ABOUT ROMANIA

ROMANIA
Fast Facts
Official Name: Romania
Location: (Southeastern) Central Europe
Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time (GMT + 2)
Area: 91,725 sq. miles (237,502 sq. km)
Flag of Romania: Three vertical stripes: red, yellow and blue.
Population: 21,400,000 (2009 mid-year estimate)
Ethnic Groups: Romanian 89%, Hungarian 7.5%, Gipsy 1.9%, German, Other 1.6%
Religions: Christian Orthodox 87%, Roman Catholic 5%, Protestant 5%, Jewish
Official Language: Romanian
Currency: Romanian Leu (RON)
Climate: Temperate, four distinct seasons
Capital: Bucharest (Bucuresti)
Form of State: Semi-parliamentary Republic with two legislative bodies: Senate (Senat) and Chamber of
Representatives (Camera Deputatilor)
Legal system: Based on European models and Constitution of 1991.
Electoral System: Universal direct suffrage over the age of 18.
Parties must win at least five percent of the national vote to gain representation in the Parliament.
National Elections: November 2008;
next ellections: Fall 2012 (parliamentary), Fall 2014 (presidential).
Head of State: President of the Republic, currently Mr. Traian Basescu (re-elected on December 6, 2009).
Romania's president is allowed to serve two consecutive five-year terms.
National Government: The government is led by the Prime Minister, confirmed by the Parliament on the
nomination of the President of Romania.
The present Government is formed by the Democratic - Liberal Party.
Head of the Government: the Prime Minister, currently Mr. Victor Ponta .
Geography
Romania's territory features splendid mountains, beautiful rolling hills, fertile plains and numerous rivers
and lakes. The Carpathian Mountains traverse the centre of the country bordered on both sides by foothills
and finally the great plains of the outer rim. Forests cover over one quarter of the country and the fauna is
one of the richest in Europe including bears, deer, lynx, chamois and wolves. The legendary Danube River
ends its eight-country journey at the Black Sea, after forming one of the largest and most biodiverse
wetlands in the world, the Danube Delta.
About a third of the country consists of the Carpathian Mountains (also known as the Transylvanian Alps).
Another third is hills and plateaus, rich with orchards and vineyards. The final third is a fertile plain, largely
devoted to agriculture.
Physical features
•
Mountains: 31% of Romania's territory
•
Hills and orchards: 36%
•
Plains: 33%
•
Areas covered by rivers and lakes: 3.7%
•
Total number of lakes: 3,500
•
Lakes greater than 250 acres: 300
•
Highest mountain peak: Moldoveanu Mt. — 8,349 ft. (2544 m.)
Did you know ?
» The Palace of Parliament, located in Bucharest, ranks as the biggest office building in Europe and
second-largest in the world, after the U.S. Pentagon?
» Voronet Monastery, located in northeastern Romania, is also known as
the ‘Sistine Chapel of the East’?
» Romania has the second largest underground glacier in Europe (in terms of volume) ?
The 3500-year old Scarisoara glacier, located in the Bihor Mountains – 90 miles southwest of Cluj Napoca has a volume of 2,649,000 cubic feet (75,000 cubic metres), making it the second largest European
underground glacier, after the Eisriesenwelt ice cave in Austria. The 154 foot deep entrance shaft leads to
some impressive ice structures, including spectacular 20 foot high ice stalagmites. Scarisoara ice-cave is
open to the public.
»The city of Brasov (Transylvania) is home to the largest gothic church between Vienna and Istanbul
?
Brasov's famous landmark and Romania's leading gothic church, the Black Church was built between 1385
and 1477 and got its nickname after the Great Fire of 1689 blackened its the walls.
» The meaning of the word “Transylvania” is the land beyond the forest?
Transylvania was first referred to in a Medieval Latin document dating from 1075 as Ultra Silvam (Ultra
meaning "beyond" or "on the far side of …" and Sylva (sylvam) meaning "wood or forest").
