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Lăptăria Enache

Lăptăria Enache

Lăptăria Enache (literally "Enache Milkbar"; also sometimes known as Lăptăria lui Enache, "Enache's Milkbar") is one of the leading bars in Bucharest, Romania. Located in a slightly curved space over the main halls of the Romanian National Theater near Piaţa Universităţii (University Square), the bar is one of the city's best-known gathering spots and music venues. The lobby is decorated with reproductions of memorabilia related to Tristan Tzara and the Dadaists. In the warm-weather months, operations move to a terrace (known as La Motor or La Motoare) on the adjacent roof of the theater. Webcasts of music from Lăptăria Enache occur on Friday and Saturday evenings (East European time).

External links


- [http://www.laptaria.totalnet.ro/ Official site] (a rather minimal website, in Romanian)
- [http://www.sapteseri.ro/index.php?page=details&ln=3&city=1&pid=187 Lăptăria Enache] on the site of Şapte Seri has some photos of the bar Category:Bucharest Category:Drinking establishments

Bucharest

Bucharest (Romanian: Bucureşti ) is the capital city and industrial and commercial centre of Romania. It is located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River. The city was first mentioned in 1459 and became the capital of Romania in 1862. According to the 2002 census, Bucharest has a population of 1,921,751 inhabitants in the city proper, making it the largest city in the region after Athens. There are also approximately 2.3 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area. Economically, the city is by far the most prosperous in Romania and is one of the main industrial centres of Southeastern Europe. The city is administered as the Municipality of Bucharest (Municipiul Bucureşti), and has the same administrative level as a county. The residents of Bucharest are most often known as Bucharesters in English, or Bucureşteni in Romanian.

Geography and climate

Geography

Romanian Bucharest is situated on the banks of the Dâmboviţa River, a tributary of the Danube. Several lakes — the most important of which are Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei and Lake Colentina — stretch across the city, along a tributary of the Dâmboviţa, named the Colentina River. In addition, in the center of the capital there is a small artificial lake - Lake Cişmigiu. The lake is surrounded by the Cişmigiu Gardens, which were opened in 1847 after the plans of the German architect Carl F.W. Meyer and are currently the main recreational facility in the city centre. The Cişmigiu Gardens have a rich history, being frequented by famous poets and writers. Alongside Cişmigiu, Bucharest contains two other large parks and gardens – Herăstrău Park and the Botanical Garden. Herăstrău is a large public park located in the north of the city, and the site of the Village Museum, while the Botanical Garden is the largest in Romania and contains over 10,000 species of plants, including various exotic ones. Village Museum Bucharest is situated in the southeastern corner of the Romanian Plain, in an area once covered by the Vlăsiei forest, which, after it was cleared, gave way to a fertile flatland. As with many cities, Bucharest is traditionally considered to have seven hills, in the tradition of the seven hills of Rome. Bucharest's seven hills are: Mihai Vodă, Patriarchy Hill, Radu Vodă, Cotroceni, Spirei, Văcăreşti and Sf. Gheorghe Nou. The city has a total area of 226 km². The altitude varies from 55.8 metres at the Dâmboviţa bridge in Căţelu, south-eastern Bucharest and 91.5 m at the Militari church. The city has a relatively round shape, with the centre (Km 0) situated at University Square, one of the main squares of the city. Bucharest's radius, from University Square to the city limits in all directions, various from about 10 to 12 km. Until recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, new suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surrounding Ilfov county. Further urban consolidation is expected to take place when the Bucharest metropolitan area is formed in 2006, which will incorporate various communes and cities of Ilfov and surrounding counties.

Climate

2006 Bucharest has a continental climate, characterised by hot dry summers and cold windy winters. Due to its position on the Romanian Plain, the city's winters are very windy, even though some of the winds are mitigated due to urbanisation. Winter temperatures are often below 0°C, even though they rarely drop below -10°C. In summer, the average temperature is approximately 25°C, despite the fact that temperatures sometimes reach 35-40°C in mid-summer in the city centre. Although average precipitation and humidity during summer is low, there are infrequent yet heavy storms. During spring and autumn, temperatures vary between 18-22°C, and precipitation during this time tends to be higher than in summer, with more frequent yet milder periods of rain.

Law and government

Administration

humidity Bucharest has a unique status in Romanian administration, since it is the only municipality that is not part of a county. Its population, however, is larger than that of any Romanian county, and hence the power of the Bucharest General City Hall (Primăria Generală), which is the city's local government body, is about the same as, if not greater than, that of County Councils. The Bucharest City Hall administers the city and is headed by a General Mayor (Primar General), currently Adriean Videanu. Furthermore, the city is divided into six administrative sectors (sectoare), each of which has their own local government, town hall and mayor. The powers of local government over a certain area are therefore shared by the Bucharest City Hall and the local sectorial councils with little or no overlapping of authority. The general rule is that the main City Hall is responsible for citywide utilities such as the water system, the transport system and the main boulevards and sectorial town halls manage the contact between individuals and the local government, secondary streets, parks, schools and the cleaning services. The six sectors are numbered from one to six and are disposed radially so that each one has under administration an area of the city center. They are numbered clockwise and are further divided into districts without any form of administration (cartiere):
- Sector 1: Băneasa, Pipera, Floreasca
- Sector 2: Pantelimon, Colentina, Obor
- Sector 3: Vitan, Titan, Centru Civic
- Sector 4: Berceni, Olteniţei
- Sector 5: Rahova, Ferentari, Cotroceni
- Sector 6: Giuleşti, Drumul Taberei, Militari, Crângaşi Like all other local councils in Romania, the Bucharest sectorial councils, General Council and the mayors are elected every four years by the population. Additionally, Bucharest has a prefect which is appointed by Romania's central government. Despite this, the prefect is not allowed to be a member of a political party. The role of the Bucharest Prefect is to represent the national government at local level, acting as a liaison between the national government and the local government and facilitating the implementation of National Development Plans and governing programmes at local level. The current prefect of Bucharest is Mioara Mantale. The Municipality of Bucharest, along with the surrounding Ilfov county, forms the Bucharest development region, which is equivalent to NUTS-II regions in the European Union and is used by the European Union and the Romanian Government for statistical analysis and regional development. The Bucharest development region is not, however, an administrative entity.

Criminal Justice system

Bucharest's judicial system is similar to that of the Romanian counties. Each of the six sectors has their own local tribunal, while appeals from these tribunals' verdicts, and more serious cases, are directed to the Bucharest Court of Appeals, the city's municipal court. Bucharest is also home to Romania's supreme court, the High Court of Cassation and Justice, as well as other national courts such as the Constitutional Court of Romania and the National Military Tribunal. Bucharest has its own municipal police force, the Bucharest Police (Poliţia Bucureşti), which is under the administration of the City Hall, is responsible for policing of crime within the whole city, and operates a number of special divisions. The Bucharest Police are headquartered on Ştefan cel Mare Blvd in the city centre, and has a number of local branches throughout the city. From 2004 onwards, each sector council also has under its administration a Community Police force (Poliţia Comunitară), dealing with local community issues, as well as the Traffic Police (Poliţia Rutieră), dealing with traffic offences. Like all other Romanian cities, Bucharest has a branch of the Romanian national police force, the Jandarmerie (the name is derived from the French Gendarmerie), and, as the national capital, also contains the General Police Inspectorate of Romania.

