LandInfo Romania
Romania is a country located in south-eastern Central Europe, on the lower Danube, North of Balkan peninsula, stretching from north-western coast of the Black Sea to the west. Danube Delta and southern and central Carpathian Mountains are mostly located over Romanian territory. It borders Bulgaria to the South, Serbia to the south-west, Hungary to the north-west, Ukraine to the north and east, and Moldova to the east, and Black Sea lies to the south-east.
Throughout history, different parts of the territory of today’s Romania were part of Dacia and then under the administration of Roman Empire, Ottoman Empire, Russian Empire and Austria-Hungary Empire.
Romania became sovereign state in 1859, after Ţara Românească joined Moldova ruled by Alexandru Ioan Cuza, and was recognized as an independent country 19 years later. In 1918, Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia joined Romania, forming “Romania Mare” or the “interwar Romania”, with the largest territorial expansion in the history of Romania (295,641 km2).
On the eve of the Second World War (1940), Romania Mare, under pressure from Hitler, who had the assistance of the pro-Nazi Government, led by Gigurtu, ceased to exist, territories were submitted to Hungary (northern Transylvania), to Bulgaria (Quadrilater) and to the Soviet Union (Bessarabia, Herţa and Northern Bukovina). After the abolition of the Antonescu regime, on Augst 23, 1944, and return of weapons against Axis Powers, Romania has recovered northern Transylvania, fact completed by the Warsaw Pact.
When the Soviet Union collapsed and the communist regime installed in Romania was removed (1989), the country initiated a series of economic and political reforms. After a decade of economic problems, Romania has introduced new general economic reforms (such as flat tax in 2005), and joined the EU on January 1st, 2007.
