Romania Country & Tourist Information

Location
Southeastern Europe.

Area
238,391 sq km (92,043 sq miles).

Population
21.6 million (UN estimate 2006).

Population Density
90.6 per sq km.

Capital
Bucharest.
Population: 2 million (2005).

Government
Democratic Republic since 1991.

Language
Romanian is the official language. Some Hungarian and German are spoken in border areas, while mainly French and some English are spoken by those connected with the tourist industry.

Religion
87% Romanian Orthodox, with Greek and Roman Catholic, Reformed/Lutheran, Unitarian, Muslim and Jewish minorities.

Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the two-pin type.

Head of Government
Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu since 2004.

Head of State
President Traian Basescu since 2004.

Recent History
Traian Basescu won Romania’s presidential election in 2004, defeating incumbent prime minister Adrian Nastase of the leftist Social Democratic party. Calin Tariceanu became prime minister following parliamentary elections in November 2004. His government is an alliance of Liberals and Democrats and has members from four reformist parties. The government accelerated the legal and judicial reforms necessary to ensure EU membership for Romania in 2007 and is engaged in fighting poverty and corruption. 

Basescu gained a second endorsement from the electorate in a May 2007 referendum when they rejected an attempt by parliament to impeach him. MPs had decided by a large majority to remove him from office, accusing him of exceeding his constitutional powers.

Telephone
Country code: 40. Public telephones are widely available and can be used for direct international calls; most require a calling card. Hotels often impose a high service charge for long-distance calls, but usually do not charge for local calls.

Mobile Telephone
Roaming agreements exist with many international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good around Bucharest but variable elsewhere. Local mobile phone hire is available.

Internet
Romania has numerous Internet cafes, some offering Wi-Fi.

Media
Romania’s media are among the most lively in the region. The 1991 constitution upholds freedom of expression, but prohibits ‘defamation of the country’. Private radio stations began to appear in 1990; over 100 of them now broadcast alongside state-run Radio Romania. A boom in the newspaper market followed the 1989 revolution, but many were later forced to close owing to rising costs.

Post
Airmail to Western Europe takes one week. 

Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0730-2000, Sat 0800-1400.

Press
• Daily papers include Adevarul, Libertatea, Evenimentul Zillei, Romania Libera and Jurnalul National, which has English-language pages.
• English newspapers and publications include Bucharest Business Week, Nine O’Clock and Vivid Magazine.
• There are a great number of daily and weekly newspapers published in Romanian, Hungarian and German.

Radio
• Radio Romania is state owned and runs four national networks, as well as local and regional services.
• Commercial stations include Europa FM, Kiss FM, Pro FM and Radio 21.
• The BBC World Service is available on FM in the capital.

Below are listed Public Holidays for the January 2009-December 2010 period.

2009
1-2 Jan New Year.
6 Jan Epiphany. 
20 Apr Easter Monday (Orthodox).
1 May Labor Day.
1 Dec National Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

2010
1-2 Jan New Year.
6 Jan Epiphany. 
5 Apr Easter Monday (Orthodox).
1 May Labor Day.
1 Dec National Day.
25-26 Dec Christmas.

Contact Information:

Embassy of Romania in the UK
Arundel House, 4 Palace Green, London W8 4QD, UK
Tel: (020) 7937 9666.
Website: http://londra.mae.ro
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 0900-1700.
Consular section: MEIC House, 344 Kensington High Street, London W14 8NS, UK
Tel: (020) 7602 9777 or 9662.
Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 1000-1300.

Romanian National Tourist Office in the UK
22 New Cavendish Street, London W1M 7LH, UK
Tel: (020) 7224 3692.
Website: www.romaniatourism.com

Embassy of Romania in the USA
1607 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20008, USA
Tel: (202) 332 4846 or 2879 (consular section).
Website: www.roembus.org

Romanian National Tourist Office in the USA
355 Lexington Avenue, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (212) 545 8484.
Website: www.romaniatourism.com


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