Romania (2002) | Gibraltar (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | 41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality* (municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, 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 | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.4% (male 1,992,505; female 1,898,122)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 7,618,801; female 7,726,300) 65 years and over: 13.8% (male 1,274,881; female 1,807,121) (2002 est.) |
0-14 years: 17.5% (male 2,499/female 2,388)
15-64 years: 66% (male 9,443/female 8,999) 65 years and over: 16.5% (male 2,059/female 2,540) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | wheat, corn, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep | none |
Airports | 61 (2001) | 1 (2006) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 25
over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 9 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12 (2002) |
total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 37
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 23 (2002) |
- |
Area | total: 237,500 sq km
land: 230,340 sq km water: 7,160 sq km |
total: 6.5 sq km
land: 6.5 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Oregon | about 11 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | 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 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 center-right 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. Much economic restructuring remains to be carried out before Romania can achieve its hope of joining the European Union. | Strategically important, Gibraltar was reluctantly ceded to Great Britain by Spain in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht; the British garrison was formally declared a colony in 1830. In a referendum held in 1967, Gibraltarians voted overwhelmingly to remain a British dependency. Although the current 1969 Constitution for Gibraltar states that the British government will never allow the people of Gibraltar to pass under the sovereignty of another state against their freely and democratically expressed wishes, a series of talks were held by the UK and Spain between 1997 and 2002 on establishing temporary joint sovereignty over Gibraltar. In response to these talks, the Gibraltarian Government set up a referendum in late 2002 in which a majority of the citizens voted overwhelmingly against any sharing of sovereignty with Spain. Since the referendum, tripartite talks have been held with Spain, the UK, and Gibraltar, and in September 2006 a three-way agreement was signed. Spain agreed to allow airlines other than British to serve Gibraltar, to speed up customs procedures, and to add more telephone lines into Gibraltar. Britain agreed to pay pensions to Spaniards who had been employed in Gibraltar before the border closed in 1969. Spain will be allowed to open a cultural institute from which the Spanish flag will fly. |
Birth rate | 10.81 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 10.74 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $11.7 billion
expenditures: $12.4 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
revenues: $307 million
expenditures: $284 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.) |
Capital | Bucharest | name: Gibraltar
geographic coordinates: 39 11 N, 5 22 W time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms | Mediterranean with mild winters and warm summers |
Coastline | 225 km | 12 km |
Constitution | 8 December 1991 | 30 May 1969 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Romania local long form: none local short form: Romania |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Gibraltar |
Currency | leu (ROL) | - |
Death rate | 12.27 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 9.31 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $11.6 billion (2001 est.) | $NA (2000 est.) |
Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Michael GUEST
embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch) telephone: [40] (21) 210-4042 FAX: [40] (21) 210-0395 branch office(s): Cluj-Napoca |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Sorin Dumitru DUCARU
chancery: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 332-4846, 4848, 4851 FAX: [1] (202) 232-4748 consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Disputes - international | Romania and Ukraine have yet to resolve claims over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy (Snake) Island and delimitation of Black Sea maritime boundary, despite 1997 bilateral treaty to find a solution in two years and numerous talks; because of a shift in the Danube course since the last correction of the boundary in 1920, a joint Bulgarian-Romanian team will recommend sovereignty changes to several islands and redefine the boundary | in 2002, Gibraltar residents voted overwhelmingly by referendum to reject any "shared sovereignty" arrangement; the government of Gibraltar insists on equal participation in talks between the UK and Spain; Spain disapproves of UK plans to grant Gibraltar even greater autonomy |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $NA |
Economy - overview | Romania, one of the poorest countries of Central and Eastern Europe, began the transition from Communism in 1989 with a largely obsolete industrial base and a pattern of output unsuited to the country's needs. Over the past decade economic restructuring has lagged behind most other countries in the region. Consequently, living standards have continued to fall - real wages are down perhaps 40%. The country emerged in 2000 from a punishing three-year recession thanks to strong demand in EU export markets, and despite the global slowdown in 2001, strong domestic activity in construction, agriculture, and consumption led to 4.8% growth. A standby agreement with the IMF - covering the period October 2001 to March 2003 - provides a key opportunity for vigorous privatization, regulatory reform, deficit reduction, and the curbing of inflation. The government in the past has not been able to fully implement IMF agreements; its degree of success in this case will affect prospects for joining the EU. | Self-sufficient Gibraltar benefits from an extensive shipping trade, offshore banking, and its position as an international conference center. The British military presence has been sharply reduced and now contributes about 7% to the local economy, compared with 60% in 1984. The financial sector, tourism (almost 5 million visitors in 1998), shipping services fees, and duties on consumer goods also generate revenue. The financial sector, the shipping sector, and tourism each contribute 25%-30% of GDP. Telecommunications accounts for another 10%. In recent years, Gibraltar has seen major structural change from a public to a private sector economy, but changes in government spending still have a major impact on the level of employment. |
