Romania
Basic information
- Area: 237,500 km²
- Calling code: +40
- Population (EST): 22,246,862
- Official language: Romanian
- Time zone: EET (UTC+2)
Overview
Situated in the Southeast of Europe, Romania was for many years part of the Soviet Bloc until late 1989, when the �Romanian Revolution` finally ousted the communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. Romania has one of the richest cultural histories in Europe, although for much of the 20th Century, many people outside of the region knew only what was reported in the news or what they had read in Bram Stoker`s novel Dracula. There is evidence that Neanderthals were in the region around 100,000 years ago and a steady population of modern man over 7,000 years ago. According to the World Fact Book, the current population stands at around 22,329,977. In 2004 Romania joined NATO and in early 2007 hopes to become a member of the European Union. A report by the World Bank in 2005 puts the GNI per capita for Romania at $2,920 (USD).
Economy
The administrative centre of Romania is the capital Bucharest, by far the largest city in the country with a population of just over 2 million people. The economy of Bucharest comprises of chemicals, food processing, metals, machinery, textiles and light industry. Originally opened in 1694, the University of Bucharest is Romania`s oldest centre of higher education. The University has many faculties, covering a wide array of subjects such as politics, mathematics, law, physics and theology. There are in the region of nearly 100,000 students in Bucharest, studying at the city`s numerous institutes of higher education. Bucharest has a relatively modern Metro system, which started in 1979 and over a period of time has been expanded. Caution should be taken when changing currency, within Romania there are many illegal currency changers, usually operating directly from the streets, it is strongly advised that only banks and authorised currency exchanges are used.
Infrastructure
Bucharest International Airport �Henri Coanda` lies just under 17 kilometres from the city and provides direct routes to many major European Cities as well as a number in the Middle East. The airport is one of the biggest in Southeast Europe and in 2005 dealt just over 3 million passengers. The name of the airport is that of Henri Marie Coandâ, born in Bucharest in 1886, who in 1910 designed and flew the world`s first jet aircraft. The Port of Constantza is the chief seaport of Romania, located around 200 kilometres east of Bucharest, on the Black Sea and connects Central Europe to the markets of Western Europe. To the south of Constantza is a waterway, which allows river traffic, to and from the River Danube (River Corridor VII). Along with its two satellite ports Midia and Mangalia, Constantza dealt with 60.6 million tons of cargo in 2005, according to the Constantza Port administration. The port is also well connected with both road and rail links.
Standard of Living
The country has some of the most stunning scenery to be found in Europe, from the Danube Delta to the Carpathian Mountains and Transylvania with several areas being UNESCO World Heritage sites. Throughout the year in all parts of Romania there are many festivals and events celebrating the culture, both past and present, along with the folklore and traditions built up over many centuries.
Business Costs
According to CB Richard Ellis, office occupancy costs for Bucharest in 2005 stood at around €222 per square metre per annum.
