Cumans.[3
8] Several competing theories have been proposed to explain the origin of modern
Romanians, but linguistic and geo-historical analysis tend to indicate that Rom
anians coalesced as a major ethnic group both North and South of the lower Danub
e in the regions previously colonized by Romans.[39]
Middle Ages[edit]
Main articles: Origin of the Romanians, Romania in the Early Middle Ages and Rom
ania in the Middle Ages
The three Romanian principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania in 16
00.
In the Middle Ages, Romanians lived in three distinct principalities: Wallachia
(Romanian: ?ara Romneasca "The Romanian Land"), Moldavia (Romanian: Moldova) and
Transylvania (Romanian: Transilvania). The existence of independent Romanian voi
vodeships in Transylvania as early as the 9th century is mentioned in Gesta Hung
arorum,[40] but by the 11th century, Transylvania had become a largely autonomou
s part of the Kingdom of Hungary.[41] In the other parts, many small local state
s with varying degrees of independence developed, but only under Basarab I and B
ogdan I the larger principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia would emerge in the
14th century to fight the threat of the Ottoman Empire.[42][43]
By 1541, as with the entire Balkan peninsula and most of Hungary, Moldavia, Wall
achia, and Transylvania were under Ottoman suzerainty, preserving partial or ful
l internal autonomy until the mid-19th century (Transylvania until 1711[44]). Th
is period featured several prominent rulers such as: Stephen the Great, Vasile L
upu, and Dimitrie Cantemir in Moldavia; Matei Basarab, Vlad the Impaler, and Con
stantin Brncoveanu in Wallachia; and John Hunyadi and Gabriel Bethlen in Transylv
ania.[45] In 1600, the three principalities were ruled simultaneously by the Wal
lachian prince Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul), which was considered in later
periods as the precursor of a modern Romania and became a point of reference fo
r nationalists, as well as a catalyst for achieving a single Romanian state.[46]
Independence and monarchy[edit]
Changes in Romania's territory since 1859.
Main articles: Early Modern Romania, National awakening of Romania, United Princ
ipalities, Romanian War of Independence and Kingdom of Romania
During the period of the Austro-Hungarian rule in Transylvania and of Ottoman su
zerainty over Wallachia and Moldavia, most Romanians were awarded few rights[47]
in a territory where they formed the majority of the population.[48][49] Nation
alistic themes became principal during the Wallachian uprising of 1821, and the
1848 revolutions in Wallachia and Moldavia. The flag adopted for Wallachia by th
e revolutionaries was a blue-yellow-red horizontal tricolour (with blue above, i
n line with the meaning "Liberty, Justice, Fraternity"),[50] while Romanian stud
ents in Paris hailed the new government with the same flag "as a symbol of union
between Moldavians and Wallachians".[51][52] The same flag, with the tricolour
being mounted vertically, would later on be officially adopted as the national f
lag of Romania.[53]
After the failed 1848 revolutions not all the Great Powers supported the Romania
ns' expressed desire to officially unite in a single state.[54] But in the after
math of the Crimean War, the electors in both Moldavia and Wallachia voted in 18
59 for the same leader, Alexandru Ioan Cuza as Domnitor (prince in Romanian), an
d the two principalities became a personal union formally under the suzerainty o
f the Ottoman Empire.[55] Following coup d'tat in 1866, Cuza was exiled and repla
ced with Prince Carol I of Romania of House Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen. During the
18771878 Russo-Turkish War Romania fought on the Russian side,[56] and in the af
termath, it was recognized as an independent state both by the Ottoman Empire an
d the Great Powers by the Treaty of San Stefano and the Treaty of Berlin.[57][58
] The new Kingdom of Romania underwent a period of stability and progress until
1914, and also acquired Southern Dobruja from Bulgaria after the Second Balkan W
ar.[59]
World Wars and Greater Romania[edit]
A 1917 British map showing territories with majority Romanian population.
Romanian dictator Ion Antonescu and Adolf Hitler in Munich (June 1941).