History

:Main article: History of Bucharest History of Bucharest Bucharest has had a varied history from ancient times, even though it became Romania's principal city only in the mid-19th century. According to legend, the city was founded by a shepherd named Bucur, even though it is likely that the city was established by Mircea cel Bătrân in the 14th century after a victory won over the Turks (bucurie means "joy" in Romanian). Bucharest was first mentioned as "the Fortress of Bucureşti" in 1459, when it was a residence of the Wallachian prince Vlad Ţepeş (Vlad the Impaler). It was then that the Old Royal Court (Curtea Veche) was built and during the rule of Radu cel Frumos, Bucharest became the summer residence of the court. Burned by the Turks in 1595, Bucharest was restored and continued to grow in size and prosperity. Its centre was around the street "Uliţa Mare", which starting 1589 was known as Lipscani, after the city of Leipzig, the origin of many of the wares sold there. In the 17th century, Bucharest became the most important trade centre of Wallachia and in 1698, it was chosen as capital of Wallachia by Constantin Brâncoveanu. Constantin Brâncoveanu During the 18th century, Romanian possession of Bucharest was frequently disputed by the Ottoman Turks, the Austrian Empire and Imperial Russia. It was occupied by the Russians twice, in 1828 and in 1853-1854, and an Austrian garrison took possession after the Russian departure in 1854, remaining in the city until March 1857. Additionally, on 23 March 1847 a fire consumed about 2,000 buildings of Bucharest, destroying a third of the city. In 1861, when Wallachia and Moldavia were united to form the Principality of Romania, Bucharest became the new nation's capital. In the second half of the 19th century, due to its new status, the city's population increased dramatically, and a new period of urban development began. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of this period won Bucharest the nickname of The Paris of the East (or Little Paris, Micul Paris), with Calea Victoriei as its Champs-Élysées or Fifth Avenue. However, the social divide between rich and poor was described at the time by Ferdinand Lassalle as making the city "a savage hotchpotch." Ferdinand Lassalle Between December 6 1916 and November 1918, the city was occupied by German forces, the capital being moved to Iaşi. After World War I, the city became the capital of the newly-proclaimed Kingdom of Romania, which included Transylvania and several other territories gained after the war. Bucharest suffered heavy loses during World War II due to English and American bombardments (Romania was a German ally during the first half of the war). On November 8, 1945, the king's birthday, the Communists suppressed pro-monarchist rallies. During Nicolae Ceauşescu's leadership (1965-1989), most of the historic part of the city was destroyed and replaced with Communist-style buildings, particularly high-rise apartment blocks. The best example of this is the Centru Civic (Civic Centre) development, including the Palace of the Parliament, where an entire historic quarter was razed to make way for Ceauşescu's grandomanic constructions. In 1977, a strong 7.4 on the Richter-scale earthquake claimed 1,500 lives and destroyed many old buildings. Despite this, some historic districts remain. Mass protests began in Timişoara in December 1989 and continued in Bucharest, leading to the overthrow of Ceauşescu's communist regime. Unhappy with the results of the revolution, mass protests supported by the students' leagues continued in 1990 (the Golaniad) and were violently stopped by the miners of Valea Jiului (the Mineriad). Several other Mineriads followed, the results of which included a government change. After the year 2000, due to the advent of Romania's economic boom, the city has modernised and is currently undergoing a period of urban renewal. Various residential and commercial developments are underway, particularly in the northern districts, while Bucharest's historic centre is currently undergoing significant restoration.

Treaties signed in Bucharest

# Treaty of May 28, 1812, at the end of the Russo-Turkish War. Romania loses Bessarabia # Treaty of March 3, 1886, at the end of the war between Serbia and Bulgaria # Treaty of August 10, 1913, at the end of the Second Balkan War # Treaty of August 14/27, 1916, the treaty of alliance between Romania and Entente (France, England, Russia and Italy) # Treaty of May 7, 1918, the treaty between Romania and the Central Powers, which was never ratified

Demographics

The city's population, according to the 2002 census, is 2,082,000 inhabitants, or about 9% of the population of Romania. Additionally, there are about 50,000 people who commute to the city everyday, mainly from the surrounding Ilfov county. Bucharest's population experienced two phases of rapid growth, the first in the late 19th century, when the city grew in importance and size, and the second during the Communist period, when a massive urbanisation campaign was launched and many people migrated from rural areas to the capital. At this time, due to Ceauşescu's ban on abortion and contraception, natural increase was also significant. Since the fall of Communism, however, the city's population continues to gently fall, due both to emigration and to a declining birth rate. Approximately 97% of the population of Bucharest are ethnic Romanians, with the second largest ethnic group being the Roma, which make up 1.4% of the population. Other significant ethnic groups are Hungarians (0.3%), Jews (0.1%) and Chinese (0.1%) . In terms of religion, 96.1% of the population are Romanian Orthodox, 1.2% are Roman Catholic, 0.5% are Muslim and 0.4% are Greek-Catholic Uniate. Despite this, only 24% of the population, of any religion, go to a place of worship once a week or more. The life expectancy of residents of Bucharest in 2000-2002 was 73.1 years, around 2 years higher than the Romanian average.

Economy

Greek-Catholic Uniate Bucharest is the most economically-developed and industrialised city in Romania, producing around 21% of the country's GDP and about one-quarter of its industrial production, while only accounting for 9% of the country's population. Almost two-thirds of national taxes are paid by Bucharest's citizens and companies. Based on local purchasing power, Bucharest has a per-capita GDP of nearly 60% that of the European Union average, and more than twice the Romanian average. Based on the fact that Bucharest produces around 21% of Romanian GDP for a population of around 2 million, the GDP (PPP) per capita of the city would be US$20,057. The city's strong economic growth has revitalised infrastructure and led to the development of many shopping malls and modern residential towers and high-rise office buildings. In September 2005, Bucharest had an unemployment rate of 2.6%, significantly lower than the national unemployment rate of 5.7%. Bucharest's economy is mainly centred on industry and services, with services particularly growing in importance in the last ten years. The city serves as the headquarters of a nearly all large Romanian companies. An important source for growth since 2000 has been the city's property and construction boom, which has resulted in a significant growth in the construction sector. Bucharest is also Romania's largest centre for information technology and communications and is home to several software companies, including Softwin, which operates internationally. Bucharest contains Romania's largest stock exchange, the Bucharest Stock Exchange, which was merged in December 2005 with the Bucharest-based electronic stock exchange, Rasdaq. The city has a number of international supermarket chains such as Carrefour, Cora and METRO. At the moment, the city is undergoing a retail boom, with a large number of supermarkets, and hypermarkets, constructed every year. For more information, see supermarkets in Romania. The biggest modern shopping centres in Bucharest are Bucharest Mall, Plazza Romania and Unirea shopping center. However, there are also a large number of traditional markets; the one at Obor covers about a dozen city blocks, and numerous large stores that are not officially part of the market effectively add up to a market district almost twice that size.

