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| Continent | Europe |
|---|---|
| Region | Central Europe andEastern Europe |
| Coordinates | 46°00′N25°00′E / 46.000°N 25.000°E /46.000; 25.000 |
| Area | Ranked 81st |
| • Total | 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi) |
| • Land | 97.03% |
| • Water | 2.97% |
| Coastline | 245 km (152 mi) |
| Borders | 3,149.9 km (1,985 mi) |
| Highest point | Moldoveanu Peak 2,544 metres (8,346 ft),Negoiu Peak 2,535 metres (8,317 ft) |
| Lowest point | Black Sea 0 metres (0 ft) |
| Longest river | Olt River 615 kilometres (382 mi) |
| Largest lake | Lake Razelm 511 km2 (197.30 sq mi) |
| Exclusive economic zone | 23,627 km2 (9,122 sq mi) |
With an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi),Romania is the twelfth-largest country inEurope. It is a country located at the crossroads ofEastern andSoutheast Europe. It is bordered on theBlack Sea, the country is halfway between the equator and theNorth Pole and equidistant from the westernmost part of Europe—theAtlantic Coast—and the most easterly—theUral Mountains. Romania has 3,195 kilometres (1,985 mi) of border.Moldova andUkraine lie to the east,Bulgaria to the south, andSerbia andHungary to the west by thePannonian Plain. In the southeast, 245 kilometres (152 mi) of sea coastline provide an important outlet to the Black Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Traditionally Romania is divided into several historic regions that no longer perform any administrative function:
Dobruja is the easternmost region, extending from the northward course of the Danube to the shores of the Black Sea.
Moldavia stretches from theEastern Carpathians to thePrut River on the Moldovan and Ukrainian border.
Wallachia reaches south from theTransylvanian Alps to the Bulgarian border and is divided by theOlt River intoOltenia on the west andMuntenia on the east. The Danube forms a natural border between Muntenia and Dobruja.
The west-central region, known asTransylvania, is delimited by the arc of the Carpathians, which separates it from theMaramureș region in the northwest; by theCrișana area, which borders Hungary in the west; and by theBanat region of the southwest, which adjoins bothHungary andSerbia. It is these areas west of the Carpathians that contain the highest concentrations of the nation's largest ethnic minorities—Hungarians,Germans, andSerbs.
Romania's exterior boundaries are a result of relatively recent events. At the outbreak ofWorld War I, the country's territory included only the provinces of Walachia, Moldavia, andDobruja. This area, known as the Regat or theOld Kingdom, came into being with the disintegration of theOttoman Empire in the mid-nineteenth century. At the end of World War I, Romania acquired Transylvania and the Banat. Some of this territory was lost duringWorld War II, but negotiations returned it to Romania. Although this acquisition united some 85 percent of theRomanian-speaking population of Eastern Europe into one nation, it left a considerable number of ethnic Hungarians under Romanian rule. Disputes between Hungary and Romania regarding this territory would surface regularly, as both considered the region part of their national heritage. Questions were also periodically raised as to the historical validity of the Soviet-Romanian border.Bukovina andBessarabia, former Romanian provinces where significant percentages of the population are Romanian-speaking, were part of theSoviet Union from the end of World War II to its dissolution, and subsequently part of the (formerly Soviet) states of Ukraine andMoldova. Despite ongoing and potential disputes, however, since 1989 Romania has no territorial claims to make.
Romania's current administrative divisions include 41 counties and one city, Bucharest, with special status; seeAdministrative divisions of Romania.
Romania's natural landscape is almost evenly divided amongmountains (23 percent),plains (39 percent), andhills (35 percent). These varied relief forms spread rather symmetrically from the Carpathian Mountains, which reach elevations of more than 2,500 meters, to the Danube Delta, which is just a few meters abovesea level.[2]
The arc of the Carpathians extends over 1,000 kilometers through the center of the country, covering an area of 71,000 square kilometers. These mountains are of low to medium altitude and are no wider than 100 kilometers. They are deeply fragmented by longitudinal and transverse valleys and crossed by several major rivers. These features and the fact that there are many summit passes—some at altitudes up to 2,256 meters—have made the Carpathians less of a barrier to movement than other European ranges. Another distinguishing feature is the many eroded platforms that provide tableland at relatively high altitudes. There are permanent settlements here at above 1,200 meters.
Romania's Carpathians are differentiated into three ranges: theEastern Carpathians, theSouthern Carpathians orTransylvanian Alps, and theWestern Romanian Carpathians. Each of these ranges has important distinguishing features. The Eastern Carpathians are composed of three parallel ridges that run from northwest to southeast. The westernmost ridge is an extinct volcanic range with many preserved cones and craters. The range has many large depressions, in the largest of which the city ofBrașov is situated. Importantmining and industrial centers as well as agricultural areas are found within these depressions. The Eastern Carpathians are covered with forests—some 32 percent of the country's woodlands are there. They also contain important ore deposits, including gold and silver, and their mineral water springs feed numerous health resorts.
The Southern Carpathians offer the highest peaks atMoldoveanu Peak (2,544 m) andNegoiu (2,535 m) and more than 150 glacial lakes. They have large grassland areas and some woodlands but few large depressions andsubsoil resources. At higherelevations, the wind and rain have turned therocks into spectacular figures such as theSphinx andBabele.
The region was crisscrossed by an ancient network of trans-Carpathian roads, and vestiges of the old Roman Way are still visible. Numerous passes and the valleys of the Olt, Jiu, and Danube rivers provide routes for roads and railways through the mountains.
The Western Romanian Carpathians are the lowest of the three ranges and are fragmented by many deep structural depressions. They have historically functioned as "gates," which allow easy passage but can be readily defended. The most famous of these is theIron Gate on the Danube. The Western Romanian Carpathians are the most densely settled, and it is in the northernmost area of this range, the Apuseni Mountains, that permanent settlements can be found at the highestaltitudes.