» Romania has the second-largest outdoor museum in the world?
Astra Museum in Sibiu features more than 300 buildings as well as watermills and windmills, gigantic
presses for wine, fruit and oil, hydraulic forges and structures representing village architectural styles from
many parts of Romania.
» Hollywood’s original Tarzan was born in the city of Timisoara, Romania?
Considered by movie-makers “the only man in Hollywood who’s natural in the flesh and can act without
clothes”, Johnny Weissmuller (1904-1984) was a box-office hit in the 1932 Tarzan the Ape Man. The ship's
roster from his family's arrival at Ellis Island lists his birthplace as Freidorf, now a district of the city of
Timisoara. Freidorf maintains beautiful architecture, old German homes, and lots of green spaces.
» The first fountain pen was invented by Craiova-born Petrache Poenaru
(1799-1875)?
Mr. Poenaru's invention was patented in May 1827.
» The movie Cold Mountain was filmed on location in Romania?
Hollywood celebrities Jude Law, Renee Zellweger and Nicole Kidman relaxed in Poiana Brasov after
shooting the film Cold Mountain on location in nearby fields and farms.
» The Romanian city of Timisoara was the first in Europe to have electric street-lighting?
Timisoara was the first European city to introduce horse-drawn trams (in 1869) and electrical street lighting
(in 1889).
» The Bruckenthal museum in Sibiu opened its doors to the public three years prior to the Louvre
Museum in Paris ?
Founded in 1790 by Samuel Brukenthal, the governor of Transylvania, the museum opened to the public in
1817. It is the oldest museum in Romania and one of the first museums in Europe. The art collection
includes paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Teniers, as well as works of German, Austrian and Romanian
masters.
» Insulin was discovered by a Romanian physiologist ?
Only after two Canadians received a Noble prize, some 50 years later, for the same invention Nicolai
Paulescu’s precedence was finally recognized and he was rightfully acknowledged as the true inventor of
insulin.
» The jet engine used by modern airplanes was invented by Bucharest-born inventor Henri Coanda ?
Romanian inventor and aerodynamics pioneer, Henri Coanda designed and built in 1910 the world's first jet
powered aircraft, known as the Coandă-1910, which he demonstrated publicly at the second International
Aeronautic Salon in Paris. Coanda died in Bucharest November 25, 1972 at the age of 86. Romania's main
international airport, Henri Coanda, is named after the great inventor.
» Without a Romanian gymnast the computers wouldn’t have had the capability to display a perfect
10 ?
Nadia Comaneci got the first 10 in the history of gymnastics in Montreal in 1976.
» Universal literature found valuable sources of inspiration in Romania's castles ?
The most famous novels written are "The Castle in the Carpathians" by Jules Verne, and "Dracula" by Bram
Stoker.
» Romania features the youngest continental land (Danube Delta) in Europe ?
The mighty Danube River flows 1,788 miles from its springs in Germany’s Black Forest to the Black Sea.
Just before reaching the sea it forms the second largest and best preserved of Europe's deltas: 2,200 square
miles of rivers, canals, marshes, tree-fringed lakes and reed islands. The Danube Delta is a wildlife
enthusiast’s (especially a bird watcher’s) paradise. Formed over a period of more than 10,000 years, the
Danube Delta continues to grow due to the 67 million tons of alluvia deposited every year by the Danube
River.
» Brasov is home to what is said to be the narrowest street in Europe ?
The Rope Street (Strada Sforii) is approximately four feet wide and links Cerbului Street with Poarta Schei
Street. The street was initially used as an access route by firefighters.
Timisoara
Timisoara - General Information
Location: Western Romania (County:
Timis)
Size: 52 sq. miles (130.5 sq. kilometers)
Elevation: 310 ft. (90 meters)
Population: 450,000
Inhabited since: 200 BC
First documented: 1212 AD
The first record of the city of Timisoara, built on the site of
an ancient Roman fortress called Castrum Regium Themes,
dates back to 1212.