Transport

:Main article: Transport in Bucharest Transport in Bucharest Bucharest's extensive public transport system is the largest in Romania and the third largest in Europe. It is made up of the Bucharest Metro, as well as a surface transport system run by RATB, which consists of buses, trams, trolleybuses and light rail. In addition, there is a private taxi and minibus system. The metro and the surface transport system — currently run by two separate state-owned corporations — will be merged in early 2006 to form the Bucharest Metropolitan Transport Board. light rail The city is served by two airports: Henri Coandă International Airport (formerly Otopeni) and Aurel Vlaicu International Airport (formerly Băneasa). Henri Coandă is the largest airport in Romania and the main hub for the national operator TAROM. It is also connected to several international airports by a wide range of international airlines. The smaller Aurel Vlaicu Airport is used for charter flights and low-cost carriers. TAROM Bucharest is the hub of Romania's national railway network, run by Căile Ferate Române. The main railway station is Gara de Nord, or North Station, which provides connections to all major cities in Romania as well as international destinations such as Budapest, Sofia, Vienna and Prague. The city also has five other railway stations run by CFR, which are in the process of being intergrated in a commuter railway serving Bucharest and the surrounding Ilfov county. The city's municipal road network is centred around a series of high-capacity boulevards, which generally radiate out from the city centre to the outskirts. The main axes, which run north-south, east-west and northwest-southeast, as well as one internal and one external ring road, support the bulk of the traffic. The city's roads are usually very crowded during rush hours, due to an increase in car ownership in recent years. Every day, there are more than one million vehicles travelling within the city. This has resulted in wear and potholes appearing on many Bucharest roads, particularly secondary roads, this being identified as one of Bucharest's main infrastructural problems. In recent years, there has been a comprehensive effort on behalf of the City Hall to boost road infrastructure and according to the general development plan, nearly 2000 roads are expected to be repaired by 2008. 2008 Bucharest is also the main node of Romania's national road network, being the origin of most of the country's national roads and expressways, which link the city to all of Romania's major cities as well as to neighbouring countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Romania's two expressways currently in operation, the A1 and the A2, both start from Bucharest. Although it is situated on the banks of a river, Bucharest has never functioned as a port city, with other Romanian cities such as Constanţa and Brăila acting as the country's main ports. However, the Danube-Bucharest Canal, which is 73 km long, is currently in construction and is around 60% completed. When finished, the canal will link Bucharest to the Danube River and, via the Danube-Black Sea Canal, to the Black Sea. This corridor is expected to be a significant component of transport corridor is expected to be a significant component of the city's transport infrastructure and increase sea traffic by a large margin.

Culture

Bucharest's has a diverse and growing cultural scene, with cultural life exhibited in a number of various fields, including the visual arts, performing arts and nightlife. Unlike other parts of Romania, such as the Black Sea coast or Transylvania, Bucharest's cultural scene is much more eclectic, without a defined style, and instead incorporates various elements of Romanian and international culture.

Landmarks

Transylvania] Bucharest has a number of landmarks that are identified with it throughout the world. Perhaps the most prominent of these is the Palace of the Parliament, which was built in the 1980s during the reign of Communist dictator of Nicolae Ceauşescu. Currently the largest building in Europe and the third-largest in the world, the Palace houses the Romanian Parliament (the Chamber of Deputies and Senate, as well as the National Museum of Contemporary Art. It is also often used as a convention centre. National Museum of Contemporary Art] Another well-known landmark of Bucharest is the Arcul de Triumf (Triumphal Arch), which was built in 1935 and was modelled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. A newer landmark of the city is the Memorial of Rebirth, a stylised marble pillar unveiled in 2005 to commemorate the victims of the Romanian Revolution of 1989, which overthrew Communism. The abstract monument sparked a great deal of controversy when it was unveiled, as many believed that it didn't symbolise the revolution well enough. Aside from these landmarks, Bucharest also has a number of cultural venues, mentioned below, that are often considered icons of the city, such as the Romanian Athaeneum.

Visual arts

Romanian Athaeneum] In terms of visual arts, the city contains a number of museums featuring both classical and contemporary Romanian art, as well as selected international works. The National Museum of Art of Romania is perhaps the best-known of Bucharest museums. It is located in the former royal palace and features extensive collections of medieval and modern Romanian art, including works by renowned sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi, as well as an prominent international collection assembled by the former Romanian royal family. Other, smaller museums, contain more specialised collections of works. The Zambaccian Museum, which is situated in the former home of Armenian-Romanian art collector Krikor H. Zambaccian contains works by many well-known Romanian artists as well as international artists such as Paul Cézanne, Eugène Delacroix, Henri Matisse, Camille Pissarro and Pablo Picasso. The Theodor Pallady Museum is situated in one of the oldest surviving merchant houses in Bucharest and includes many works by Romanian painter Theodor Pallady as well as a number of European and Oriental furniture pieces. The Museum of Art Collections contains the collections of a number of well-known Romanian art afficionados, including Krikor Zambaccian and Theodor Pallady. Museum of Art Collections] Despite the extensive classical art galleries and museums in the city, there is also a contemporary arts scene that has becoming increasingly prominent in recent times. The National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC), situated in a wing of the Palace of the Parliament, was opened in 2004 and contains a widespread collection of Romanian and international contemporary art, in a number of expressive forms. The MNAC also manages the Kalinderu MediaLab, which caters specifically to multimedia and experimental art. There is also a range of smaller, private art galleries throughout the city centre.

Performing arts

experimental art] Performing arts are one of the strongest cultural elements of Bucharest, and the city has a number of world-renowned facilities and institutions. The most prominent is the neoclassical Romanian Athenaeum, which was founded in 1852, hosts classical music concerts and is home to the "George Enescu" Philharmonic. Bucharest is also home to the Romanian National Opera, as well as the I.L. Caragiale National Theatre. Another well-known theatre in Bucharest is the State Jewish Theatre, which has gained increasing prominence in recent years due partly to the fact that it features plays starring world-renowned Romanian-Jewish actress Maia Morgenstern. There is also a large number of smaller theatres throughout the city that cater to specific genres, such as the Comedy Theatre, the Nottara Theatre, the Odeon Theatre, and the Constantin Tănase Revue Theatre.

Music and nightlife

Constantin Tănase Bucharest is home to Romania's largest recording labels, and is often the residence of Romanian, and more recently Moldovan, musicians. The city's music scene is quite eclectic. Many Romanian rock bands of the 1970s and 1980s, such as Iris and Holograf, continue to be popular, particularly with the middle-aged, while since the 1990s there has been growth in the boy band and hip hop genres. The eclectic pop-rock band Taxi have been gaining international respect, as has Spitalul de Urgenţă's raucous updating of traditional Romanian music. While many discos play manele, a Turkish-influenced type of music that is particularly popular in Bucharest's working class districts, the city has an increasing jazz and blues scene, and, to an extent, eurodance/trance and heavy metal/punk. punk The city's nightlife, particularly its club scene grew significantly in the 1990s, and continues to increase. The city does not have a central nightlife strip, with many entertainment venues dispersed throughout the city centre. One of the city's best known clubs is the Lăptăria Enache, located above the National Theatre, as well as Fire Club and Club A. The 2000s also saw an increasing visibility of Bucharest gay culture, with the opening of the Queen's Club, the first LGBT club in the city, in 2001 and the first gay pride parade in 2005.

Traditional culture

gay pride parade] Bucharest's culture has, especially in the last 15 years, become more modern and wordly in comparison to other Romanian cities. Traditional Romanian culture, however, continues to have an influence in domains such as theatre and music. Additionally, Bucharest has two internationally-renowned ethnographic museums, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant and the open-air Village Museum. The Village Museum, in Herăstrău Park, contains 272 authentic buildings and peasant farms from all over Romania. The Museum of the Romanian Peasant was declared the European Museum of the Year in 1996, an displays a rich collection of textiles (especially costumes), icons, ceramics, and other artifacts of Romanian peasant life. The Museum of Romanian History is another important museum in Bucharest, containing a collection of artefacts detailing Romanian history and culture from the prehistoric times, Dacian era, medieval times and the modern era.

Cultural events and festivals

Dacian] There are a number of cultural festivals in Bucharest throughout the year, in various domains, even though most festivals take place in the summer months of June, July and August. The National Opera organises the International Opera Festival every year in May and June, which includes ensembles and orchestras from all over the world. The Romanian Athaeneum Society hosts the George Enescu Classical Music Festival at various throughout the city in September every year. Additionally, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant and the Village Museum organise a number of events throughout the year showcasing Romanian folk arts and crafts. In recent years, due to the growing prominence of the Chinese community in Bucharest, several Chinese cultural events have taken place. The first officially-organised Chinese festival was the Chinese New Year's Eve Festival of February 2005 which took place in Nichita Stănescu Park and was organised by the Bucharest City Hall. In 2005, Bucharest was the first city in Southeastern Europe to host the international CowParade, which resulted in dozens of decorated cow sculptures being placed at various points across the city.