Main articles: Romania during World War I, Greater Romania and Romania during Wo
rld War II
Romania remained neutral for the first two years of the World War I. Following t
he secret Treaty of Bucharest, according to which Romania would acquire territor
ies with a majority of Romanian population from Austria-Hungary, it joined the E
ntente Powers and declared war on 27 August 1916.[60] The Romanian military camp
aign began disastrously for Romania as the Central Powers occupied two-thirds of
the country within months, before reaching a stalemate in 1917. Total military
and civilian losses from 1916 to 1918, within contemporary borders, were estimat
ed at 748,000.[61] After the war, the transfer of Bukovina from Austria was ackn
owledged by the 1919 Treaty of Saint Germain,[62] of Banat and Transylvania from
Hungary by the 1920 Treaty of Trianon,[63] and of Bessarabia from Russian rule
by the 1920 Treaty of Paris.[64]
The following interwar period is referred as Greater Romania, as the country ach
ieved its greatest territorial extent at that time (almost 300,000 km2 or 120,00
0 sq mi),[65] The application of radical agricultural reforms and the passing of
a new constitution created a democratic framework and allowed for quick economi
c growth. With oil production of 7.2 million tons in 1937, Romania ranked second
in Europe and seventh in the world.[66][67] and was Europe's second-largest foo
d producer.[68] However, early 1930s were marked by social unrest, high unemploy
ment, and strikes, as there were over 25 separate governments throughout the dec
ade.[citation needed] On several occasions in the last few years before World Wa
r II, the democratic parties were squeezed between conflicts with the chauvinist
ic Iron Guard and the authoritarian tendencies of king Carol II.[citation needed
]
During World War II, Romania tried again to remain neutral, but on 28 June 1940,
it received a Soviet ultimatum with an implied threat of invasion in the event
of non-compliance.[69] Again foreign powers created heavy pressure on Romania, b
y means of the Soviet-Nazi Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact of non-aggression from 23 Aug
ust 1939. As a result of it the Romanian government and the army were forced to
retreat from Bessarabia as well as from northern Bukovina in order to avoid war
with the Soviet Union.[70] The king was compelled to abdicate and appointed gene
ral Ion Antonescu as the new Prime-Minister with full powers in ruling the state
by royal decree.[71] Romania was prompted to join the Axis military campaign. T
hereafter, southern Dobruja was ceded to Bulgaria, while Hungary received Northe
rn Transylvania as result of an Axis powers' arbitration.[72] Romanian contribut
ion to Operation Barbarossa was enormous, with the Romanian Army of over 1.2 mil
lion men in the summer of 1944, fighting in numbers second only to Nazi Germany.
[73] Romania was the main source of oil for the Third Reich,[74] and thus became
the target of intense bombing by the Allies. Growing discontent among the popul
ation, eventually peaked in August 1944 with King Michael's Coup and the country
switched sides, joining the Allies. It is estimated that the coup shortened the
war by as much as six months.[75] Even though the Romanian Army had suffered 17
0,000 casualties after switching sides,[76] Romania's role in the defeat of Nazi
Germany was not recognized by the Paris Peace Conference of 1947,[77] as the So
viet Union annexed Bessarabia and other territories corresponding roughly to pre
sent-day Republic of Moldova.
The Antonescu regime played a major role in the The Holocaust in Romania,[78] an
d copied the Nazi policies of oppression and genocide of Jews and Gypsies, mainl
y in the Eastern territories reoccupied by the Romanians from the Soviet Union i
n Transnistria and in Moldavia.[79] Jewish Holocaust victims in Romania totaled
more than 280,000, plus another 11,000 Gypsies ("Roma").[80] The Romanian govern
ment has recognized that a Holocaust took place on its territory and held its fi
rst Holocaust Day in 2004.[81]
Communism[edit]
Main article: Socialist Republic of Romania
Nicolae Ceau?escu ruled Romania as its president from 1967 until 1989.
During the Soviet occupation of Romania, the Communist-dominated government call
ed for new elections in 1946, which were fraudulently won, with a fabricated 70%
majority of the vote.[82] Thus they rapidly established themselves as the domin
ant political force,[83] and in 1947, forced King Michael I to abdicate and leav
e the country, and proclaimed Romania a people's republic.[84][85] Romania remai
ned under the direct military occupation and economic control of the USSR until
the late 1950s. During this period, Romania's vast natural resources were contin
uously drained by mixed Soviet-Romanian companies (SovRoms) set up for unilatera
l exploitative purposes.[86][87][88]
In 1948, the state began to nationalize private firms and to collectivize agricu
lture.[89] Until the early 1960s, the Communist government established a terror
regime carried out mainly through the Securitate (the Romanian secret police). D
uring this period they launched several campaigns of purges in which numerous "e
nemies of the state" and "parasite elements" of the society were imprisoned for
political or economic reasons, tortured and eventually killed.[90] Punishments i
ncluded deportation, internal exile and internment in forced labour camps and pr
isons, sometimes for life; dissent was vigorously suppressed by the regime.[91]
Nevertheless, anti-communist resistance was one of the most long-lasting in the
Eastern Bloc.[92] Tens of thousands of people were killed as part of repression
in Communist Romania.[93][94] A 2006 Commission estimated the number of direct v
ictims of the communist repression at two million people.[95] This excludes civi
lians who died in liberty as a result of their "treatment" and malnutrition in c
ommunist prisons and those who died because of the dire economic circumstances i
n the country, and whose numbers remain unknown but could reach a few millions.[
95][96]
The Romanian Revolution in 1989 was one of the few violent revolutions in Europe
that brought an end to communist rule.