Over the years, Timisoara, the largest city in western
Romania, has been influenced by many cultures. The Romans
used it as an important crossroads fortress until the Tatars
destroyed it in the 13th century. Conquered by Turkish
armies in 1552, Timisoara remained under their protection
until 1718 when the region of Banat came under Austrian
rule for two centuries. Timisoara later became a vital
commercial and manufacturing town. Turks, Austrians,
Germans and Serbs all left their mark and their influence can
be seen in neighborhoods throughout the city even today. In many respects, it is the abundance of Secessionist architecture that has provided Timisoara with its rather
appropriate moniker, "Little Vienna." Secessionism developed in two distinct architectural phases here.
Sinuous lines and floral decorations characterized the first phase which lasted until 1908. The second phase,
which continued until the First World War, saw simpler, larger buildings with geometrical designs.
Secessionism in Romania was an important link between the Byzantine style and later modernist
architecture.
Victory Square (Piata Victoriei)
Some of the city's most interesting sites are its elegant baroque buildings, spread around town and
particularly along the main square, Piata Victoriei, which stretches from Opera Square (Piata Operei) to
Loga Boulevard.
The focal point is the towering Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral (Catedrala Ortodoxa
Mitropolitana) at the south side of the square. Built between 1936 and 1946, its green and red roof tiles are
arranged in a mosaic design. In front of the Cathedral is a memorial to those who lost their lives during the
1989 Revolution which overthrew Communist rule. The Memorial Museum of the 1989 Revolution
(Muzeul Revolutiei) offers a full insight into the revolution in Timisoara.
Union Square (Piata Unirii)
Across the town centre is the picturesque Habsburgera Piata Unirii, so-named for the imposing sight of
the Romano-Catholic and Serbian Orthodox
Cathedrals facing each other. Historic pastel-hued
buildings line the square. During the 18th century,
this was the city's commercial centre and the venue
for numerous military processions and religious
ceremonies.
Nicolas Lenau College (Liceul Nicolas Lenau), located on the north side of the square, was built in 1761 and
was home to the earliest theatre in Timisoara.
The baroque Serbian Orthodox Cathedral (Biserica Orthodoxa Sarba), built in 1745-48, and the mint
green and white Serbian Bishop's Residence (Vicariatul Ortodox Sarb) with its extravagant decorations are
located on the west side of the square. The Cathedral can be visited daily between 7am and 6pm.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral
(Catedrala Episcopala Romano-Catolica)
on the east side of the square was built between
1736 and 1754 to the design of Fisher von Erlach
and represents a fine example of Viennese baroque
style. The main altar painting was completed by
Michael Angelo Unterberger, director of the Fine
Arts Academy in Vienna.
The impressive 18th century Baroque Palace (Palatul Vechii Prefecturi) dominates the square's south side.
Formerly the governor's residence, it now houses the Museum of Fine Arts with works by German, Flemish
and Italian artists. At the northwest corner of Piata Unirii stands the spectacular Scont Bank (Banca de
Scont). This typical Hungarian-style art nouveau structure, built in the early 20th century, features an
organic shape comprising curved walls studded with turquoise tiles forming patterns drawn from folklore,
and extravagant iron gutters and window grills.
The Apuseni Mountains
The region to the west of Cluj Napoca is
dominated by the enormous Vladeasa
Mountain. The more than 1800m high ridge is
the first barrier after the flat plains of Hungary.
The Vladeasa Mountain itself is an old volcano,
but the surrounding mountains are mainly
limestone. The region is world wide known for
its magnificent caves, the largest and finest of
Romania. The southern border of the region
host one of the most spectacular nature
reserves of the country: Padis. The Hungarian
minority names this region the “kalotaszeg
region”. Their culture and traditions survived
here stronger then in Hungary. Their beautiful
colorful handwork got attention during several
world expositions at the end of the 19th century
and ever since people produce all kind of
embroidery that can be seen and bought in the
region. Manastireni, Valeni and Izvoru Crisului
have some lovely examples of the typical
“Kalotaszeg” church with very steep steeple and
roof covered with wooden shingles. The ceilings
are beautifully decorated with century old
wooden cassettes. 25km long Fintinele lake is
the highest of a chain of 4 lakes on the Somes
River. A beautiful region to fish or for boat trips.
