Belize (2002) | Romania (2006) | |
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Administrative divisions | 6 districts; Belize, Cayo, Corozal, Orange Walk, Stann Creek, Toledo | 41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, Buzau, Calarasi, Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati, Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 41.6% (male 55,716; female 53,581)
15-64 years: 54.9% (male 73,068; female 71,368) 65 years and over: 3.5% (male 4,511; female 4,755) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 15.7% (male 1,799,072/female 1,708,030)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 7,724,368/female 7,797,065) 65 years and over: 14.7% (male 1,347,392/female 1,927,625) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | bananas, coca, citrus, sugarcane; lumber; fish, cultured shrimp | wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep |
Airports | 44 (2001) | 61 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 4
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 25
over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 38
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 27 (2002) |
total: 36
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 23 (2006) |
Area | total: 22,966 sq km
land: 22,806 sq km water: 160 sq km |
total: 237,500 sq km
land: 230,340 sq km water: 7,160 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Massachusetts | slightly smaller than Oregon |
Background | Territorial disputes between the UK and Guatemala delayed the independence of Belize (formerly British Honduras) until 1981. Guatemala refused to recognize the new nation until 1992. Tourism has become the mainstay of the economy. The country remains plagued by high unemployment, growing involvement in the South American drug trade, and increased urban crime. | The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they united in 1859 and a few years later adopted the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist "people's 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. Romania joined NATO in March of 2004 and completed accession talks with the European Union (EU) in December 2004; it is scheduled to accede to the EU in 2007. |
Birth rate | 31.08 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 10.7 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $186 million
expenditures: $253 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) (2000 est.) |
revenues: $29.97 billion
expenditures: $31.37 billion; including capital expenditures of $2.2 billion (2005 est.) |
Capital | Belmopan | name: Bucharest
geographic coordinates: 44 26 N, 26 06 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | tropical; very hot and humid; rainy season (May to November); dry season (February to May) | temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms |
Coastline | 386 km | 225 km |
Constitution | 21 September 1981 | 8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Belize former: British Honduras |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Romania local long form: none local short form: Romania |
Currency | Belizean dollar (BZD) | - |
Death rate | 4.6 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 11.77 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $500 million (2000 est.) | $35.68 billion (2005 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Russell F. FREEMAN
embassy: 29 Gabourel Lane and Hutson Street, Belize City mailing address: P. O. Box 286, Unit 7401, APO AA 34025 telephone: [501] 227-7161 FAX: [501] 230-802 |
chief of mission: Ambassador Nicholas F. TAUBMAN
embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, US Department of State, 5260 Bucharest Place, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch) telephone: [40] (21) 200-3300 FAX: [40] (21) 200-3442 information office: Cluj-Napoca |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Lisa M. SHOMAN
chancery: 2535 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-9636 FAX: [1] (202) 332-6888 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles |
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Daniela GITMAN
chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851, 4852 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York |
Disputes - international | the "Line of Adjacency" established in 2000 as an agreed limit to check squatters settling in Belize, remains in place while the Organization of American States (OAS) assists states to resolve Guatemalan territorial claims in Belize and Guatemalan maritime access to the Caribbean Sea; Honduras claims the Sapodilla Cays off the coast of Belize | Romania and Ukraine have taken their dispute over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary to the ICJ for adjudication; Romania also opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea; Hungary amended the status law extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Romania, to which Romania had objected |
Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $3.3 billion in committed EU pre-accession aid (2004-06) |
