essive
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.

Geography
Romania

Location:

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

Geographic coordinates:

46 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total: 237,500 sq km
land: 230,340 sq km
water: 7,160 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:

total: 2,508 km
border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km,
Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km

Coastline:

225 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate:

temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny
summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

Terrain:

central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia
on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the
Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use:

arable land: 39.49%
permanent crops: 1.92%
other: 58.59% (2005)

Irrigated land:

30,770 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

42.3 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):

total: 6.5 cu km/yr (9%/34%/57%)
per capita: 299 cu m/yr (2003)

Natural hazards:

earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure
and climate promote landslides

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in
south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta
wetlands

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic
Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty,
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification,
Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but