Romania

Romania, also spelled Rumania, is a country in eastern Europe. Its name means land of the Romans. The country is so called because it was part of the Roman Empire during ancient times.

The Romanian people are the only eastern Europeans who trace their ancestry and language back to the Romans. Bucharest is Romania's capital and largest city.

A Short Background

Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a communist "peoples republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of President Nicolae CEAUSESCU became increasingly draconian through the 1980s.

He was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the EU.

Location:

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Geographic coordinates:

46 00 N, 25 00 E

Population:

22,364,022 (July 2001 est.)

Ethnic groups:

Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 7.1%, Roma 1.8%, German 0.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, other 0.8% (1992)

Religions:

Romanian Orthodox 70%, Roman Catholic 3%, Uniate Catholic 3%, Protestant 6%, unaffiliated 18%

Languages:

Romanian, Hungarian, German

Currency:

leu (ROL)

Currency code:

ROL

Exchange rates:

1 EURO to Romanian Leu: 39.979,900 (April 2004)

More Informations:

Have a look at this pdf-file for information about the dance Tarina de la Abrud

To read the file you need the free software Adobe Reader from Adobe or another pdf-viewer.
The Adobe Reader you can find on the homepage from Adobe under Support - Downloads.