Economy - overview | The small, essentially private enterprise economy is based primarily on agriculture, agro-based industry, and merchandising, with tourism and construction assuming greater importance. Sugar, the chief crop, accounts for nearly half of exports, while the banana industry is the country's largest employer. The government's expansionary monetary and fiscal policies, initiated in September 1998, led to GDP growth of 6.4% in 1999 and 10.5% in 2000. Growth decelerated in 2001 to 3% due to the global slowdown and severe hurricane damage to agriculture, fishing, and tourism. Major concerns continue to be the rapidly expanding trade deficit and foreign debt. A key short-term objective remains the reduction of poverty with the help of international donors. | Romania began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets. Despite the global slowdown in 2001-02, strong domestic activity in construction, agriculture, and consumption have kept GDP growth above 4%. An IMF standby agreement, signed in 2001, has been accompanied by slow but palpable gains in privatization, deficit reduction, and the curbing of inflation. The IMF Board approved Romania's completion of the standby agreement in October 2003, the first time Romania has successfully concluded an IMF agreement since the 1989 revolution. In July 2004, the executive board of the IMF approved a 24-month standby agreement for $367 million. IMF concerns about Romania's tax policy and budget deficit led to a breakdown of this agreement in 2005. In the past, the IMF has criticized the government's fiscal, wage, and monetary policies. Meanwhile, macroeconomic gains have only recently started to spur creation of a middle class and address Romania's widespread poverty, while corruption and red tape continue to handicap the business environment. Romanian government confidence in continuing disinflation was underscored by its currency revaluation in 2005, making 10,000 "old" lei equal 1 "new" leu. |
Electricity - consumption | 178.56 million kWh (2000) | 37.5 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2000) | 3.3 billion kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2000) | 380 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 192 million kWh (2000) | 57 billion kWh (2004) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 58%
hydro: 42% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Victoria Peak 1,160 m |
lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m |
Environment - current issues | deforestation; water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents, agricultural runoff; solid and sewage waste disposal | soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | mestizo 48.7%, Creole 24.9%, Maya 10.6%, Garifuna 6.1%, other 9.7% | 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 census) |
Exchange rates | Belizean dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) | lei per US dollar - 3 (2005), 3 (2004), 3 (2003), 3 (2002), 3 (2001) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Colville YOUNG, Sr. (since 17 November 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Said Wilbert MUSA (since 28 August 1998); Deputy Prime Minister John BRICENO (since 1 September 1998) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general; prime minister recommends the deputy prime minister |
chief of state: President Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29 December 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004, with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004 (next to be held November-December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian NASTASE 48.77% |
Exports | $239.6 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | sugar, bananas, citrus, clothing, fish products, molasses, wood | textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products |
Exports - partners | EU 45% (UK 33%), US 42%, Caricom 6%, Canada 1% (1999) | Italy 19.4%, Germany 14%, Turkey 7.9%, France 7.4%, UK 5.5%, Hungary 4.1%, US 4.1% (2005) |
Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
Flag description | blue with a narrow red stripe along the top and the bottom edges; centered is a large white disk bearing the coat of arms; the coat of arms features a shield flanked by two workers in front of a mahogany tree with the related motto SUB UMBRA FLOREO (I Flourish in the Shade) on a scroll at the bottom, all encircled by a green garland | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed; now similar to the flag of Chad, also resembles the flags of Andorra and Moldova |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $830 million (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 18%
industry: 24% services: 58% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 10.1%
industry: 35% services: 54.9% (2004 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $3,250 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2001 est.) | 4.1% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 17 15 N, 88 45 W | 46 00 N, 25 00 E |
Geography - note | only country in Central America without a coastline on the North Pacific Ocean | controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine |
Heliports | - | 1 (2006) |
Highways | total: 2,880 km
paved: 490 km unpaved: 2,390 km (1998 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2.4%
highest 10%: 27.6% (2003) |
Illicit drugs | major transshipment point for cocaine; small-scale illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; some money-laundering activity related to offshore sector | major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos |
Imports | $505 million c.i.f. (2001 est.) | 163,000 bbl/day bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and transportation equipment, manufactured goods; food, beverages, tobacco; fuels, chemicals, pharmaceuticals | machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and products, basic metals, agricultural products |