In 1965, Nicolae Ceau?escu came to power and started to conduct the foreign poli
cy more independently from the Soviet Union. Thus, communist Romania was the onl
y Warsaw Pact country who refused to participate at the Soviet-led 1968 invasion
of Czechoslovakia (Ceau?escu even publicly condemned the action as "a big mista
ke, [and] a serious danger to peace in Europe and to the fate of communism in th
e world"[97]); it was also the only communist state to maintain diplomatic relat
ions with Israel after the 1967 Six-Day War; and established diplomatic relation
s with West Germany the same year.[98] At the same time, close ties with the Ara
b countries (and the PLO) allowed Romania to play a key role in the IsraelEgypt a
nd IsraelPLO peace talks.[99] As Romania's foreign debt sharply increased between
1977 and 1981 (from US$3 billion to $10 billion),[100] the influence of interna
tional financial organizations (such as the IMF and the World Bank) grew, gradua
lly conflicting with Ceau?escu's autocratic rule. The latter eventually initiate
d a policy of total reimbursement of the foreign debt by imposing austerity step
s that impoverished the population and exhausted the economy. At the same time,
Ceau?escu greatly extended the authority of the Securitate secret police and imp
osed a severe cult of personality, which led to a dramatic decrease in the dicta
tor's popularity and culminated in his overthrow and eventual execution, togethe
r with his wife, in the violent Romanian Revolution of December 1989.
Democracy[edit]
Main article: History of Romania since 1989
Romania joined the European Union in 2007 and signed the Lisbon Treaty
The 2008 NATO Summit was held in Bucharest.
After the revolution, the National Salvation Front (NSF), led by Ion Iliescu, to
ok partial multi-party democratic and free market measures.[101][102] In April 1
990 a sit-in protest contesting the results of the elections and accusing the NS
F, including Iliescu, of being made up of former Communists and members of the S
ecuritate, rapidly grew to become what was called the Golaniad. The peaceful dem
onstrations degenerated into violence, prompting the intervention of coal miners
summoned by Iliescu. This episode has been documented widely by both local[103]
and foreign media,[104] and is remembered as the June 1990 Mineriad.[105][106]
The subsequent disintegration of the Front produced several political parties in
cluding the Social Democratic Party, and the Democratic Party. The former govern
ed Romania from 1990 until 1996 through several coalitions and governments with
Ion Iliescu as head of state. Since then there have been several democratic chan
ges of government: in 1996 Emil Constantinescu was elected president, in 2000 Il
iescu returned to power, while Traian Basescu was elected in 2004 and narrowly r
e-elected in 2009.[107]
After the Cold War Romania developed closer ties with Western Europe and the Uni
ted States, eventually joining NATO in 2004, and hosting the 2008 summit in Buch
arest.[108] The country applied in June 1993 for membership in the European Unio
n and became an Associated State of the EU in 1995, an Acceding Country in 2004,
and a full member on 1 January 2007.[109] Following the "free travel agreement"
with the EU and the economic instability throughout the 1990s, a large number o
f Romanians emigrated to North America and Western Europe, with particularly lar
ge communities in Italy and Spain. Currently, the Romanian diaspora is estimated
at over two million people.[110]
During the 2000s, Romania enjoyed one of the highest economic growth rates in Eu
rope and has been referred at times as "the Tiger of Eastern Europe".[111] This
has been accompanied by a significant improvement in living standards as the cou
ntry successfully reduced internal poverty and established a functional democrat
ic state.[112][113] However, Romania's development suffered a major setback duri
ng the late-2000s recession leading to a large gross domestic product contractio
n and budget deficit in 2009.[114] This led to Romania heavily borrowing, eventu
ally becoming the largest debtor to the International Monetary Fund in 2010.[115
] Worsening economic conditions led to unrest and triggered a political crisis i
n 2012.[116] Romania still faces issues related to infrastructure,[117] medical
services,[118] education,[119] and corruption.[120] Another major concern is emi
gration, which has kept unemployment low but is seen as a threat to the country'
s future.
