2. Geography
Romania is a unitary semi-presidential republic located in
southeastern-central Europe, north of the Balkan Peninsula and on the
western shore of the Black Sea. Its capital and largest city, Bucharest, is
the sixth largest city in the European Union.
Romania is the largest country in Southeastern Europe and the twelfth
largest in Europe. The terrain is distributed roughly equally between
mountains, hills and plains. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the
centreof Romania with 14 mountain ranges reaching above 2000 m.
Romania has a climate that is temperate and continental, with four
distinct seasons.
3. Danube Delta
The Danube Delta is the second largest river delta in Europe, after Volga Delta,
and is the best preserved on the continent. The greater part of the Danube
Delta lies in Romania (Tulcea county), while its northern part, on the left bank
of the Chilia arm, is situated in Ukraine. The approximate surface area is 4,152
km², and of that, 3,446 km² are in Romania. With the lagoons of Razim-Sinoe
(1,015 km² with 865 km² water surface), located south of the main delta, the
total area of the Danube Delta reaches 5,165 km². The Razelm - Sinoe lagoon
complex is geologically and ecologically related to the delta proper and their
combined territory is part of the World Heritage Sites.
4. Tourism
According to the World Travel and
Tourism Council, Romania was
estimated to have the fourth fastest
growing travel and tourism total
demand in the world. Popular
summer attractions are Mamaia and
other Black Sea Resorts. Most
popular skiing resorts are along the
Valea Prahovei and in Poiana Brasov.
Also, some popula Transylvanian
cities such as Sibiu, Brasov and
Sighisoara.
5. Science
Historically, Romanian researchers an inventors have
made notable contributions to several fields. In the
history of flight, Traian Vuia made the first airplane to
take off on its own power. Victor Babes discovered more
than 50 types of bacteria while Emil Palade received the
Nobel Prize for his cotribution to cell biology. Spiru
Haret and Grigore Moisil are some well-known
mathematicians of this country.
6. Education
Since the Romanian Revolution of 1989, the Romanian educational
system has been in a continuous process of reform that has received
mixed criticism. The results of the Pisa assesment study in schools for
the year 200 placed Romania on the 34th rank out of 42 participant
countries. Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, University of
Bucharest and West University of Timisoara have been included in the
QS World University Rankings' top 800.
7. Traditions
There are 12 non-working public holidays,
including the Great Union Day, celebrated on 1
December in commemoration of the 1918 union of
Trasylvania with Romania. Winter holidays include
the Christmas festivities and the New Year during
which, various unique folklore dances and games
are common: plugusorul, sorcova, ursul and capra.
The traditional Romanian dress that otherwise has
largely fell out of use during the 20th century, is a
popular ceremonial vestment worn on these
festivities, especially in the rural areas. During
Easter, painted eggs are very common. Romanian
cuisine shares some similarities with other Balkan
cuisines such as Greek, Bulgarian and Turkish
Cuisine.
8. Football
Football is the most popular sport in Romania with
over a million players. The Romania national
football team has taken part several times in the
FIFA World Cup games and had its most succes
period during the 1990s. The Romania national
football team played its first match in 1922 and is
one of only four national teams to have taken part
in the first three World Cups , the other three being
Brazil, France, and Belgium. Overall, they have
played in seven World Cups, most recently in 1998.
They have also competed in four European
Championship , most recently in 2008. The team's
most successful period was in the 1990s when, led
by Gheorghe Hagi, they reached the quarterfinals of
the 1994 World Cup. They also reached the last 16
of the 1998 World Cup, and the quarter-finals of
Euro 2000.
9. Tennis Tennis is the second most popular sport, with
over 15,000 registered players. Simona Halep is
a Romanian professional tennis player who is
currently ranked world No. 3. Halep first broke
into the world's top 50 at the end of 2012, then
into the top 20 in August 2013, and then top 10
in January 2014 (after reaching the Australian
Open quarterfinal). She won her first 6 WTA
titles in the same calendar year in 2013 (a feat
that was last achieved by Steffi Graf in 1986
when she won her first 7), being named the
WTA's Most Improved Player at its end, as well
as being named ESPN Center Court's 2013 Most
Improved Player. Halep reached the 2014 French
Open final, her first Grand Slam final, where she
played against Maria Sharapova.
10. Gymnastics
Nadia Elena Comaneci is a Romanian gymnast, winner
of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer
Olympics in Montreal and the first female gymnast to
be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic
gymnastic event. She also won two gold medals at the
1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. She is one of the
best-known gymnasts in the world.