Marisel, Rogojel and Maguri are some of the
highest settlements in Romania. An enormous
forest stretches for 100km from the Vladeasa
mountain in the west to the Trascau mountains
in the east. It is a perfect region where you can
make beautiful hikes or bike along the
thousands of kilometers of forestry roads, a
region where predators as wolf and bear still
roam the remote valleys, a region where nature
was mainly left untouched.
Harvesting the forest is still mostly pure man and horse-power. Logs are moved
down the slopes by horses, then transported with horse and wagon to the
summer villages where they are cut to timber. Most of these remote places have
no electric power and all mechanized tools are somewhere powered by tractors
or other engines. That means also that there is no electric power in the wooden
cabins where the people stay for the summer. They come up around the 20th of
May and stay for 3 months, till end September, the time the grass is gone. The
men cut and transport the trees and cut them to timber. The women take care of
the household and the farm animals and often help loading, unloading timber.
One of the best places to see this is the Calineasa meadow, near the village
Poiana Horea. Things don’t change much in the mountain villages. Since ancient
times people live in, around and from the forest. The people made huge pastures
higher up in the mountains where they herd sheep and cattle. These open
meadows are colored in spring and summer by millions of flowers, many species
since long gone in western Europe.
The shepherds move with the sheep up in the mountains in late May, only to return end September. Some shepherds are
herding their own flock, others are herding the sheep for the whole village and are paid a percentage of the cheese. Some
shepherds stay for the whole summer at the same spot, others move around and sleep in handmade mobile wagons. The sheep
are milked up to three times a day and the milk is directly processed in cheese. The shepherds stay with their huge sheepdogs
day and night around the flock to protect them from wolves and bears.
Big predators in the Apuseni
Brown bear and wolves are still
roaming the Carpathian Mountains in
Romania. Although the Apuseni
Mountains are populated, bears and
wolves are also here. They are wild,
this means it is not easy to see them.
You don’t find them around garbage
bins, around holiday houses. The best
time of the year to see the bears, is
during spring when they are hungry
from their long winter sleep. In the
summer months they move to the very
remote area’s because there are
people in the mountains to collect
mushrooms, berries, shepherds and
harvesters. Wolves can be spotted at
daytime in the winter months. The rest
of the year they mostly move at night,
searching for prey near the sheepfolds.
Their yellow eyes sometimes lit up in the lights of the high beams of the car when you pass a sheepfold. They don’t seem to be
dangerous to men. There should be lynx and wild cats as well, but they are extremely shy and move only by night.
The Aries River dominates the center part of the
Apuseni mountains. The region is known for its
spectacular landscape with narrow gorges, lovely
valleys, steep slopes and you’ll find here one of
Romania’s most impressive monuments of nature:
the Scarisoara Ice cave. Near to this cave are
dozens of other caves. All along the Aries valley
lovely villages are built on the river banks. The upper
part of the river is homeland to the local highlanders
“the Moti”. They are masters in woodcarving and
make dozens of different household items. Their
huge wooden barrels are known all over the country
and you might see them on their typical long wagons
dwelling the countryside. The narrow Aries Valley
couldn’t offer space and grassland for the growing
population and people and their animals had to move
over the years higher and higher in the mountains to
find grassland. In the beginning they just moved
during the summer months, later on, some of this
summer villages became permanent settlements
now the highest of Romania. Still people move to the
higher alms during summer and unique for the
Ghetar region is that even all farm animals move
along during this “transhumance”. In the past the
people communicated with wooden horns "bucium"
named. They are still made in the region. The
highest peak of the Apuseni, the Biharia mountain
with 1848m dominates the region and guarantees
snow from mid fall till mid spring. The region is
bordered in the north-east by Padis nature reserve,
a fantastic limestone region with numerous caves,
canyons and enormous dolines. The Aries River
offers also nice kayak possibilities. In the village
Arieseni is a small ski slope with chairlift. The upper
Aries valley is a true all year round tourist highlight.