Architecture

CowParade Bucharest's architecture is highly eclectic due to the many influences on the city throughout its history. The city centre is a mixture of medieval, classical and art deco buildings, utilitarian Communist-era architecture, as well as modern structures such as skyscrapers and office buildings that were mainly constructed after 2000.

Historical architecture

Of the city's medieval architecture, most of what survived into modern times was destroyed by the Communists and replaced by high-rise apartment blocks. Still, some historical precincts remain, the most notable of which is the Lipscani area. This precinct contains buildings such as Manuc's Inn and the ruins of the Curtea Veche (the Old Court of the King), and during the Middle Ages was the heart of Bucharest's commercial world. From the 1970s onwards, the period went through urban decline, and many historical buildings fell into disrepair. In 2005, the Lipscani area was entirely pedestrianised and is currently undergoing restoration. 2005] 2005] The city centre has also retained architecture from the late 19th century and early 20th century. During this time, Bucharest grew significantly in size and sought to emulate other large European capitals such as Paris. Two notable buildings from this time are the Creţulescu Palace, currently housing cultural institutions including UNESCO's European Centre for Higher Education, and the Cotroceni Palace, the current residence of the Romanian President. Many large-scale constructions such as Gara de Nord, the main railway station, and the National Bank of Romania's headquarters, date from these times. In the 2000s, a wide variety of historic buildings in the city centre underwent restoration. In some residential areas of the city, particularly the high-income northern suburbs, there are many turn-of-the-century villas, most of which were restored after 2000.

Communist architecture

2000 A major part of Bucharest's architecture is made up of buildings constructed during the Communist era, as part of Nicolae Ceauşescu's project of systematization. Many of these buildings were built in previously-historical areas, which were razed and then built upon from scratch. One of the best examples of this type of architecture is the Centru Civic development, which replaced a major part of Bucharest's historic city centre with giant utilitarian buildings, mainly made out of marble or travertine and inspired by North Korean Communist architecture and Socialist Realism. Communist-era architecture can also be found in Bucharest's residential districts, mainly in blocuri, which are high-density apartment blocks that house the majority of the city's population. Socialist Realism Since the fall of Commuism in 1989, several Communist-era buildings have been refurbished, modernised and used for other purposes. Perhaps the best example of this is the conversion of several agro-alimentary complexes into shopping malls and commercial centres. These giant halls, which are most often known as hunger circuses due to the food shortages experienced in the 1980s, were constructed during the Ceauşescu era to act as produce markets and refectories, although most were left unfinished at the time of the Revolution. One such centre was modernised and converted into the Unirea Shopping Centre in the 1990s, now a large shopping mall in central Bucharest. Another example is the modernisation and conversion of a large utilitarian construction in Centru Civic into a Marriott Hotel. This process was accelerated after 2000, when the city underwent a property boom, and many Communist-era buildings in the city centre became prime real estate due to their location. For example, a tram depot built during the Communist times was converted into a new shopping mall, the Anador Commercial Centre, which opened in 2005. In recent years, many Communist-era apartment blocks have also been refurbished to improve the city's urban appearance.

Modern architecture

Anador Commercial Centre The newest contribution to Bucharest's architecture took place after the fall of Communism, and particularly after 2000, when the city went through a period of urban renewal – and architectural revitalisation – on the back of Romania's economic boom. Buildings from this time are mostly made out of glass and steel, and often have more than fifteen storeys. Examples include shopping malls (particularly the Bucharest Mall, a conversion and extension of a "hunger circus"), office buildings, bank headquarters, the Bucharest World Trade Center and the Chamber of Commerce, which lies on the banks of the Dâmboviţa. As of 2005, there is a significant number of office buildings in construction, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the city. Additionally, there has been a trend in recent years to add modern wings and façades to historic buildings, the most prominent example of which is the Bucharest Architects' Association Building, which is a modern glass-and-steel construction build inside a historic stone façade. Aside from buildings used for business and institutions, various new residential developments are currently underway, many of which consist of modern high-rise buildings with a glass exterior, surrounded by American-style residential communities. These developments are increasingly prominent in the northern suburbs of the city, which are less densely-populated and are home to middle- and upper-class Bucharesters due to the process of gentrification.

Education

gentrification] Bucharest is the most important centre of education in Romania, even though other cities such as Iaşi and Cluj-Napoca contain a number of prestigious educational institutions. The University of Bucharest is the city's largest and most well-known higher education institution, and, opening in 1694 as the Academy of Saint Sava, it is Romania's first university. In addition to this, Bucharest is home to 20 other higher education institutes, and the city has a university student population of 100,000. Other major universities in the capital include: the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, the Academy of Economic Studies, Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila University, the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, the Technical University of Construction, Bucharest, the Romanian-American University and the British Romanian University. British Romanian University in central Bucharest]] The city also contains a large number of high-schools. The most important are the Gheorghe Lazăr High School, Saint Sava College, Mihai Viteazul High School, Tudor Bianu High School of Informatics, Ion Luca Caragiale High School, Virgil Madgearu Economics High School, Spiru Haret High School, Iulia Hasdeu High School, Gheorghe Sincai High School, Jean Monet High School, Grigore Moisil High School and Mihai Eminescu High School. There are also numerous secondary education institutions that offer teaching, either partly or fully, in foreign languages. These include Miguel Cervantes High School (instruction in Spanish and Romanian), George Coşbuc High School (instruction in English and Romanian), Goethe German High School and Hristo Botev Bulgarian High School. Also, there is a French language primary school and high school run by the French Embassy in Bucharest, as well as several international schools for foreign nationals, particularly diplomats, who reside with their families in Bucharest.

Media

French language Bucharest is the most important centre for the Romanian mass media, since it is the headquarters of all the national television networks as well as national newspapers and radio stations. The largest daily newspapers in Bucharest include Evenimentul Zilei, Jurnalul Naţional, Cotidianul, România Liberă, Adevărul, Gardianul and Gândul. During the rush hours, tabloid newspapers Libertatea and Ziarul are very popular for commuters. A significant number of newspapers and media publications are based in Casa Presei Libere (The House of the Free Press) a landmark of northern Bucharest, originally named Casa Scânteii after the Communist-era official newspaper Scînteia. Casa Presei Libere is not the only Bucharest landmark that grew out of the media and communications industry. Palatul Telefoanelor ("the telephone palace") was the first major modernist building on Calea Victoriei in the city's center, and the massive, unfinished communist-era Casa Radio looms over a park a block away from the Opera. English-language media became available in Bucharest in the 1990s, and has become increasingly prominent since 2000. There are two daily English-language newspapers, Bucharest Daily News and Nine O'Clock, as well as numerous other magazines. Observator Cultural covers the city's arts, and the free weekly Şapte Seri ("Seven Evenings") and B24FUN lists entertainments of all sorts. The city is also home to the intellectual journal Dilema and the satire magazine Academia Caţavencu, as well as the usual array of commercial magazines one would find in any European capital.

Sports

Association football (soccer) is the most widely-followed sport in Bucharest, with the city having various club teams that are known throughout Europe. The three most important are: FC Steaua, which was founded in 1947 and was the winner of the 1986 European Champion Clubs' Cup, FC Dinamo Bucureşti, founded in 1948, and FC Rapid, founded in 1923. Two other clubs in Bucharest participate in Divizia A, the top division in the Romanian football league. These are Sportul Studenţesc, the city's first football team, founded in 1916, and FC Naţional, founded in 1944. There are various football stadiums in the city, the most important of which are Giuleşti Stadium, Ghencea Stadium and Lia Manoliu Stadium. There are also a number of sport clubs for ice hockey, rugby union, basketball, handball, water polo and volleyball. The majority of Romanian track and field athletes, boxers, and a great number of gymnasts are affiliated with clubs in Bucharest. The Athletics and many Gymnastics National Championships are held in Bucharest, one main reason being the city's extensive sporting infrastructure. Every autumn, Bucharest hosts BCR Open Romania international tennis tournament, which is included in the ATP Tour. Also, the Romanian Davis Cup Team plays its matches in Bucharest, either outdoors at the BNR Arena or indoor at the Sala Polivalentă.

