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Romania |
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Capital city: Bucharest
Life expectancy: total population: 70.62 years; male: 66.88 years; female: 74.59 years (2003 est.)
Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002)
Religions: Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 87%, Protestant 6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%, unaffiliated 0.2% (2002) Languages: Romanian (official), Hungarian, German
Literacy Rate: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 98.4%; male: 99.1%; female: 97.7% (2003 est.) Legal system: former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France 's Fifth Republic Industries: textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining. Agriculture: wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep. GDP: $169.3 billion (2002 est.) GDP per capita: $7,600 (2002 est.) Currency: leu (ROL) School System: Primary education lasts for four years. It is followed by four years of lower secondary education leading to the Certificat de Capacitate. Upper secondary school education is organized as a second cycle of education (grades 9 through 12 or 9 through 13). Higher education in Romania is offered in both public and private higher education institutions. These include universities, academies, politechnics, institutes and colleges, organized in specialized departments Role of women and children: Romania remains a patriarchal society, where women are regarded primarily as mothers and wives, assigned to less powerful positions in society. Trafficking of women, prostitution, domestic violence and sexual harassment are regarded as a woman's fault. Patriarchal cultures regard the woman as a wife obeying her husband, and not as a human being endowed with the same natural rights. Cases of domestic violence against women among their colleagues and family have been found very common. Few visible attempts have been made by women to fight the traditional stereotypes: one or two small women's rights organizations, overwhelmed by the needs of their target group and poorly funded, can scarcely be considered a powerful voice. Looms are common in homes and women weave and embroider from childhood through old age. Misc. Interesting Facts: capital was once known as the "Little Paris" of Eastern Europe. The illegal sale of babies has become a multimillion-dollar enterprise, sanctioned in some cases by corrupt public officials. Count Dracula, a fictional character in the Dracula novel, was inspired by one of the best-known figures of the Romanian history — Vlad Dracula, nicknamed Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler) — that was a ruler of Wallachia (1456-1462). Soviet occupation following World War II led to the formation of a Communist "peoples republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government until 1996, when they were swept from power by a fractious coalition of centrist parties. Currently, the Social Democratic Party forms a nominally minority government, which governs with the support of the opposition Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania . Bucharest must address rampant corruption, while invigorating lagging economic and democratic reforms, before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the European Union. Handicrafts: The most readily recognizable examples of Romanian art are the famed painted eggs, especially prominent around Easter time. Painting of real hollowed-out eggs was an integral part of preparations for this festival of renewal. Romanian pottery is still made mainly on traditional kick-wheels with simple finishing tools. Shapes, sizes and patterns reflect the different clays and cultures of diverse areas where are produced. Maramures is the area to see the art of woodwork. Homes are trimmed in elaborately carved wood, wooden gates and even fences are intricately carved. Historically, in this area, a family's community status was displayed through the gate — the more elaborate, the more important the family. Textile weaving is the most widespread craft in Romania, handed down from generation to generation, using distinctive family patterns along with those specific to different districts. The oldest preserved Romanian glass dates back to the Roman Empire.
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