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Compare Romania (2004) - British Virgin Islands (2004)

Compare Romania (2004) z British Virgin Islands (2004)

 Romania (2004)British Virgin Islands (2004)
 RomaniaBritish Virgin Islands
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: 16.2% (male 1,861,801; female 1,770,746)


15-64 years: 69.4% (male 7,712,612; female 7,791,900)


65 years and over: 14.4% (male 1,330,994; female 1,887,498) (2004 est.)
0-14 years: 21.5% (male 2,402; female 2,361)


15-64 years: 73.5% (male 8,395; female 7,911)


65 years and over: 5% (male 594; female 524) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, corn, barley, sugar beets, sunflower seed, potatoes, grapes; eggs, sheep fruits, vegetables; livestock, poultry; fish
Airports 62 (2003 est.) 3 (2003 est.)
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 (2004 est.)
total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 36


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 10


under 914 m: 24 (2004 est.)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 237,500 sq km


land: 230,340 sq km


water: 7,160 sq km
total: 153 sq km


land: 153 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: comprised of 16 inhabited and more than 20 uninhabited islands; includes the island of Anegada
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Oregon about 0.9 times the size of Washington, DC
Background 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 full independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories following the conflict. In 1940, it 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 by a fractious coalition of centrist parties. In 2000, the center-left Social Democratic Party (PSD) became Romania's leading party, governing with the support of the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR). The opposition center-right alliance formed by the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Democratic Party (PD) scored a surprise victory over the ruling PSD in December 2004 presidential elections. The PNL-PD alliance maintains a parliamentary majority with the support of the UDMR, the Humanist Party (PUR), and various ethnic minority groups. Although Romania completed accession talks with the European Union (EU) in December 2004, it must continue to address rampant corruption - while invigorating lagging economic and democratic reforms - before it can achieve its hope of joining the EU, tentatively set for 2007. Romania joined NATO in March of 2004. First settled by the Dutch in 1648, the islands were annexed in 1672 by the English. The economy is closely tied to the larger and more populous US Virgin Islands to the west; the US dollar is the legal currency.
Birth rate 10.69 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 14.96 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: $17.06 billion


expenditures: $18.38 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
revenues: $121.5 million


expenditures: $115.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1997)
Capital Bucharest Road Town
Climate temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms subtropical; humid; temperatures moderated by trade winds
Coastline 225 km 80 km
Constitution 8 December 1991; revision came into force 29 October 2003 1 June 1977
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: British Virgin Islands


abbreviation: BVI
Currency leu (ROL) US dollar (USD)
Death rate 11.69 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 4.42 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external $18.34 billion (2003 est.) $36.1 million (1997)
Dependency status - overseas territory of the UK; internal self-governing
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Dr. Jack Dyer CROUCH II


embassy: Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest


mailing address: American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, 5260 Bucharest Place, 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 has not resolved claims to Ukrainian-administered Zmyinyy (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary despite ongoing talks based on 1997 friendship treaty to find a solution in two years; Hungary amended status law extending special social and cultural benefits to ethnic Hungarians in Romania, who had objected to the law none
Economic aid - recipient - NA
Economy - overview 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 growth above 4%. An IMF standby agreement, signed in 2001, was 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 had successfully concluded an IMF agreement since the 1989 revolution. In July 2004, the Executive Board of the IMF approved a 24-month standby arrangement for $367 million. The Romanian authorities do not intend to draw on this arrangement, viewing it as a precaution. Meanwhile, recent macroeconomic gains have done little to address Romania's widespread poverty, and corruption and red tape handicap the business environment. The economy, one of the most stable and prosperous in the Caribbean, is highly dependent on tourism, generating an estimated 45% of the national income. An estimated 350,000 tourists, mainly from the US, visited the islands in 1998. Tourism suffered in 2002 because of the lackluster US economy. In the mid-1980s, the government began offering offshore registration to companies wishing to incorporate in the islands, and incorporation fees now generate substantial revenues. Roughly 400,000 companies were on the offshore registry by yearend 2000. The adoption of a comprehensive insurance law in late 1994, which provides a blanket of confidentiality with regulated statutory gateways for investigation of criminal offenses, is expected to make the British Virgin Islands even more attractive to international business. Livestock raising is the most important agricultural activity; poor soils limit the islands' ability to meet domestic food requirements. Because of traditionally close links with the US Virgin Islands, the British Virgin Islands has used the dollar as its currency since 1959.
Electricity - consumption 46.1 billion kWh (2001) 35.43 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 1.6 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 400 million kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 50.86 billion kWh (2001) 38.1 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Black Sea 0 m


highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m


highest point: Mount Sage 521 m
Environment - current issues soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands limited natural fresh water resources (except for a few seasonal streams and springs on Tortola, most of the islands' water supply comes from wells and rainwater catchments)
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, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
-
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) black 83%, white, Indian, Asian and mixed
Exchange rates lei per US dollar - 33,200.1 (2003), 33,055.4 (2002), 29,060.8 (2001), 21,708.7 (2000), 15,332.8 (1999) the US dollar is used
Executive branch 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; election last held 28 November 2004, with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004 (next to be held 28 November 2009 and 12 December 2009); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian NASTASE 48.77%
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Tom MACAN (since 14 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Orlando D. SMITH (since 17 June 2003)


cabinet: Executive Council appointed by the governor from members of the Legislative Council


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 NA (2001) NA (2001)
Exports - commodities textiles and footwear, metals and metal products, machinery and equipment, minerals and fuels, chemicals, agricultural products rum, fresh fish, fruits, animals; gravel, sand
Exports - partners Italy 24.3%, Germany 15.7%, France 7.4%, UK 6.7%, Turkey 5.1% (2003) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Fiscal year calendar year 1 April - 31 March
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 blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Virgin Islander coat of arms centered in the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms depicts a woman flanked on either side by a vertical column of six oil lamps above a scroll bearing the Latin word VIGILATE (Be Watchful)
GDP purchasing power parity - $155 billion (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $320 million (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 13.1%


industry: 38.1%


services: 48.8% (2003)
agriculture: 1.8%


industry: 6.2%


services: 92% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $7,000 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $16,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.9% (2003 est.) 1% (2002 est.)
Geographic coordinates 46 00 N, 25 00 E 18 30 N, 64 30 W
Geography - note controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine strong ties to nearby US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico
Heliports 1 (2003 est.) -
Highways total: 198,603 km


paved: 98,308 km (including 113 km of expressways)


unpaved: 100,295 km (2000)
total: 177 km


paved: 177 km


unpaved: 0 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 3.2%


highest 10%: 25% (1998)
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; 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 transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe; large offshore financial center makes it vulnerable to money laundering
Imports NA (2001) NA (2001)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, fuels and minerals, chemicals, textile and products, basic metals, agricultural products building materials, automobiles, foodstuffs, machinery
Imports - partners Italy 19.6%, Germany 14.9%, Russia 8.3%, France 7.3% (2003) Virgin Islands (US), Puerto Rico, US
Independence 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from Turkey; independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed) none (overseas territory of the UK)
Industrial production growth rate 2.3% (2003) NA
Industries textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining tourism, light industry, construction, rum, concrete block, offshore financial center
Infant mortality rate total: 27.24 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 30.41 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 23.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
total: 18.05 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 21.02 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 14.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 15.3% (2003) 2.5% (2002)
International organization participation ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), ONUB, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate affiliate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), IOC, OECS (associate), UNESCO (associate), UPU
Irrigated land 28,800 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates) Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, consisting of the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal (one judge of the Supreme Court is a resident of the islands and presides over the High Court); Magistrate's Court; Juvenile Court; Court of Summary Jurisdiction
Labor force 9.28 million (2003 est.) 4,911 (1980)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 41.4%, industry 27.3%, services 31.3% (2000) agriculture NA, industry NA, services NA
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
0 km
Land use arable land: 40.82%


