Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by Governor-General Prime minister: Denzil Douglas
Population
21,848,504
50,726
Life Expectancy
74.220 years
74.840 years
Capital City
Bucharest
Largest city
Bucharest (population: 1,877,160)
Basseterre (population: 12,920)
Human Development Index
0.825
0.83
GDP per capita
$12,600 US
Literacy Rate
97.3%
97.8%
Corruption Perception Index
3.8
NA
Percentage of Women in Parliament
9.6%
6.7%
Wealthiest Citizens
Dinu Patriciu ($1.8bn US)
NA
Unemployment Rate
5.100%
Death Penalty
Abolished
Legal
Political System
republic
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed)
Religions
Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)
Anglican, other Protestant, Roman Catholic
Languages
Romanian 91% (official), Hungarian 6.7%, Romany (Gypsy) 1.1%, other 1.2%
English
Exports
machinery and equipment, textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products
External Debt
$136,100,000,000 $
Exchange Rate
lei (RON) per US dollar - 2.5 (2008 est.), 2.43 (2007), 2.809 (2006), 3 (2005), 3 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
1.900%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
8
0
Location
Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine
Caribbean, islands in the Caribbean Sea, about one-third of the way from Puerto Rico to Trinidad and Tobago
Area
238,391 km sq
261 km sq
Coastline
225 km
135 km
Climate
temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms
tropical, tempered by constant sea breezes; little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season (May to November)