Romania

Romania is a country at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. It is bordered by Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea to the southeast. It has a predominantly temperate continental climate and covers an area of ​​238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi) with a population of about 19 million. Romania is the twelfth largest country in Europe and the sixth most populous country in the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest; other major urban areas include Iasi, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, Constanta, Craiova, Brasov and Galati.

The Danube, the second longest river in Europe, originates in the Black Forest in Germany and flows southeastward for 2,857 km (1,775 miles), then flows into the Danube Delta in Romania. The Carpathians, which cross Romania from north to southwest, include Moldovyanu Peak at 2,544 m (8346 ft).

Romania was formed in 1859 as a result of the personal union of the Danube principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The new state, officially called Romania since 1866, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. During World War I, after declaring its neutrality in 1914, Romania fought alongside the Allied powers since 1916. Bessarabia, Transylvania and parts of Banat, Crisana and Maramures became part of the Romanian kingdom. In June - August 1940, due to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the Second Vienna Prize, Romania was forced to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, and Northern Transylvania to Hungary. In November 1940, Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and therefore entered World War II on the Axis side in June 1941, fighting against the Soviet Union until August 1944, when it joined the Allies and reclaimed Northern Transylvania. After the war and the occupation by the Red Army, Romania became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact. After the 1989 revolution, Romania began its transition to democracy and market economy.

Romania is a high-income developing country ranked 49th in the Human Development Index. In terms of nominal GDP, the country ranks 45th in the world in terms of economy. Romania experienced rapid economic growth in the early 2000s; its economy is currently based primarily on services. It is a manufacturer and net exporter of machinery and electricity through companies such as Automobile Dacia and OMV Petrom. Romania has been a member of the United Nations since 1955, NATO since 2004 and the European Union since 2007. The majority of the population of Romania are ethnic Romanians and Orthodox Christians who speak Romanian, Romance.