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Description Romania by rbd.me
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The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.
WebCam
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Location
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Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
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Area - comparative
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slightly smaller than Oregon
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Natural resources Romania
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petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower
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Population Romania
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22,181,287 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions Romania
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Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)
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Languages
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Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%
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Education Romania expenditures
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3.5% of GDP (2005)
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Government Romania type
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republic
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Independence
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9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)
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Romania Economy - overview
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$255.4 billion (2009 est.)
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Investment Romania
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20% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Industries Romania
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electric machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining
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Airports Romania
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2.188 million (2009)
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