permanent crops: 2.25%


other: 56.93% (2001)
arable land: 20%


permanent crops: 6.67%


other: 73.33% (2001)
Languages Romanian (official), Hungarian, German English (official)
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 (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 Adunarea 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 to be held 28 November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November 2004 (next to be held 28 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 46, PNL 28, PD 21, PRM 21, PUR 11, UMDR 10; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR 36.6%, PNL-PD 31.3%%, PRM 12.9%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 113, PNL 64, PD 48, PRM 48, UDMR 22, PUR 19, ethnic minorities 18
unicameral Legislative Council (13 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote, one member from each of 9 electoral districts, four at-large members; members serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 16 May 2003 (next to be held NA 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 8, VIP 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.12 years


male: 67.63 years


female: 74.82 years (2004 est.)
total population: 76.27 years


male: 75.24 years


female: 77.36 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 98.4%


male: 99.1%


female: 97.7% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.8% (1991 est.)


male: NA


female: NA
Location Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine Caribbean, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico
Map references Europe Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine total: 45 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 395,350 GRT/510,232 DWT


by type: bulk 7, cargo 26, container 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 4, rail car carrier 2, roll on/roll off 4


foreign-owned: Greece 1, Italy 2


registered in other countries: 39 (2004 est.)
total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 83,825 GRT/155,909 DWT


by type: cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: Norway 1


registered in other countries: 32 (2004 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of the UK
Military branches Ground Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces (AMR), Civil Defense -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $985 million (2002) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.47% (2002) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 5,952,834 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 5,007,375 (2004 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 163,577 (2004 est.) -
National holiday Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918) Territory Day, 1 July
Nationality noun: Romanian(s)


adjective: Romanian
noun: British Virgin Islander(s)


adjective: British Virgin Islander
Natural hazards earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides hurricanes and tropical storms (July to October)
Natural resources petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower NEGL
Net migration rate -0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 10.01 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines gas 3,508 km; oil 2,427 km (2004) -
Political parties and leaders Democratic Party or PD [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; Humanist Party or PUR [Dan VOICULESCU]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Calin Popescu TARICEANU]; 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 Concerned Citizens Movement or CCM [Ethlyn SMITH]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Orlando SMITH]; United Party or UP [Gregory MADURO]; Virgin Islands Party or VIP [Ralph T. O'NEAL]
Political pressure groups and leaders various human rights and professional associations NA
Population 22,355,551 (July 2004 est.) 22,187 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line 44.5% (2000) NA
Population growth rate -0.11% (2004 est.) 2.06% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Braila, Constanta, Galati, Mangalia, Sulina, Tulcea Road Town
Radio broadcast stations AM 40, FM 202, shortwave 3 (1998) AM 1, FM 4, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 11,385 km (3,888 km electrified)


standard gauge: 10,898 km 1.435-m gauge


broad gauge: 60 km 1.524-m gauge


narrow gauge: 427 km 0.760-m gauge (2003)
-
Religions Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 87%, Protestant 6.8%, Catholic 5.6%, other (mostly Muslim) 0.4%, unaffiliated 0.2% (2002) Protestant 86% (Methodist 33%, Anglican 17%, Church of God 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 6%, Baptist 4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 2%, other 15%), Roman Catholic 10%, none 2%, other 2% (1991)
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 (2004 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
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: country code - 40; 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: worldwide telephone service


domestic: NA


international: country code - 1-284; submarine cable to Bermuda
Telephones - main lines in use 4.3 million (2003) 11,700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 6.9 million (2003) 8,000 (2002)
Television broadcast stations 48 (plus 392 repeaters) (1995) 1 (plus one cable company) (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 coral islands relatively flat; volcanic islands steep, hilly
Total fertility rate 1.35 children born/woman (2004 est.) 1.72 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.2% (2003) 3% (1995)
Waterways 1,731 km (2004) -
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