Imports - partners | US 51%, Mexico 12%, Central America 5%, UK 4% (1999) | Italy 15.5%, Germany 14%, Russia 8.3%, France 6.8%, Turkey 4.9%, China 4.1% (2005) |
Independence | 21 September 1981 (from UK) | 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed) |
Industrial production growth rate | 4.6% (1999) (1999) | 1.9% (2005 est.) |
Industries | garment production, food processing, tourism, construction | textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining |
Infant mortality rate | 24.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 25.5 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 28.64 deaths/1,000 live births female: 22.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.7% (2001 est.) | 9% (2005) |
International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ESA (cooperating state), EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 2 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 30 sq km (1998 est.) | 30,770 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (the chief justice is appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister) | Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for three-year terms by the president in consultation with the Superior Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister of justice, the prosecutor general, two civil society representatives appointed by the Senate, and 14 judges and prosecutors elected by their peers); a separate body, the Constitutional Court, validates elections and makes decisions regarding the constitutionality of laws, treaties, ordinances, and internal rules of the Parliament; it is comprised of nine members serving nine-year terms, with three members each appointed by the president, the Senate, and the Chamber of Deputies |
Labor force | 90,000
note: shortage of skilled labor and all types of technical personnel (1997 est.) |
9.31 million (2005 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 27%, industry 18%, services 55% (2001 est.) | agriculture: 31.6%
industry: 30.7% services: 37.7% (2004) |
Land boundaries | total: 516 km
border countries: Guatemala 266 km, Mexico 250 km |
total: 2,508 km
border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km |
Land use | arable land: 2.81%
permanent crops: 1.1% other: 96.09% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 39.49%
permanent crops: 1.92% other: 58.59% (2005) |
Languages | English (official), Spanish, Mayan, Garifuna (Carib), Creole | Romanian (official), Hungarian, German |
Legal system | English law | former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic |
Legislative branch | bicameral National Assembly consists of the Senate (12 members appointed by the governor general - six on the advice of the prime minister, three on the advice of the leader of the opposition, and one each on the advice of the Belize Council of Churches and Evangelical Association of Churches, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Belize Better Business Bureau, and the National Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Steering Committee; members are appointed for five-year terms) and the House of Representatives (29 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 5 March 2003 (next to be held NA March 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PUP 21, UDP 8 |
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (137 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be held in November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be held November 2008) election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR 37.1%, PNL-PD 31.8%, PRM 13.6%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 44, PNL 30, PD 20, PRM 20, PC 11, UDMR 10, independents 2; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR 36.8%, PNL-PD 31.5%, PRM 13%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 111, PNL 66, PD 45, PRM 34, ex-PRM (Ciontu Group) 12, UDMR 22, PC 20, PIN (GUSA Group) 3, independent 1, ethnic minorities 18 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 71.46 years
male: 69.17 years female: 73.87 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 71.63 years
male: 68.14 years female: 75.34 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 70.3% male: 70.3% female: 70.3% (1991 est.) note: other sources list the literacy rate as high as 75% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4% male: 99.1% female: 97.7% (2003 est.) |
Location | Middle America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Guatemala and Mexico | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine |
Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM in the north, 3 NM in the south; note - from the mouth of the Sarstoon River to Ranguana Cay, Belize's territorial sea is 3 NM; according to Belize's Maritime Areas Act, 1992, the purpose of this limitation is to provide a framework for the negotiation of a definitive agreement on territorial differences with Guatemala |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
Merchant marine | total: 315 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,240,551 GRT/1,761,168 DWT
ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 204, chemical tanker 6, combination ore/oil 1, container 12, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 39, refrigerated cargo 15, roll on/roll off 8, short-sea passenger 1, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Albania 2, Belgium 3, British Virgin Islands 6, Cambodia 1, China 38, Cyprus 1, Ecuador 1, Egypt 1, Equatorial Guinea 1, Eritrea 1, Estonia 7, Germany 3, Greece 4, Grenada 1, Honduras 1, Hong Kong 20, Indonesia 6, Italy 2, Japan 4, Jordan 1, Lebanon 1, Liberia 5, Malaysia 3, Malta 2, Man, Isle of 1, Marshall Islands 13, Mexico 1, Netherlands 1, Nigeria 1, Panama 12, Philippines 4, Portugal 1, Romania 1, Russia 3, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3, Saudi Arabia 1, Singapore 22, South Korea 10, Spain 4, Switzerland 1, Taiwan 1, Thailand 6, Tunisia 1, Turkey 1, Ukraine 3, United Arab Emirates 9, United Kingdom 2, United States 4, Virgin Islands (UK) 6, Yemen 1 (2002 est.) |
total: 23 ships (1000 GRT or over) 198,767 GRT/246,732 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 15, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Italy 1) registered in other countries: 48 (Georgia 11, North Korea 11, Malta 9, Panama 9, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1, Syria 3, unknown 4) (2006) |
Military branches | Belize Defense Force (includes Army, Maritime Wing, Air Wing, and Volunteer Guard) | Land Forces, Naval Forces, Romanian Air Force (Fortele Aerienne Romane, FAR), Special Operations (2006) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $7.7 million (FY00/01) | $985 million (2002) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.87% (FY00/01) | 2.47% (2002) |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 64,909 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 38,472 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 2,847 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Independence Day, 21 September (1981) | Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918) |
Nationality | noun: Belizean(s)
adjective: Belizean |
noun: Romanian(s)
adjective: Romanian |
Natural hazards | frequent, devastating hurricanes (June to November) and coastal flooding (especially in south) | earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides |
Natural resources | arable land potential, timber, fish, hydropower | petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | -0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 3,508 km; oil 2,427 km (2006) |
Political parties and leaders | People's United Party or PUP [Said MUSA]; United Democratic Party or UDP [Dean BARROW, party leader; Douglas SINGH, party chairman] | Conservative Party or PC [Dan VOICULESCU], formerly Humanist Party or PUR; Democratic Party or PD [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Calin Popescu-TARICEANU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Mircea Dan GEOANA], formerly Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Society for the Promotion of Education and Research or SPEAR [Adele CATZIM] | various human rights and professional associations |
Population | 262,999 (July 2002 est.) | 22,303,552 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 33% (1999 est.) | At-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers 12% (2003 est.) |
Population growth rate | 2.65% (2002 est.) | -0.12% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Belize City, Big Creek, Corozol, Punta Gorda | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 12, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998) |
Radios | 133,000 (1997) | - |
Railways | 0 km | total: 11,385 km
standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge (3,888 km electrified) broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2005) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 49.6%, Protestant 27% (Anglican 5.3%, Methodist 3.5%, Mennonite 4.1%, Seventh-Day Adventist 5.2%, Pentecostal 7.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1.5%), none 9.4%, other 14% (2000) | Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.99 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: above-average system
domestic: trunk network depends primarily on microwave radio relay international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
general assessment: rapidly improving domestic and international service, especially in wireless telephony
domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; liberalization in 2003 is transforming telecommunications; there has been 20% growth in fixed lines with a penetration rate of 58% of households; nation-wide wireless service is growing even faster with four major providers and a penetration rate of 32% international: country code - 40; satellite earth station - 10 (Intelsat 4); digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest (2005) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 31,000 (1997) | 4.391 million (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,023 (1997) | 13.354 million (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | 2 (1997) | 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | flat, swampy coastal plain; low mountains in south | central Transylvanian Basin is separated from the Plain of Moldavia on the east by the Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps |
Total fertility rate | 3.96 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.37 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 11.5% (2000) (2000) | 7.7% (2005 est.) |
Waterways | 825 km (river network used by shallow-draft craft; seasonally navigable) | 1,731 km
note: includes 1,075 km on Danube River, 524 km on secondary branches, and 132 km on canals (2005) |