Portrayal in film and fiction


- The American-produced Romanian-language documentary Children Underground (2000) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264476/] portrays the lives of homeless children in Bucharest.
- The Romanian-language film Filantropica ("Philanthropy", 2002) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314067/] gives a satiric portrayal of the city and of many strata of its life.
- The English-language film The Wild Dogs (2002) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290930/] gives a more uniformly bleak portrait of the city.

Gallery

image:Lipscani_in_winter.JPG|Lipscani in winter

See also


- List of Bucharesters
- List of buildings in Bucharest

Notes


- [http://www.infotravelromania.ro/recensamant.html Population Census Results 2002], InfoTravel Romania (in Romanian)
- PriceWaterhouseCoopers Global [http://www.pwcglobal.com/ro/eng/ins-sol/spec-int/Regiona

Romania

:Romania (formerly also spelled Rumania or Roumania; Romanian: România ) is a country in Europe. It is bordered by Ukraine and Moldova in the northeast; Hungary in the west; Serbia and Bulgaria to the south along the Danube River. Romania has a stretch of sea coast on the Black Sea and the eastern and southern Carpathian mountains run through its centre. Romania has been a member of NATO since 2004, and is also an acceding country to the European Union. The EU Accession Treaty was signed in early 2005, and Romania is due to join the Union on January 1, 2007.

Name

Main article: Etymology of Romania The name of Romania (România) comes from Român (Romanian) which is a derivative of the word Romanus ("Roman") from Latin. The oldest surviving document written in the Romanian language is a 1521 letter which notifies the mayor of Braşov about the imminent attack of the Ottoman Turks. This document is also notable for having the first occurrence of "Rumanian", Wallachia being here named The Rumanian Land - Ţeara Rumânească (Ţeara < Latin Terra = land). In the following centuries, Romanian documents use both forms: Român and Rumân, with the latter being the more common form. It was only in the 19th century, with the rise of nationalism that the form Român was adopted as an official spelling, being chosen over Rumân in order to emphasise the linguistic connection to ancient Rome. Romanians take pride in being the most eastern Romance people, completely surrounded by non-Latin peoples ("an island of Latinity").

History

Main article: History of Romania In 513 BC, south of the Danube, the tribal confederation of the Getae were defeated by Darius during his campaign against the Scythians (Herodotus IV.93). Over half a millennium later, the Getae (also named Daci by Romans) were defeated by the Roman Empire under Emperor Trajan in two campaigns stretching from 101 to 106, and the core of their kingdom was turned into the Roman province of Dacia. The Gothic and Carpic campaigns in the Balkans during 238–256 forced the Roman Empire to reorganize a new Roman province of Dacia south of Danube, inside former Moesia Superior. In 271 the ancient Dacia became the Kingdom of the Goths until the end of the fourth century, when it was included in the Hunnic Empire. The Gepids and the Avars ruled Transylvania until the 8th century, after which the Bulgars included Romania in their Empire until 1000. The Pechenegs, the Cumans and Uzes were also mentioned by historic chronicles on the territory of Romania until the founding of the Vlachian principalities of Wallachia by Basarab I, and Moldavia by Dragoş during the 13th and 14th centuries respectively. In the Middle Ages, Romanians lived in three distinct principalities: Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania. In 1475, Stephen the Great of Moldavia scored a decisive victory over the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Vaslui. Wallachia and Moldavia would later come under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire during the 15th and 16th centuries respectively, with internal autonomy under the millet system, and brief periods of independence. Moldova lost its eastern side Bessarabia to the Russian Empire in 1812 (though partially regained it with the Treaty of Paris in 1856), its northern part Bukovina to the Austrian Empire in 1775 and its south-eastern part Bugeac to the Ottoman Empire. Transylvania came under control of the Kingdom of Hungary by the 11th century (from 1301, Hungary and Transylvania became possessions of the Houses of Anjou and Habsburg). The greatest Hungarian ruler—emperor Matthias Corvinus (known in Romanian as Matei Corvin, ruled 1458–1490)—is claimed by the Romanians because of his half-Romanian father, Iancu de Hundoara, and by the Hungarians because of his Hungarian mother. Later, in 1541, Transylvania became a multi-ethnic principality under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire following the Battle of Mohács. At the end of the 18th century, the Austrian Habsburgs incorporated Transylvania into the Austrian Empire. During the time of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary (1867–1918), Romanians in Transylvania experienced heavy oppression in the form of the Magyarization policies of the Hungarian government. The modern state of Romania was formed by the merging of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in 1859 under the Moldavian domnitor Alexander John Cuza. He was replaced by Prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen in 1866. During the Russo-Turkish War, Romania fought on the Russian side; in the Treaty of Berlin in 1878 Romania was recognized as an independent state by the Great Powers. In return for ceding to Russia the two southern districts of Bessarabia which had been regained by Moldavia after the Crimean War in 1852, the Kingdom of Romania acquired Dobruja. In 1881 the principality was raised to a kingdom and Prince Carol I became King Carol I. In spite of its previous alliance with Imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary, Romania entered World War I on the side of the Triple Entente in a move aimed at acquiring Transylvania. By war's end Austria-Hungary and the Russian Empire had collapsed, allowing Bessarabia, Bukovina and Transylvania to unite with the Kingdom of Romania in 1918. Union of Transylvania with Romania was ratified in the Treaty of Trianon in 1920. In 1940 during World War II, Northern Bukovina and Bessarabia, Northern Transylvania, and southern Dobrudja were occupied by the Soviet Union, Hungary and Bulgaria respectively (see Romania during World War II). The authoritarian King Carol II abdicated in 1940 and the subsequent year Romania entered the war joining Nazi Germany, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria. Because Romania participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union, the country recovered Bessarabia and northern Bukovina under the leadership of general Ion Antonescu. During the Second World War, the Antonescu regime, allied with Nazi Germany, played an active role in the Holocaust, following its policy of oppression and massacre of the Jews, and, to a lesser extent, Roma. According to a report released by the Romanian government in 2004, the Romanian authorities killed at least 280,000 to 380,000 Jews, primarily in the Eastern territories Romania recovered or occuppied from the Soviet Union and in Moldavia (historical region), though some estimates are even higher. In August 1944 the Antonescu regime was toppled, and Romania joined the Red Army against Nazi Germany, but its role in the defeat of Germany was not recognized by the Paris Peace Conference of 1947. With the Red Army forces still stationed in the country and exerting defacto control, communists and their allied parties claimed 80% of the vote in the 1946 Romanian elections, through a combination of vote manipulation, elimination and forced mergers of competing parties, establishing themselves as the dominant force; Western democracies left Romania in the hands of the Soviet Union. In 1947, King Michael I was forced by the communists to abdicate and leave the country. Romania was proclaimed a communist state, under direct military and economic control of the USSR until 1958. During this period, Romania's scarce resources left after WWII were drained by the "SovRom" agreements: mixed Soviet-Romanian companies established in the aftermath of World War II to mask the looting of Romania by the Soviet Union, in addition to excessive war reparations paid to the USSR. During this dark period, hundreds of thousands of people were imprisoned for political reasons, there were thousands of abuses, deaths and incidents of torture against political opponents, bringing gloom over Romania. A short-lived period of relative economic well-being and openness followed in late 1960s and the beginning of the 1970s, still regarded by some as a "golden era". This period gradually ended, first politically, and then economically. Some party leaders (such as Ion Iliescu, Corneliu Manescu, or Gheorghe Apostol) who questioned the achievements of the regime during the latter portion of this era, were sent to lower positions, which, in 1989, justified their "dissident" position. From an economic point of view, Romania's foreign debt sharply increased between 1977 and 1981 (from 3 to 10 billion US dollars). Thus, the influence of international financial organisms such as the IMF or the World Bank grew, conflicting with Ceauşescu's autarchic policies. Ceauşescu eventually initiated a project of total reimbursement of the foreign debt (completed in 1989, shortly before his overthrow). To achieve this goal, he imposed policies that impoverished Romanians and exhausted the Romanian economy. He transformed Romania into a police state (see Securitate) and imposed a cult of personality. One positive achievement of the Communist period was the spread of near-universal literacy and the development of a very efficient education system. However, this educational transformation was not coupled with appropriate industrial development and urbanization policies, so that almost half of Romania's population is still rural (47.3%; see Demography of Romania), and mostly poor. Another achievement is the negotiated retreat of Soviet troops from Romania, in 1958. This allowed the country to pursue independent policies, including the condemnation by the Communist Party of Romania of the Soviet-led 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia (Romania was the only country of the Warsaw pact not to take part into the invasion), the continuation of Romanian-Israeli diplomatic relations after the Six-Day War of 1967 (Romania was the only country in the Warsaw pact to do so), the establishment of economic (1963) and diplomatic (1967) relations with the Federal Republic of Germany, and so forth. Close ties between Romania and both Israel and the Arab countries (and the PLO) allowed Romania to play an essential role in the Israel-Egypt and Israel-PLO peace processes. The Communist dictatorship ended 22 December 1989 (see Romanian Revolution of 1989). During the 1989 revolution (the term "revolution" is contested by many), power was taken by an ad hoc group called the National Salvation Front (FSN), which grouped a number of dissidents with other personalities and (then-unknown) persons that participated in the uprising. The FSN assumed the missions of restoring civil order, taking immediate democratic measures, and organizing elections for a new legislative body. Given the slow pace of reconstruction of the social and democratic system after 45 years of Communism (as emphasized by events such as the Ethnic clashes of Târgu Mureş in March 1990), the largest part of the FSN also constituted itself as a political party that participated in (and won by a large majority) the elections of summer 1990. The move was highly contested by the other emerging political parties, because the FSN controlled most media and therefore the election process was biased. The subsequent disintegration of the FSN, which did not have a clear political platform, produced several political parties including the Democratic Party (PD), which for a time retained the FSN name), the Social Democratic Party (PSD, formerly known as the Romanian Party for Social Democracy (PDSR) or the Democratic National Salvation Front-FDSN), and the Alliance for Romania (APR). Throughout several elections, coalitions, and governments, parties that emerged from the FSN governed or participated in the government of Romania from 1990 to 1996, and then from 2000 until today. In 1996, the CDR entered power on a "Contract with Romania" platform which would have required the CDR to resign en masse after 200 days from a mixed coalition government. Some members had signed on to the contract programme, while others had not; once in power, the "Contract" was repudiated. The major CDR parties were electorally eviscerated in 2000, and the Social Democrats returned to power, with Ion Iliescu once again president of Romania and Adrian Năstase, the president of the Social-Democratic Party (PSD), as prime minister. On December 12, 2004, Traian Băsescu was elected president of Romania. He was supported during elections by a coalition, called Justice and Truth Alliance (DA), formed of his Democratic Party and of the National-Liberal Party. The government was formed by a larger coalition which also included the Romanian Humanist Party (now called Conservative Party) and the ethnic Hungarian party UDMR. Following the end of the Cold War in 1989, Romania developed closer ties with Western Europe, joined NATO in 2004 and became an acceding country to the European Union, being at an advanced stage to join on January 1, 2007. The Treaty of Accession of Romania has been signed by EU member states' representatives in Luxembourg, Abbaye de Neumünster, on April 25 2005. Ratification of the Romanian and Bulgarian Accession Treaty is ongoing in the parliaments of all member states.