Geography[edit]
Main article: Geography of Romania
Topographic map of Romania
With an area of 238,391 square kilometres (92,043 sq mi), Romania is the largest
country in Southeastern Europe and the twelfth-largest in Europe.[121] It lies
between latitudes 43 and 49 N, and longitudes 20 and 30 E. The terrain is distribute
d roughly equally between mountains, hills and plains. The Carpathian Mountains
dominate the centre of Romania, with 14 mountain ranges reaching above 2,000 m o
r 6,600 ft, and the highest point at Moldoveanu Peak (2,544 m or 8,346 ft).[121]
They are surrounded by the Moldavian and Transylvanian plateaus and Pannonian a
nd Wallachian plains. The Danube river forms a large part of the border with Ser
bia and Bulgaria and flows into the Black Sea forming the Danube Delta, the seco
nd largest and best preserved delta in Europe, and also a biosphere reserve and
a biodiversity World Heritage Site.[122]
Owing to its distance from open sea and position on the Southeastern portion of
the European continent, Romania has a climate that is temperate and continental,
with four distinct seasons. The average annual temperature is 11 C (52 F) in the
south and 8 C (46 F) in the north.[123] In summer, average maximum temperatures in
Bucharest rise to 28 C (82 F), and temperatures over 35 C (95 F) fairly common in t
he lower-lying areas of the country.[124] In winter, the average maximum tempera
ture are below 2 C (36 F).[124] Precipitation is average, with over 750 mm (30 in)
per year only on the highest western mountains, while around Bucharest it drops
to around 600 mm (24 in).[125]
Romania's population of brown bears is the largest in Europe outside of Russia (
around 6,600 individuals).[126]
A high percentage (47% of the land area) of the country is covered with natural
and semi-natural ecosystems.[127] Romania has one of the largest areas of undist
urbed forest in Europe covering almost 27% of the territory.[128] The fauna cons
ists of 33,792 species of animals, 33,085 invertebrate and 707 vertebrate,[129]
with almost 400 unique species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians,[130]
including about 50% of Europe's (excluding Russia) brown bears [126] and 20% of
its wolves.[131] Some 3,700 plant species have been identified in the country, f
rom which to date 23 have been declared natural monuments, 74 missing, 39 endang
ered, 171 vulnerable and 1,253 rare.[129] There are almost 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq
mi) (about 5% of the total area) of protected areas in Romania covering 13 natio
nal parks and three biosphere reserves.[132] The Danube Delta, at 5,800 km2 (2,2
00 sq mi),[133] is the largest continuous marshland in Europe,[134] and supports
1,688 different plant species alone.[135]
Governance[edit]
Victor Ponta (left), the current Prime Minister of Romania
Palace of the Parliament of Romania
Main articles: Politics of Romania and Government of Romania
The Constitution of Romania is based on the Constitution of France's Fifth Repub
lic and was approved in a national referendum on 8 December 1991, and amended in
October 2003 to bring it into conformity with the EU legislation. The country i
s governed on the basis of multi-party democratic system and of the segregation
of the legislative, executive and judicial powers. It is a semi-presidential rep
ublic where executive functions are held by both government and the president.[1
36] The latter is elected by popular vote for a maximum of two terms of five yea
rs and appoints the prime minister, who in turn appoints the Council of Minister
s. The legislative branch of the government, collectively known as the Parliamen
t (residing at the Palace of the Parliament), consists of two chambers (Senate a
nd Chamber of Deputies) whose members are elected every four years by simple plu
rality.[137][138]
The justice system is independent of the other branches of government, and is ma
de up of a hierarchical system of courts culminating in the High Court of Cassat
ion and Justice, which is the supreme court of Romania.[139] There are also cour
ts of appeal, county courts and local courts. The Romanian judicial system is st
rongly influenced by the French model, considering that it is based on civil law
and is inquisitorial in nature. The Constitutional Court (Curtea Constitu?ional
a) is responsible for judging the compliance of laws and other state regulations
to the constitution, which is the fundamental law of the country and can only b
e amended through a public referendum.[137][140] The 2007 entry into the EU has
been a significant influence on its domestic policy, and including judicial refo
rms, increased judicial cooperation with other member states, and measures to co
mbat corruption. Nevertheless, a 2013 report by Ernst & Young described Romania
among the most corrupt countries in the EU, on par with Spain and Italy.[141]
Foreign relations[edit]
Russian president Vladimir Putin with Romanian President Traian Basescu
Main article: Foreign relations of Romania
Since December 1989, Romania has pursued a policy of strengthening relations wit
h the West in general, more specifically with the United States and the European
Union. It joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on 29 March 2004
, the European Union (EU) on 1 January 2007, while it had joined the Internation
al Monetary Fund and the World Bank in 1972, and is a founding member of the Wor
ld Trade Organization.[142]
The current government has stated its goal of strengthening ties with and helpin
g other Eastern European countries (in particular Moldova, Ukraine and Georgia)
with the process of integration with the West.[143] Romania has also made clear
since the late 1990s that it supports NATO and EU membership for the democratic
former Soviet republics in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.[143] Romania also de
clared its public support for Turkey, and Croatia joining the European Union.[14
3] Because it has a large Hungarian minority, Romania has also developed strong
relations with Hungary. Romania opted on 1 January 2007, to adhere the Schengen
Area, and its bid to join was approved by the European Parliament in June 2011,
but was rejected by the EU Council in September 2011.