Electricity - consumption | 45.677 billion kWh (2000) | 98.69 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - exports | 1.4 billion kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - imports | 775 million kWh (2000) | 0 kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production | 49.787 billion kWh (2000) | 106.1 million kWh (2003) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 53%
hydro: 37% nuclear: 10% other: 0% (2000) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Rock of Gibraltar 426 m |
Environment - current issues | soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands | limited natural freshwater resources: large concrete or natural rock water catchments collect rainwater (no longer used for drinking water) and adequate desalination plant |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol |
- |
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) | Spanish, Italian, English, Maltese, Portuguese, German, North Africans |
Exchange rates | lei per US dollar - 35,052.0 (January 2002), 29,060.8 (2001), 21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999), 8,875.6 (1998), 7,167.9 (1997); note - lei is the plural form of leu | Gibraltar pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
note: the Gibraltar pound is at par with the British pound |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 December 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Adrian NASTASE (since 29 December 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 November 2000, with runoff between the top two candidates held 10 December 2000 (next to be held NA November/December 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results: percent of vote - Ion ILIESCU 66.84%, Corneliu Vadim TUDOR 33.16% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Sir Robert FULTON (since 27 October 2006)
head of government: Chief Minister Peter CARUANA (since 17 May 1996) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed from among the 15 elected members of the House of Assembly by the governor in consultation with the chief minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually appointed chief minister by the governor |
Exports | $11.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Exports - commodities | textiles and footwear 26%, metals and metal products 15%, machinery and equipment 11%, minerals and fuels 6% (1999) | (principally reexports) petroleum 51%, manufactured goods 41%, other 8% |
Exports - partners | Italy 22%, Germany 16%, France 7%, Turkey 6%, US (2000) | UK 30.8%, Spain 22.7%, Germany 13.7%, Turkmenistan 10.4%, Switzerland 8.3%, Italy 6.7% (2005) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | 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 | two horizontal bands of white (top, double width) and red with a three-towered red castle in the center of the white band; hanging from the castle gate is a gold key centered in the red band |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $152.7 billion (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15%
industry: 30% services: 55% (2000) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $6,800 (2001 est.) | - |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.8% (2001 est.) | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 46 00 N, 25 00 E | 36 8 N, 5 21 W |
Geography - note | controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine | strategic location on Strait of Gibraltar that links the North Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea |
Heliports | 1 (2002) | - |
Highways | total: 153,359 km
paved: 103,671 km (including 133 km of expressways) unpaved: 49,688 km (1998 est.) |
- |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 4%
highest 10%: 23% (1994) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe | - |
Imports | $14.4 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) | NA bbl/day |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment 23%, fuels and minerals 12%, chemicals 9%, textile and products 19% (1999) | fuels, manufactured goods, and foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | Italy 19%, Germany 15%, Russia 9%, France 6% (2000) | Spain 23.4%, Russia 12.3%, Italy 12%, UK 9%, France 8.9%, Netherlands 6.8%, US 4.7% (2005) |
Independence | 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from Turkey; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 6.5% (2001) | NA% |
Industries | textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining | tourism, banking and finance, ship repairing, tobacco |
Infant mortality rate | 18.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) | total: 5.06 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 5.63 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 34.5% (2001 est.) | 1.5% (1998) |
International organization participation | ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC | Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 38 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 28,800 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates) | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
Labor force | 9.9 million (1999 est.) | 12,690 (including non-Gibraltar laborers) (2001) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 40%, industry 25%, services 35% (1998) | agriculture: negligible
industry: 40% services: 60% |
Land boundaries | total: 2,508 km
border countries: Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Serbia and Montenegro 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km |
total: 1.2 km
border countries: Spain 1.2 km |
Land use | arable land: 40.57%
permanent crops: 2.4% other: 57.03% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005) |
Languages | Romanian, Hungarian, German | English (used in schools and for official purposes), Spanish, Italian, Portuguese |
Legal system | former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic | English law |
Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (140 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (345 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDSR 37.1%, PRM 21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%; seats by party - PDSR 65, PRM 37, PD 13, PNL 13, UDMR 12; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PDSR 36.6%, PRM 19.5%, PD 7.0%, PNL, 6.9%, UDMR 6.8%; seats by party - PDSR 155, PRM 84, PD 31, PNL 30, UDMR 27, ethnic minorities 18 |
unicameral House of Assembly (18 seats - 15 elected by popular vote, 1 appointed for the Speaker, and 2 ex officio members; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 27 November 2003 (next to be held not later than February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - GSD 58%, GSLP 41%; seats by party - GSD 8, GSLP 7 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 70.39 years
male: 66.62 years female: 74.39 years (2002 est.) |
total population: 79.8 years
male: 76.92 years female: 82.83 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 98% female: 95% (1992 est.) |
definition: NA
total population: above 80% male: NA female: NA |
Location | Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine | Southwestern Europe, bordering the Strait of Gibraltar, which links the Mediterranean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southern coast of Spain |
Map references | Europe | Europe |
Maritime claims | contiguous zone: 24 NM
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 3 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 70 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 561,470 GRT/754,836 DWT
ships by type: bulk 11, cargo 47, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 4, railcar carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 1, Italy 5 (2002 est.) |
total: 180 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,129,379 GRT/1,437,754 DWT
by type: barge carrier 3, bulk carrier 1, cargo 105, chemical tanker 26, container 26, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 11, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 165 (Belgium 2, Cyprus 1, Denmark 1, Finland 3, France 1, Germany 108, Greece 7, Iceland 1, Ireland 1, Italy 6, Latvia 2, Netherlands 5, Norway 18, Sweden 5, UK 4) (2006) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK; the last British regular infantry forces left Gibraltar in 1992, replaced by the Royal Gibraltar Regiment |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces (AMR), Paramilitary Forces, Civil Defense, Border Guards | Royal Gibraltar Regiment |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $985 million (2002) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.47% (2002) | - |
Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49: 5,906,601 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49: 4,970,496 (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - military age | 20 years of age (2002 est.) | - |
Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males: 179,951 (2002 est.) | - |
National holiday | Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918) | National Day, 10 September (1967); note - day of the national referendum to decide whether to remain with the UK or go with Spain |
Nationality | noun: Romanian(s)
adjective: Romanian |
noun: Gibraltarian(s)
adjective: Gibraltar |
Natural hazards | earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides | NA |
Natural resources | petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower | none |
Net migration rate | -0.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Pipelines | crude oil 2,800 km; petroleum products 1,429 km; natural gas 6,400 km (1992) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party or PD [Traian BASESCU]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Valeriu STOICA]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Adrian NASTASE], formerly known as the Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR | Gibraltar Liberal Party [Joseph GARCIA]; Gibraltar Social Democrats or GSD [Peter CARUANA]; Gibraltar Socialist Labor Party or GSLP [Joseph John BOSSANO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | various human rights and professional associations | Chamber of Commerce; Gibraltar Representatives Organization; Women's Association |
Population | 22,317,730 (July 2002 est.) | 27,928 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 45% (2000) | NA% |
Population growth rate | -0.21% (2002 est.) | 0.14% (2006 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea | - |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Radios | 7.2 million (1997) | - |
Railways | total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)
standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge broad gage: 60 km 1.524-m gauge narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2001) |
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Religions | Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 87%, Protestant 6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%, unaffiliated 0.2% (2002) | Roman Catholic 78.1%, Church of England 7%, other Christian 3.2%, Muslim 4%, Jewish 2.1%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 0.9%, none 2.9% (2001 census) |
Sex ratio | 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: 0.71 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal, plus other British citizens who have been residents six months or more |
Telephone system | general assessment: poor domestic service, but improving
domestic: 90% of telephone network is automatic; trunk network is mostly microwave radio relay, with some fiber-optic cable; about one-third of exchange capacity is digital; roughly 3,300 villages have no service international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat; new digital, international, direct-dial exchanges operate in Bucharest; note - Romania is an active participant in several international telecommunication network projects (1999) |
general assessment: adequate, automatic domestic system and adequate international facilities
domestic: automatic exchange facilities international: country code - 350; radiotelephone; microwave radio relay; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 3.777 million (1997) | 24,512 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 645,500 (1999) | 9,797 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995) | 1 (plus three low-power repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | 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 | a narrow coastal lowland borders the Rock of Gibraltar |
Total fertility rate | 1.35 children born/woman (2002 est.) | 1.65 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 9.1% (2001) | 2% (2001 est.) |
Waterways | 1,724 km (1984) | - |