... a non-Communist government as installed. The first free multiparty elections took place in Romania in 1990.II LAND AND RESOURCES Romania has a total land area of 237,500 sq km 91,700 sq mi. The country is bounded on the north by Ukraine, on the east by Moldova, on the southeast by the Black Sea, on the south by Bulgaria, on the southest by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia FRY, and on the est by Hungary. Romania is roughly oval in shape, ith a maximum distance from east to est of 720 km 450 mi and a maximum distance from north to south of 515 km 320 mi. A long chain of mountain ranges curves through northern and central Romania. The Danube River forms much of the countrys southern and southestern borders ith Bulgaria and the FRY, and the Prut River divides Romania from its northeastern neighbor Moldova.A Natural Regions Transylvania, an extensive elevated plateau region that reaches a maximum height of about 600 m about 2,000 ft, occupies most of central and northestern Romania. Transylvania is surrounded by the Carpathian Mountains, a large mountain system of central and eastern Europe. The Eastern Carpathians extend from the northern border to the center of the country and contain the forested region of Bukovina the Southern Carpathians, also knon as the Transylvanian Alps, stretch estard from the Eastern Carpathian range and the estern Carpathians traverse the estern portion of Romania. The Southern Carpathians contain the countrys highest peak, Moldoveanu, hich reaches an elevation of 2,543 m 8,343 ft. The geological structure of the Carpathians has given rise to severe earthquakes In 1977 an earthquake ith a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale inflicted serious damage on Bucharest and claimed more than 1,500 lives. Another earthquake measuring 6.0 as registered in 1990.The areas stretching outard from Romanias mountainous interior contain hills and tablelands full of orchards and vineyards, and flat lolands here cereal and vegetable farming takes place. estern Romania is dominated by the Tisza Plain, hich borders both Hungary and the FRY the section of the plain that borders the FRY is generally knon as the region of Banat, hile the section that borders Hungary is commonly referred to as Crisana-Maramures. To the east of central Romania, stretching from the Carpathians to the Prut River along the Moldovan border, lies the region of Moldavia. Southern Romania contains the region of alachia, hich stretches from the southernmost mountains to the Danube and contains the city of Bucharest. The small region of Dobruja, located in the extreme southeast beteen the Danube River and the Black Sea, is an important tourist center.B Rivers and Lakes The most important river of Romania is the Danube. Its loer course forms a delta that covers much of northeastern Dobruja. Most of Romania s major rivers are part of the Danube system these include the Mures, the Somes, the Olt, the Prut, and the Siret. Romania has many small, freshater mountain lakes, but the largest lakes are saline lagoons on the coast of the Black Sea the largest of these is Lake Razelm.C Plant and Animal Life ooded steppe, no largely cleared for agriculture, dominates the plains of alachia and Moldavia. Fruit trees are common in the foothills of the mountains. The loer slopes have forests ith deciduous trees such as birch, beech, and oak. The forests of the higher elevations are coniferous, consisting largely of pine and spruce trees. Above the timberline approximately 1,750 m5,740 ft, the vegetation is alpine.ild animal life is abundant in most parts of Romania. The larger animals, found chiefly in the Carpathian Mountains, include ild boar, olves, lynx, foxes, bears, chamois, roe deer, and goats. In the plains, squirrels, hare, badgers, and polecats are common. Many species of birds are abundant the Danube delta region, no partly a nature preserve, is a stopover point for migratory birds. Among species of fish found in the rivers and offshore are pike, sturgeon, carp, flounder, herring, salmon, perch, and eel.D Natural Resources The principal resources of Romania are agricultural, but the country also has significant mineral deposits, particularly petroleum, natural gas, salt, hard coal, lignite bron coal, iron ore, copper, bauxite, chromium, manganese, lead, and zinc. Timber is also an important natural resource.About 43 percent of land in Romania is cultivated for crops or used for orchards, and the soils in most parts of the country are fertile. In Banat, alachia, and Moldavia, soils consist mainly of chernozem, or black earth, highly suited for groing grain. Soils in Transylvania are generally loer in nutrients.E Climate Romania has a temperate climate ith four distinct seasons. Temperatures are generally cooler in the mountains, hile the hottest areas in summer are the lolands of alachia, Moldavia, and Dobruja. The average daily temperature range in Bucharest is -7 to 1C 19 to 34F in January and 16 to 30C 61 to 86F in July. Rainfall is heaviest during the months of April, May, June, September, and October. Yearly rainfall averages about 650 mm about 25 in, ranging from about 500 mm about 20 in on the plains to about 1,020 mm about 40 in in the mountains. The climate of Dobruja is extremely dry.F Environmental Issues Air and ater pollution by industry are serious environmental problems in Romania. The countrys factories, chemical plants, and electric poer plants depend heavily on burning coal, a process that emits dangerous levels of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide. The industrial centers of Copsa Mica, in central Romania, and Giurgiu, in the south, have severe air pollution problems. Bucharest, the capital, also has serious air pollution. Industrial runoff ends up in the Danube and other rivers, making ater unsafe for drinking and threatening the diverse ecosystems of the Danube delta. The delta, the largest in Europe, as declared a orld Heritage Site in 1991. Its lakes and marshes are home to hundreds of species of birds and dozens of fish and reptile species. As a result of air and ater pollution, hoever, many species are threatened ith extinction.Unsystematic farming practices, particularly poor crop rotation, have led to severe soil degradation and erosion in Romania. In the 1980s large tracts of marshland along the Danube ere drained and converted to cropland to aid food production. Nevertheless, deforestation is not a problem in Romaniain 1995, 27.1 percent of the countrys total land area as forested. The government has designated 4.7 percent 1997 of the countrys area protected. It has ratified international environmental agreements pertaining to air pollution, biodiversity, climate change, desertification, endangered species, environmental modification, hazardous astes, ozone layer protection, ship pollution, and etlands.III THE PEOPLE OF ROMANIA A Population and Settlement At the 1992 census, Romania had a population of 22,760,449. The 2002 estimated population is 22,317,730, yie...
Download