In December 2005, President Traian Basescu and United States Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice signed an agreement that would allow a U.S. military presence a
t several Romanian facilities primarily in the eastern part of the country.[144]
In May 2009, Hillary Clinton declared US Secretary of State that "Romania is on
e of the most trustworthy and respectable partners of the USA."[145]
Relations with Moldova are a special case, considering that the two countries sh
are the same language and a common history.[143] A movement for unification of R
omania and Moldova appeared in the early 1990s after both countries achieved ema
ncipation from communist rule,[146] but lost ground in the mid-1990s when a new
Moldovan government pursued an agenda towards preserving a Moldovan republic ind
ependent of Romania.[147] Romania remains interested in Moldovan affairs and has
officially rejected the MolotovRibbentrop Pact,[146] and after the 2009 protests
in Moldova and subsequent removal of Communists from power, relations between t
he two countries have improved considerably.[148]
Military[edit]
Main articles: Romanian Armed Forces and Military history of Romania
The Romanian Armed Forces consist of Land, Air, and Naval Forces, and are led by
a Commander-in-chief under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense, and by t
he president as the Supreme Commander during wartime. The Armed Forces comprise
of approximately 15,000 civilians and 75,000 are military personnel45,800 for lan
d, 13,250 for air, 6,800 for naval forces, and 8,800 in other fields.[149] The t
otal defence spending in 2007 accounted for 2.05% of total national GDP, or appr
oximately US$2.9 billion (59th in the world), with a total of $11 billion spent
between 2006 and 2011 for modernization and acquisition of new equipment.[150]
Romanian soldiers in Afghanistan during a joint operation in 2003.
The Land Forces have overhauled their equipment in the past few years, and are a
ctively participating in the War in Afghanistan.[151] The Air Force currently op
erates modernized Soviet MiG-21 Lancer fighters which are due to be replaced by
twelve F-16s, purchased from Portugal in October 2013.[152] The Air Force purcha
sed seven new C-27J Spartan tactical airlifters,[153] while the Naval Forces acq
uired two modernized Type 22 frigates from the Royal Navy.[154] Romanian troops
participated in the occupation of Iraq, reaching a peak of 730 soldiers before b
eing slowly drawn down to 350 soldiers. Romania terminated its mission in Iraq a
nd withdrew its last troops on 24 July 2009, among the last countries to do so.
Romania currently has some 1,900 troops deployed in Afghanistan.[155] The Regele
Ferdinand frigate participated in the 2011 military intervention in Libya.[156]
In December 2011, the Romanian Senate unanimously adopted the draft law ratifyin
g the Romania-United States agreement signed in September of the same year that
would allow the establishment and operation of a US land-based ballistic missile
defence system in Romania as part of NATO's efforts to build a continental miss
ile shield.[157]
Administrative divisions[edit]
Main article: Administrative divisions of Romania
Romania is divided into 41 counties and the municipality of Bucharest. Each coun
ty is administered by a county council, responsible for local affairs, as well a
s a prefect responsible for the administration of national affairs at the county
level. The prefect is appointed by the central government but cannot be a membe
r of any political party.[158] Each county is further subdivided into cities and
communes, which have their own mayor and local council. There are a total of 31
9 cities and 2,686 communes in Romania.[159] A total of 103 of the larger cities
have municipality statuses, which gives them greater administrative power over
local affairs. The municipality of Bucharest is a special case as it enjoys a st
atus on par to that of a county. It is further divided into six sectors and has
a prefect, a general mayor, and a general city council.[159]
The NUTS-3 (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics) level divisions of
European Union reflect Romania's administrative-territorial structure, and corr
espond to the 41 counties plus Bucharest.[160] The cities and communes correspon
d to the NUTS-5 level divisions, but there are no current NUTS-4 level divisions
. The NUTS-1 (four macroregions) and NUTS-2[161] (eight development regions) div
isions exist but have no administrative capacity, and are instead used for coord
inating regional development projects and statistical purposes.[160]