Enclosed within the great arc of the Carpathians lie the undulating plains and low hills of theTransylvanian Plateau—the largest tableland in the country and the center of Romania. This important agricultural region also contains large deposits of methane gas and salt. To the south and east of the Carpathians, theSub-Carpathians form a fringe of rolling terrain ranging from 396 to 1,006 meters in elevation. This terrain is matched in the west by the slightly lowerWestern Hills. The symmetry of Romania's relief continues with the Getic Tableland to the south of the Sub-Carpathians, theMoldavian Tableland in the east between the Sub-Carpathians and the Prut River, and theDobrujan Tableland in the southeast between the Danube and the Black Sea. The Sub-Carpathians and the tableland areas provide good conditions for human settlement and are important areas for fruit growing,viticulture, and other agricultural activity. They also contain large deposits ofbrown coal andnatural gas.
Beyond the Carpathian foothills and tablelands, the plains spread south and west. In the southern parts of the country, the lower Danube Plain is divided by theOlt River; east of the river lies theWallachian Plain (including the strategically importantFocșani Gate), and to the west is theOltenian or Western Plain. The land here is rich withchernozemic soils and forms Romania's most important farming region. Irrigation is widely used, and marshlands in the Danube's floodplain have been diked and drained to provide additional tillable land.
Romania's lowest land is found on the northern edge of theDobruja region in theDanube Delta. The delta is a triangular swampy area of marshes, floating reed islands, and sandbanks, where the Danube ends its trek of almost 3,000 kilometers and divides into three frayed branches before emptying into the Black Sea. The Danube Delta provides a large part of the country's fish production, and its reeds are used to manufacture cellulose. The region also serves as a nature preserve for rare species of plant and animal life including migratory birds.
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After entering the country in the southwest at Bazias, theDanube travels some 1,075 kilometers (almost 40% of its entire length) through or along Romanian territory, forming the southern frontier with Serbia and Bulgaria. Virtually all of the country's rivers are tributaries of the Danube, either directly or indirectly, and by the time the Danube's course ends in the Black Sea, they account for nearly 40 percent of the total discharge. The most important of these rivers are theMureș River, theOlt River, thePrut, theSiret River, theIalomița River, theSomeș River, and theArgeș River. TheOlt River 615 kilometres (382 mi) is the longest river that is fully within Romania's national borders.
Romania's rivers primarily flow east, west, and south from the central crown of the Carpathians. They are fed by rainfall and melting snow, which causes considerable fluctuation in discharge and occasionally catastrophicflooding. In the east, river waters are collected by the Siret and the Prut. In the south, the rivers flow directly into the Danube, and in the west, waters are collected by theTisza on Hungarian territory.
The Danube is by far Romania's most important river, not only for transportation, but also for the production ofhydroelectric power. One of Europe's largest hydroelectric stations is located at theIron Gates, where the Danube surges through the Carpathian gorges. The Danube is an important water route for domesticshipping, as well as international trade. It is navigable for river vessels along its entire Romanian course and for seagoing ships as far as the port ofBrăila. A problem with the use of the Danube for inland transportation is its remoteness from most of the major industrial centers. Moreover, marshy banks and perennial flooding impede navigation in some areas.
There are over 3,500 lakes in Romania.Lake Razelm is the largest, with an area of 511 km2 (197.30 sq mi).
Because of its position on the southeastern portion of theEuropean continent, Romania has a climate that is generallycontinental. Climatic conditions are somewhat modified by the country's varied relief. The Carpathians serve as a barrier to Atlanticair masses, restricting their oceanic influences to the west and center of the country, where they make for milder winters and heavierrainfall. The mountains also block the continental influences of the vast plain to the north in Ukraine, which bring frosty winters and less rain to the south and southeast. In the extreme southeast, Mediterranean influences offer a milder, maritime climate. The average annual temperature is 11 °C (51.8 °F) in the south and 8 °C (46.4 °F) in the north. In Bucharest, the temperature ranges from −29 °C (−20.2 °F) in January to 29 °C (84.2 °F) in July, with average temperatures of −3 °C (26.6 °F) in January and 23 °C (73.4 °F) in July. Rainfall, although adequate throughout the country, decreases from west to east and from mountains to plains. Some mountainous areas receive more than 1,010 mm (39.8 in) of precipitation each year. Annualprecipitation averages about 635 mm (25 in) in central Transylvania, 521 mm (20.5 in) at Iași in Moldavia, and only 381 mm (15 in) at Constanța on the Black Sea.
Temperate; cold, cloudywinters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms. Winters generally are from November to March. Thesprings are short, occasionally turning right into summer.Summer lasts from May to August. They have a prolongedAutumn, from September to November. The average January temperature is 34 °F (1.1 °C) and the average July temperature is 69 °F (20.6 °C).Facts: Record High Temperature: 44.5 °C (112.1 °F) - August 10, 1951 South-Eastern Romania; Record Low Temperature: −38.5 °C (−37.3 °F) - January 24, 1942 (Central Romania)
SoutheasternEurope, bordering theBlack Sea andDanube, with theCarpathian mountains in its center. Controls most easily traversable land route between theBalkans,Moldova andUkraine
Geographic coordinates:46°00′N25°00′E / 46.000°N 25.000°E /46.000; 25.000
Total: 239,391 square kilometres (92,429 sq mi)
CentralTransylvanian Basin is separated from thePlain of Moldavia on the east by theCarpathian Mountains and separated from theWallachian Plain on the south by theTransylvanian Alps.
Elevation extremes:
Natural resources
Land use:
Irrigated land:
Natural hazards:earthquakes are most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides
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