Romanian heads of state (from the Unification of 1859)

Principalty of Romania Kingdom of Romania People's Republic of Romania Socialist Republic of Romania (from 1965, Aug 21) Republic of Romania See also: Kings of Romania, Bessarabia, Moldavia, Wallachia, and Transylvania

Politics

Main article: Politics of Romania Romania is a democratic republic. The legislative branch of the Romanian government consists of two chambers, the Senat (Senate), which has 137 members (as of 2005), and the Camera Deputaţilor (Chamber of Deputies), which has 314 members (as of 2004). In addition, 18 seats in the Chamber of Deputies are awarded to the representatives of national minorities. The members of both chambers are elected every four years. The President, the head of the executive branch, is also elected by popular vote, every five years (until 2004, four years). The president appoints a prime minister, who heads the government, the members of which are in turn appointed by the prime minister. The government is subject to a parliamentary vote of approval.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Counties of Romania Romania is divided into 41 judeţe, or counties, and the municipality of Bucharest (Bucureşti) - the capital. See also Administrative divisions of Romania. The counties are (in alphabetical order): Administrative divisions of Romania blue, the Moldavian region red, and Dobrogea yellow]]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Romania A large part of Romania's borders with Serbia and Bulgaria is formed by the Danube. The Danube is joined by the Prut River, which forms the border with Moldova. The Danube flows into the Black Sea forming the Danube Delta which is a reservation of the Biosphere. Romanian sightseeing Because many of Romania's borders are defined by natural, sometimes shifting rivers, and because the Danube Delta is constantly expanding towards the sea, about 2-5 linear metres yearly, Romania's surface area has changed over the past few decades, generally increasing. The number has increased from about 237,500 km² in 1969 to 238,391 km² in 2005. Romanian sightseeing Romania's terrain is distributed roughly equally among between mountainous, hilly and lowland territories. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the centre of Romania surrounding the Transylvanian Plateau, 14 peaks reaching above the altitude of 2,000 m, the highest being Moldoveanu Peak at 2,544 m. In the south, the Carpathians sweeten into hills, towards the Bărăgan Plains. The three highest mountains in Romania are: Major cities are the capital Bucharest, Iaşi, Timişoara, Cluj-Napoca, Constanţa, Craiova, Braşov, and Galaţi. See also:
- List of Romanian Cities
- Rivers of Romania
- Lakes of Romania

Largest cities


Source: [http://www.insse.ro/rpl2002rezgen/5.pdf National Institute of Statistics, 2002 Census] Unofficially, sociologists say that in its 228 km², Bucharest has more than 3.5 million people, coming from every corner of the country.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Romania Economy of Romania] After Romania's Communist regime was overthrown in late 1989, the country experienced a decade of economic instability and decline, led in part by an obsolete industrial base as well as a lack of structural reform. Starting from 2000, however, the economy was transformed into one of relative macreconomic stability, high growth, low unemployment and increasing foreign investment, and is currently among the most developed in Southeastern Europe. Economic growth since 2000 has averaged 4-5%, rising to 8.3% in 2004. This has characterised Romania as a boom economy and one of the fastest growing in Europe. Romania was granted in October 2004 the much desired 'functional market economy' status by EU officials, and is expected to join the EU in January 2007. Romania's per-capita GDP, calculated by purchasing power parity is estimated to be $8,258 in 2005. The national budget is €28.9 billion euro, which represents 31.2% of GDP, estimated to be RON 322.5 billion (€90,8 billions) according to the Prime-Minister Tăriceanu. Strong aspects of Romania are the technologically advanced market economy with substantial government participation. Having its own natural resources, Romania has intensively developed its agricultural and industrial sectors over the past 20 years. Romania is largely self-sufficient in food production. High-technology, car-manufacturing, military equipment, software, pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, and agricultural products (fruits, vegetables, and flowers) are leading exports. Romania possesses extensive facilities for oil refining and semiconductor fabrication. Romania] Inflation in 2004 was registered at 9.2%, and is expected to fall to 7.5% in 2005 and 5.0% in 2006. Unemployment in Romania is at 5.5% (July 2005), which is very low compared to other large European countries such as Poland, France, or Germany. Since the late 1990s, there have been several economic reforms, spurred on by the country's bid to join the EU, including the liquidation of large energy-intensive industries and major reforms in the agricultural and financial sectors. As of 2005, a significant amount of Romania's major companies have been privatised, including the majority of banks, the largest oil companies Petrom and Rompetrol, energy distributors and telecommunications companies. The country continues to privatise remaining state enterprises, including Romanian Post and the Romanian Commercial Bank. In comparison to its neighbours, Romania has a high number of small to medium sized enterprises (SMEes). Foreign investment has increased significantly since 2003, reaching € 5.1 billion in 2004. Romania's economy grew 5.9% in the first quarter 2005 compared with the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Office. The service sector was the country's main economic growth engine showing a 6.8% rise from the same period last year, while industry grew by 5% and agriculture by 1.8%. Currently GDP growth is forecast at 5.5% per annum. Romania's economy is characterized by a huge potential of tourism.