The Northern Apuseni Mountains are warmer and dryer. The
region is dominated by the Trascau and Muntele Mare
Mountains. Up and between these ridges are some superb
nature reserves. There are the Turda, Rimets and Intregalde
Canyons. There is Scarita Belioara, a superb limestone
nature reserve at 1000m altitude, one of the earliest reserves
in the country.
Because of the difficult access roads, many of the mountain
villages remained unchanged. It is one of the most interesting
ethnographic regions with old watermills, typical farm
buildings with straw roofs, wooden ox wagons.
The people live mainly from agriculture and also here farmers
move to remote summer villages where they stay during the
summer months.
There are many superb monasteries in the region. The village
Rimetea is unique. It was during the middle ages the center
of iron mining for the region.
ALBA IULIA
Alba Iulia - General Information
Location: Central Romania (County: Alba)
Size: 3.7 sq. miles (9.7 sq. kilometers)
Elevation: 710 - 790 ft. (222 - 247 meters)
Population: 67,000
Inhabited since: 106-107 BC
First documented: 1097
City Highlights
The gentle climate and the richness of the soil made the area around
Alba Iulia inhabitable since ancient times and established Alba as a
leading wine growing region since 1st century AD. Northwest of
Alba Iulia are the Apuseni Mountains and in the east the
Transylvanian Plateau with its rolling hills and deep, wide valleys.
One of the oldest settlements in Romania, known in ancient time as
Apulum, Alba Iulia served as the largest military and economic center
during the Roman occupation. Temples, mosaics, thermae and
statues, amphitheaters, the governor's palace "Daciarum Trium" – all
rendered the original Dacian Apulul as the miniature copy of the
mother Rome. An Episcopal citadel and an important political, military and cultural center, Alba Iulia reached its peak between
1542-1690, serving as the capital of the independent Principality of Transylvania and the residence of the
Transylvanian princes. In 1599, Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave) achieved here for a brief period of time the union
of the three main provinces of Romania: Walachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia. The town later became an important
printing centre. Nowadays the local universities continue the tradition of the old academic schools.
The peasant revolt led by Horea, Closca and Crisan, executed on February 28, 1785 on the Pitchfork Hill (Dealul
Furcii) turned the city into a symbol of the fight for justice and freedom.
It was here that on December 1st 1918 the province of Transylvania announced its unification with Romania. In 1922
Prince Ferdinand was crowned King of Romania in an act which mirrored the union achieved more than four centuries
earlier by Mihai Viteazul.
Alba means white and comes from the time when the Slavics called the settlement Belgrade (“White Castle”). Iulia
comes from the name of Romanian Prince Gelu (Iulius in Latin) who ruled over the land around Alba Iulia during the
10th century. The Habsburgs tried to impose the name Alba Carolina (Karlsburg) in honor of the emperor Charles VI.
In 1918 the town became once again Alba Iulia.
In the old town visitors can stroll along the wide, tree-lined streets of the Habsburg citadel, one of the most impressive
in Europe, to discover the historical, cultural and architectural places of interest of Alba Iulia: the Roman Catholic
Cathedral – the oldest and most valuable monument of architecture in Transylvania., the Batthyaneum Library, the
Orthodox Cathedral of the Reunification, the Babilon Building – housing the National Museum of Unification, the
Union Hall, the Apor Palace, the Princely Palace, and the University of Alba Iulia.
More info:
http://www.romaniatourism.com/
www.timisoara.com
www.apulum.ro
www.restromania.ro/Geografie/AboutApuseniMountains.htm