Discover România

The River Danube, Europe's second longest river, rises in Germany and flows southeastwards for a distance of 2,857 km, coursing through ten countries before emptying in Romania's Danube Delta. The Carpathian Mountains, with on of their tallest peaks Moldoveanu at 2,544 m, cross Romania from the north to the southwest. Modern Romania emerged within the territories of the ancient Roman province of Dacia. At times Dacia included areas between the Tisa and the Middle Danube. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus corresponds to the present day countries of Romania and Moldova, as well as smaller parts of Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, and Ukraine. Dacians (or Getae/or goths) were North Thracian tribes (the Romanian ancestors). A Dacian Kingdom of variable size existed between 82 BC until the Roman conquest in AD 106. The capital of Dacia, Sarmizegetusa, located in modern Romania, was destroyed by the Romans, but its name was added to that of the new city (Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa) built by the latter to serve as the capital of the Roman province of Dacia. In the Middle Ages, Romanians lived in three Romanian principalities: Valahia (Muntenia), Moldova and Transilvania. In 1600, all three principalities were ruled simultaneously by the Valahiann prince Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul), who was considered, later on, the precursor of modern Romania and became a point of reference for nationalists, as well as a catalyst for achieving a single Romanian state. The union didn't last long as Michael the Brave was assassinated by Hungarians. During the period of the Austro-Hungarian rule in Transylvania and of Ottoman suzerainty over Valahia and Moldavia, most Romanians were given few rights in a territory where they formed the majority of the population. After the first world war Romania finally unified into a single state - Kingdom of Romania ruled by King Ferdinand and Queen Mary. The new kingdom was internationally recognized by the end of 1920. Today, Romania, with 19.94 million inhabitants, is the seventh most populous member state of the European Union. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and EU in 2007. The capital and largest city, Bucharest, with its 1,883,425 inhabitants is the sixth largest city in the EU. Romanian is a Romance language spoken by around 24 million people as a native language, primarily in Romania and Moldova, and by another 4 million people as a second language. It has official status in Romania and the Republic of Moldova. It is one of the official languages of the European Union and the Latin Union. Historically, Romanian researchers and 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 and Aurel Vlaicu built and flew some of the earliest successful aircraft, while Henri Coandă discovered the Coandă effect of fluidics. The nuclear physics facility of the European Union's proposed Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) laser will be built in Romania. In early 2012, Romania launched its first satellite from the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guyana. Starting December 2014, Romania is a co-owner of the International Space Station. Economically, Bucharest is the most prosperous city in Romania and is one of the main industrial centers and transportation hubs of Eastern Europe. The city has big convention facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional "shopping arcades", and recreational areas. Bucharest is the center of the Romanian economy and industry, accounting for around 23% (2013) of the country's GDP and about one-quarter of its industrial production, while being inhabited by 9% of the country's population. Almost one-third of national taxes is paid by Bucharest's citizens and companies. In 2013, Bucharest had a nominal GDP per-capita €20,564 ($27.300), or 122% that of the European Union average and more than twice the Romanian average. Sixteen public universities are in Bucharest, the largest of which are the University of Bucharest, the Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, the National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, and the Politehnica University of Bucharest. These are supplemented by 19 private universities, such as the Romanian-American University and Spiru Haret University, the latter being the largest in Europe with some 302,000 enrolled students in 2009. Overall, 159 faculties are in 34 universities. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romania
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bucharest
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thracians
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dacia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romanian_language