Official Name:Romania
Location:(Southeastern) Central Europe
Time Zone:Seven hours ahead of U.S.Eastern Standard Time (GMT + 2)
Area:91,725 sq.miles (237,502 sq.km)
Flag of Romania:Three vertical stripes:red,yellow and blue.
Population:21,400,000 (2009 mid-year estimate)
Ethnic Groups:Romanian 89%,Hungarian 7.5%,Gipsy 1.9%,German,Other 1.6%
Religions:Christian Orthodox 87%,Roman Catholic 5%,Protestant 5%,Jewish
Official Language:Romanian
Currency:Romanian Leu (RON)
Climate:Temperate,four distinct seasons,similar to northeastern USA
Capital:Bucharest (Bucuresti)
Form of State:Semi-parliamentary Republic with two legislative bodies:Senate (Senat) and Chamber of Representatives (Camera Deputatilor)
Legal system:Based on European models and Constitution of 1991.
Electoral System:Universal direct suffrage over the age of 18.
Parties must win at least five percent of the national vote to gain representation in the Parliament.
National Elections:November 2008;
next ellections:Fall 2012 (parliamentary),Fall 2014 (presidential).
Head of State:President of the Republic,currently Mr.Traian Basescu (re-elected on December 6,2009).
Romania's president is allowed to serve two consecutive five-year terms.
National Government:The government is led by the Prime Minister,confirmed by the Parliament on the nomination of the President of Romania.
The present Government is formed by the Democratic - Liberal Party.
Head of the Government:the Prime Minister,currently Mr.Emil Boc (Democratic-Liberal Party).
Main political parties:Social Democratic Party (PSD),Democratic-Liberal Party (PD-L),National Liberal Party (PNL),Democratic Union of the Hungarian Minority (UDMR).
Regional Government:Forty-one County Councils (Consiliu Judetean).