Romania is situated in the southeastern part of Central Europe and shares borders with Hungary to the northwest, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, the Black Sea to the southeast, Ukraine to the east and to the north and the Republic of Moldova to the east. Roughly the size of Oregon, Romania is the second largest country in the area, after Poland.

Government type:Republic

Capital: Bucharest

Administrative divisions: 41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea,

Executive Branch:
Chief of state: President
Head of government: Prime Minister
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister

Legal System: based on civil law sistem; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

Population: 21,959,278 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53

Ethnic Origin: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002 census)

Area total: 238,391 sq km
country comparison to the world: 82
land: 229,891 sq km
water: 8,500 sq km

Natural Resources: petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower

Spring is pleasant with cool mornings and nights and warm days.
Summer is quite warm, with extended sunny days. The hottest areas in summer are the lowlands in southern and eastern Romania where 100 F is often reached in July and August. Temperatures are always cooler in the mountains.
Autumn is dry and cool, with fields and trees producing colorful foliage, much like New England.
Winters can be cold, especially in the mountains. While not the rule, abundant snowfalls may occur throughout the country, from December to mid-March.
There are significant regional differences of the climate between different regions of Romania.

 

Romania is within the European Union. If you are travelling from the UK, you are entitled to buy fragance, skincare, cosmetics, Champagne, wine, selected spirits, fashion accessories, gifts and souvenirs - all at tax-free equivalent prices. There are no longer any allowance restrictions on these tax-free items.

If you are arriving from a non-EU country, the following goods may be imported into Romania by persons over 17 years of age without incurring customs duty:

•200 cigarettes, 40 cigars or 200g of other tobacco articles.
•2l of liquor.
•4l of wine or beer.
•Gifts up to a value of €175.
•20 rolls of camera film and reasonable quantities of perfume, medicines and travel souvenirs.

Note: Valuable goods, such as jewellery, art, electrical items and foreign currency should be declared on entry. Endorsed customs declarations must be kept, as they must be shown on leaving the country.

Prohibited Imports
Ammunition, explosives, narcotics, pornographic material, uncanned meats, animal and dairy products.

1 Jan New Year's Day.
6 Jan Epiphany.
5 Apr Easter Monday (Orthodox)y
1 May Labour Day.
1Dec National Day
25 Dec
26 Dec Christmas.

Romania is generally a very safe country to travel in. You can drink the water, there are no civil wars and the most dangerous creature is the drunk Romanian male.

When it comes to driving though, Romania leads Europe in road deaths with terrible roads and drivers out of their minds on drink. Pedestrians in general are regarded more as targets than obstacles to avoid so look both ways and start running.

Also don’t forget that the average backpacker stands out in Romania and as all foreigners are associated with wealth, you’ll be top of the target list of the local thieves. They tend to work in gangs and will distract your attention at railway stations and in crowds, while another rifles through your pockets or shoulder bag. Keep your valuables close to you in public.