Romania is the largest country on the Balkan Peninsula in south-eastern Europe. It has an area of about 237,500 square kilometres (91,670 square miles) and a population of 22,250,000. Most of its people are of Roman origin – in fact Romania means “land of the Romans. But there are also Hungarians, Germans, Serbs, Tartars, and Russians who make up the rest of the population. The Romanian language, like French or Italian, is called a “Romance language,” because it is descended from Latin.

Romania is an important farming country. It exports wheat, fruit, vegetables, and wine to many countries of the world. The local currency of Romania is called the Leu – means “lions” - and each lea is worth 100 bani.

Romania became a republic after the Second World War; and in 1948 it signed a treaty of alliance with the Soviet Union. After the fall of communism in 1989, Romania became a democratic republic.

Formerly an outpost of the Roman Empire, Romania has a rich history. Ruins of Roman towns and tombs, and traces of Roman roads can be seen in many parts of the country. Peasants still keep customs and celebrate festivals handed down from generation to generation by their Roman ancestors.

Romania’s neighbours to the northeast are the Ukraine and Moldova; to the south are Bulgaria and Serbia. Romania borders on Hungary and Serbia in the West. To the east it faces Turkey across the Black Sea.

The Black Sea is Romania’s most important trade waterway. It is almost an inland sea. It flows into the Sea of Marmara through the narrow Bosporus Strait, belonging to Turkey, and then into the Mediterranean Sea through the Dardanelles Channel.