Trade

The majority of Romania's trade is oriented towards the countries of the European Union. For the first 6 months of 2005, Romania's exports rose 17.2%, while imports rose 22%, in part due to a rise in real wages. In July 2005, Romanian exports grew to a record value of €2.0 billion/month. The trade deficit was about €3.2 billion (US$3.8 billion) in the first five months of the year, well within the target for 2005. In present, at a series of economical indicators, Romania has a similar situation of the new member states of EU, the export of highly technological products being of 3.2% from total exports, comparatively higher than Poland which has only 2.7% from exports. Main indicators of the exports and imports of Romania's economy:

Taxation

In January 2005, Romania's new Tăriceanu government imposed major fiscal reforms, replacing Romania's progressive tax system with a 16% flat tax on both personal income and company profit. Romania now has one of the most liberal taxation systems in Europe, and it is expected that this, along with increased foreign investment, will boost economic growth in the coming years, as well as lower corruption and bring to light the grey economy. The tax cuts have led a 12 percent jump in household consumption, which was also boosted by a 13 percent rise in wages.

Debt

Romania's level of international debt is estimated at $24.59 billion in 2004, or 23.6% of GDP which is considered very low. However, as Romania is currently going through an economic boom and is undertaking several major infrastructure projects, especially in the context of its EU accession, debt is expected to rise in absolute terms. During the latter part of the Ceauşescu period, Romania earned significant credits from several Arab countries, notably Iraq, for work related to the oil industry. In August 2005, Romania forgave US$2 billion of the US$2.5 billion debt owed it by an Iraq still largely occupied by the military forces of the U.S.-led "Coalition of the Willing", making Romania the first country outside of the Paris Club of wealthy creditor nations to forgive Iraqi debts. Romania has the largest international reserves in the region, estimated at € 19 billion, covering more than 7 months of imports. [http://www.arabnews.com/?page=4§ion=0&article=68683&d=19&m=8&y=2005] [http://www.gandul.info/2005-08-24/actual/aurul_petrolul_si_regatenii] [http://www.phg.ro/stire.php?id=22333&cat_id=10]

Wages

The average gross wage per month in Romania is 965 new lei as of September 2005, an increase of 0.2% over the previous month. This equates to €266.58 and US$313.31. The average net salary per month in October 2005 was 742 new lei (€203.31), an increase of 12%, over the previous year. In 2009 it is calculated that the average wage will be 414€, and 339€ in 2007 respectively according to the Comisia Nationala de Prognoza (CNP).

Currency

Comisia Nationala de Prognoza (CNP) Romania's legal tender is the leu (plural lei). On 1 July 2005, the leu was subjected to redenomination so that 10,000 old lei, in circulation on that date, was exchanged for 1 new leu. The existing banknotes and coins, i.e. the old lei, will be legal tender until the end of December 2006. The official exchange rate for 10 August 2005 for 1€=3.39 lei (National Bank of Romania). By 31 December 2006, the existing banknotes and coins, i.e. the old lei, are to be replaced gradually by the new banknotes and coins. The process will prepare Romania for the adoption of the euro, which is expected to take place several years after EU accession. The Romanian government has said that it expects the country will adopt the euro between 2011 and 2012. Main indicators of the ROMANIA's economy: Romania's GDP over 2005-2007 will go up by 10 billion euros per year, and will stand in 2007 at 96.138 billion euros.

National Budget

National budget, about € 29 billions euro, represents about 31,2% of GDP of RON 322,5 billions (EURO 90,8 billions), declared the Prime-Minister Tariceanu. National budget is increasing rapidly about 6 billions EURO each year for the interval of time 2005-2009. About 2 billions EURO/year are spend for national defense. National budget of Romania:

National Holidays

The Christian holidays of Christmas and (Orthodox) Easter are celebrated (they are official, non-working, holidays). Unlike some other Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Romanian Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on 25 December; however, they follow the usual Eastern Orthodox practice for the date of Easter. Other official holidays (non-working) are New Year's Day (January 1), Labour Day (May 1), and the National Day of Romania (December 1, the Union Day). For Christmas and for Labour Day, it is common for businesses to shut down more than a single day. Minor, but widely observed, holidays include Mărţişor (March 1), marking the start of spring, and International Women's Day (March 8). Many businesses give women employees the day off for International Women's Day. Some holidays celebrated in the United States or in other parts of Europe have recently been gaining some currency in Romania, for example Valentine's Day (February 14). Also see Holidays in Romania.

Sport in Romania

Holidays in Romania]] Romania is successful in a number of sports at international level. See also List of Romanians (sport section). The gymnast Nadia Comaneci was the first gymnast to score a perfect ten in Olympic competition (1976 Montreal Olympic Games). She also won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze - all at the age of fourteen. Her success continued in the 1980 Moscow Olympics when she was awarded two gold medals and two silver medals. Ilie Nastase, the tennis player, is another internationally known Romanian sports star. He won several Grand Slam titles, dozens of other tournaments and also was a successful doubles player. Romania has also reached the Davis Cup finals three times. Soccer is popular in Romania with international footballers such as Gheorghe Hagi who played for Steaua Bucuresti (Romania), Real Madrid, Barcelona (Spain) and Galatasaray (Turkey) among others. The Romanian soccer club Steaua Bucureşti was the first Eastern European club to ever win the prestigious European Champions Cup title (1986).

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Romania

Ethnicity

Ethnic groups (Census 2001):
- Romanian 89.5%
- Hungarian 6.5%
- Roma 2.5%
- Ukrainian 0.3%
- German 0.3%
- Russian 0.2%
- Turkish and Tatar 0.2%
- Other 0.4% An October 2005 report estimates that 1,061,400 Romanians are living in Italy, constituting 37.2% of 2.8 million immigrants in that country. [http://www.evz.ro/eveniment/?news_id=201813] Other ethnic groups include natives of Romania's neighbouring countries and some smaller groups like the Polish minority (numbering a few thousand people) living in Suceava County. Ethnic minorities can use their native language in education. Ethnic minorities are offered native language access to public administration in towns and villages where they make up for more that 20% of the population. In towns and villages where they make up for more than 30% of the population, local council meetings can be held in the minority language, provided that translation into Romanian is provided, and that official minutes are kept in Romanian (cf. the Public Administration Law, link below). Some people say that the Roma population is undercounted in national censuses (by this account, some Roma choose to declare themselves as Romanians or Hungarians). The Roma people are commonly known in Romania as ţigani (tzigany). Most of them live a nomadic life.

Language

The official language is Romanian, a Romance language of the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages, which are also called Romanic, Romantic or Romance languages. This language family includes French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian and Portuguese; its languages are spoken by about 670 million people in many parts of the world, but mainly in Europe and the Western Hemisphere. About 25 million people worldwide speak Romanian, mostly in Romania and Moldova (4,500,000). A sizeable Hungarian minority in Transylvania speaks Hungarian as well as Romanian; until the 1990s, there were also a substantial number of German-speaking Transylvanian Saxons, but most of them have left the country since the fall of communism and the accompanying opening of borders. The Romanian educational system puts a strong emphasis on foreign languages, and Radio România has a channel on which they broadcast in a number of foreign languages. More than a quarter of Romanians understand and speak French and Romania is a member of the Organisation de la Francophonie, with Bucharest being the host of the Summit of Francophony in 2006. In terms of foreign languages, 5 million Romanians speak English, 4-5 million speak French , 1.5 million speak German, 2 million speak Italian, and 1 million speak Spanish. [http://www.anis.ro/index.php?page=afaceri&sec=afaceri_avantaje&lang=ro] Historically, French was the leading foreign language for Romanians to study, now it is English, so that as a group the English-speakers in Romania are younger than the French-speakers.

Religion

Religions (2002 Census):
- Romanian Orthodox - 86.8%
- Roman Catholic - 4.5%
- Protestant - 3.7%
- Pentecostal - 1.5%
- Greek-Catholic Uniate - 0.9% Most Romanians are members of the Romanian Orthodox Church, which is one of the churches of Eastern Orthodox Christianity. Catholicism (both Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic) and Protestantism are also represented, mostly in the areas inhabited by population closer to western influence. In Dobrogea, the region lying on the shore of the Black Sea, there is a small Muslim minority (of Turkish and Tatar ethnicity), which is a remnant of the Ottoman rule and migrations from Crimea, respectively.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Romania There are many TV stations in Romania like: TVR, PRO-TV, PRIMA-TV, Antena1, REALITATEA TV. Culture of Romania See also:
- Art of Romania
- Christmas customs in Romania
- List of Romanians
- Literature of Romania
- Music of Romania
- Romanian-American
- Romanian poets
- Tourism in Romania

Miscellaneous topics


- Căluşari - a traditional male folk dance
- Cercetaşii României
- Communications in Romania
- Government of Romania
- Foreign relations of Romania
- Health Care in Romania
- History of Romania
- Holidays in Romania
- List of national parks of Romania
- List of Romania-related topics
- Military of Romania
- Romanian cuisine
- Transportation in Romania
- List of Romanian newspapers
- List of universities in Romania
- Education in Romania
- Theaters in Romania

Gallery

image:palaceofpeopleromania.jpg|Palatul Parlamentului, Bucharest image:Ateneul_Roman.jpg|Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest image:The_University.JPG|The University, Bucharest image:CJROothodox.JPG|Orthodox Cathedral, Cluj-Napoca image:CJROcatholic.JPG|Catholic Church, Cluj-Napoca image:CJROtheatre.jpg|National Theatre, Cluj-Napoca image:Baritiu.jpg|Bariţiu Street, Cluj-Napoca image:CJROLupoaica.jpg|Eroilor Ave, Cluj-Napoca image:PteatruTgM.JPG|National Theatre, Târgu Mureş image:Sibiu.jpg|Sibiu Center Skyline Image:Constanta-cazino.jpg|Casino, Constanţa Image:Borzesti Side view.jpg|Borzeşti Church, Borzeşti Image:Bucharest Revolution Monument.jpg|Memorial of Rebirth, Bucharest Image:Bucuresti_fantana.jpg|Palatul Parlamentului, Bucharest Image:pelescastle.jpg|Peleş Castle, Sinaia Image:Poarta01.jpg|The Kiss Gate, Târgu Jiu

International rankings


- A.T. Kearney/Foreign Policy Magazine: [http://www.atkearney.com/main.taf?p=5,4,1,116 Globalization Index 2005], ranked 35 out of 62 countries
- Bertelsmann: [http://www.bertelsmann-transformation-index.de/37.0.html?&L=1 Bertelsmann Transformation Index 2006], ranked 19th out of 119 countries
- IMD International: [http://www01.imd.ch/wcy/ World Competitiveness Yearbook 2005], ranked 55 out of 60 economies (countries and regions)
- Reporters without borders: [http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=554 Annual worldwide press freedom index (2005)], ranked 70 out of 167 countries
- The Wall Street Journal: [http://www.heritage.org/research/features/index/ 2005] Index of Economic Freedom, ranked 125 out of 155 countries
- The Economist: [http://www.economist.com/theworldin/international/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3372495&d=2005 The World in 2005 - Worldwide quality-of-life index, 2005], ranked 58 out of 111 countries
- Transparency International: [http://ww1.transparency.org/cpi/2005/cpi2005_infocus.html Corruption Perceptions Index 2005], ranked 85 out of 158 countries (tied with Mongolia and Dominican Republic)
- United Nations Development Programme: [http://hdr.undp.org/reports/global/2005/ Human Development Index 2005], ranked 64 out of 177 countries
- World Economic Forum: [http://www.weforum.org/site/homepublic.nsf/Content/Growth+Competitiveness+Index+rankings+2005+and+2004+comparisons Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006 - Growth Competitiveness Index Ranking], ranked 67 out of 117 countries
- World Bank: [http://www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreEconomies/Default.aspx?economyid=158 Doing Business 2006], ranked 78th out of 155
- World Bank: [http://www.doingbusiness.org/ExploreEconomies/Default.aspx?economyid=158 Ease of Starting a Business 2006], ranked 8th out of 155
- United Nations Conference on Trade and Development: [http://www.unctad.org/sections/dite_dir/docs/wir05_fs_ro_en.pdf Foreign Direct Investment Performance Index 2004], ranked 35th out of 140

External links

Official links


- [http://www.gov.ro/engleza/ Official site of the Romanian government]
- [http://www.presidency.ro/?lang=en Presidency of Romania]
- [http://www.senat.ro/ The Romanian Senate]
- [http://www.cdep.ro/pls/dic/site.page?id=103&idl=2 Camera Deputaţilor] (lower house of Parliament)
- [http://www.mtromania.ro/page.html?lg=eng Tourism Ministry]
- [http://www.mae.ro/index.php?lang=en Ministry of Foreign Affairs]
- [http://www.senat.ro/ The Romanian Senate]
- [http://www.recensamant.ro/ 2002 Census Data (Romanian only)]
- [http://www.cdep.ro/pls/legis/legis_pck.htp_act_text?idt=27123 Legea Administratiei Publice Locale] (Public Administration Law)
- [http://www.paginialbe.ro/index_engleza.php3 Telephone Directory]
- [http://www.paginialbe.ro/index.php3 Telephone Directory (romanian) ]
- [http://www.paginiaurii.ro/index_engleza.php3 Golden Pages ]

Travel guides


- [http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/europe/romania Lonely Planet Guide - Romania]
- [http://www.spirit.ro/ The Spirit of Romania - travel journals, photography, stories]
- [http://travelromania.tripod.com/ Your Online Portal to Romania – Photographs and reviewed links to Web sites, articles and books about Romania]
- [http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Romania Romania travel guide at Wikitravel]
- [http://www.sibiu2007.ro - Sibiu/Hermanstadt, European Cultural Capital in 2007]
- [http://www.enjoyromania.ro - Enjoy Romania - Your Gateway to Romania]

Currency


- [http://www.bnro.ro/En/Info/curs_ext.asp Exchange Rates] - from the National Bank of Romania
- [http://www.denominare.ro/common/htmls/en.htm Information about redenomination]

Articles


- Alexandru Alexe, [http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/050810/balkan_tigers.html?.v=1 "Investors move east to booming Romania"], Associated Press story, 10 August 2005. Category:Black Sea countries