Natural Environment

Romania boasts great biodiversity and unspoiled ecosystems. The vast territories of the Danube Delta, the big number of large carnivores and the huge wooded expanses in the Carpathian Mountains are among the most significant and best known aspects of Romania¡¯s natural wealth. Natural and semi-natural ecosystems stand for about 47% of the country¡¯s area, 783 types of habitat having been identified and defined.

Wildlife diversity is attested to by existing populations of wolf, bear, chamois and lynx, considered among the rarest in Europe, and also by vast unspoiled forest and alpine habitats associated with the Carpathians mountain range. Approx. 5600 bears, accounting for 60% of the European brown bear population, approx. 3000 wolves or 40% of the European wolf population, and approx. 1500 lynxes (40%) could provide the basis for reintroducing these species in other zones of Europe.

In the territory of Romania 3700 plant species were identified, of which 23 have been declared nature monuments, 74 are extinct, 39 are endangered, 171 are vulnerable, and 1253 are rare.

There are 1,234,710 hectares of protected natural sites in Romania or about 5.18% of the country¡¯s total area.

Under Law no. 462/2001 on the status of protected nature areas, conservation of natural habitats and of wildlife, the following categories of protected areas are accepted in this country, defined in terms of the management tasks assigned: scientific reserve; nature reserve; national park; natural park; nature monument; biosphere reserve; wetland of international importance (Ramsar site); World Heritage site; special conservation areas, and special protection areas.

Biosphere reserves, nature parks and national parks total an area of 1,132,176 hectares (including 134 nature reserves and nature monuments amounting to 129,643 hectares). Moreover, another 693 habitats, totaling 102,434 hectares, were declared nature reserves and nature monuments, in addition to the 134 included in national parks, natural parks and biosphere reserves.

Currently more than half of the total protected areas in Romania have their own administrative structures.

With technical and financial support from the Council of Europe, the Emerald Network project in Romania was developed, aimed at identifying and characterizing certain natural habitats and wild species in this country.

Three habitats were declared, at international level, biosphere reserves and two are Ramsar sites. Standing out in the national network of protected natural areas is the Danube Delta, both in point of size (580,000 ha) and of biodiversity. The Danube Delta has a threefold international status: it is a Biosphere Reserve, a Ramsar site (wetland of international importance) and World Heritage site.

The Danube Delta, a unique habitat in its way, the Danube delta, with its well over 300 species of birds (many of them cannot be found elsewhere in Europe) and a varied fauna offers the youngest region and most varied scenery of Europe. It covers the space between the Danube¡¯s arms of Chilia, Sulina and Sfantu Gheorghe, and at present is a flat, low terminal plain in full alluvial process of formation. The landscape of the delta is still changing, this "living laboratory" showing exceptional dynamics at the level of all its natural components. From the morpho-hydrographic point of view, the Danube Delta has raised banks or dry areas accounting for about 13-16% of its total area, and temporarily or permanently submerged areas (including the Danube arms, creeks, channels, marshy lakes). A bird sanctuary, the Danube Delta is the meeting place of migratory birds coming from different parts of the world. Some species, like the pelicans, the small and the big egret, white or red doves and others were declared nature monuments. The Danube Delta harbors the largest pelican colonies in Europe.

In 2000, given the favorable conservation state of the Danube Delta ecosystems and species, the Council of Europe awarded the European Diploma of Protected Areas to this reserve, which is also known to harbor the largest reeds area in Europe.

The Danube Delta has more species of brooding birds than any other southern delta; these include a major share of the world pygmy cormorant population, half of the Palearctic white pelican population, and 5% of the world population of Dalmatian pelican. It seems the Danube Delta is one of the last remaining havens of the European mink, and it is also home to a large number of small carnivores.

Within the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve, a number of 18 strictly protected areas have been established, which cover 50,600 ha. The DDBR is the only protected area in Romania governed by a special law, having its own administration and management plan.

Rivers and lakes

The Danube is the main collector of the radially disposed rivers (with few exceptions), most of which spring from the Carpathians. Also, there are many lakes of different sizes and origins. The list of natural assets includes also over 2000 mineral water springs, many of which are thermal.

The four longest rivers springing from the Eastern Carpathians are the Olt, Mures, Siret and Prut. Part of the northern border is traced by the river Tisza with its tributaries from Maramures, and the Somesul Mare.

The mountain lakes are glacial (Bucura and Zanoaga in the Retezat Massif), volcanic - originating in old craters (St. Ana Lake in the Ciomatu Mare Massif) or formed by natural dams (Lacul Rosu in the Hasmasu Mare Mountains).

The lakes in the plain area provide balneal cure (Amara, Lacul Sarat), or serve for leisure and fishing (Snagov, Caldarusani).

The Danube. By its birthplace - the slopes of Kandel Peak in the Black Forest Mountains - the Danube¡¯s origin is German, but in its long journey to the Black Sea the great river becomes multinational, collecting tributaries from Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, the Serbia-Montenegro Union, Bulgaria, Romania, and Ukraine. It flows eastward from the west, crossing different regions in the central zone of the continent. The Danube collects over 300 tributaries from an area of 805,300 sq.km., which is 8% of Europe¡¯s total size, and flows into the Black Sea through a delta.

The Danube is 2860 km long, with 1075 km on the territory of Romania, between Bazias and the Black Sea. The Romanian ports include Orsova, Turnu Magurele, Drobeta-Turnu Severin, Calafat, Corabia, Zimnicea, Giurgiu, Oltenita, Calarasi, Cernavoda, Horsova, Macin, Braila, Galati and Tulcea. Many of these ports have shipyards.

In 2001, the Small Island of Braila became Romania¡¯s second Ramsar site, as part and parcel of the Lower Danube System, which is a regional complex of ecosystems that support over 1688 plant species and 3735 animal species.

Several acts were passed that regulate the regime of protected areas, of zoos and aquatic zoos, the protection of animals used in experiments or for other scientific purposes. Moreover, the European Landscape Convention and the Cartagena Protocol were ratified.

The Black Sea

Romania borders on the Black Sea in its southeastern part. The Black Sea has an area of 413,488 sq.km, an average depth of 1,282 m and a maximum depth of 2,245. The Black Sea communicates with the Sea of Marmara through the 30-km-long Bosphorus Strait and then, through the Dardanelles Strait, with the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.

Thousands of years back (in the 7th century B.C.), the mariners of ancient Greece reached the Black Sea and called it Euxine (Pontus Euxinus), which means "friendly to travelers." The ruins of the Greek cities Histria, Tomis and Callatis are to be found on the romanian coast. The 244-km Romanian coastline displays a low shore in its northern part, while in the southern part, from Cape Midia to Vama Veche, it features sandbanks and beaches, as well as 40-60-m-high rocky shorefront. At the foot of the rocky shore lie beautiful sandy beaches. The sun shines more than 10 hours a day in the summer season, the Romanian beaches being among the few in Europe that enjoy such long sunshine hours. In general the beach is natural, being 400-500 m wide at Mangalia, and 50-200 m wide on the rest of the coast.

Lake Techirghiol, one of the lagoons of the Black Sea, is famous for its therapeutic mud.

The Retezat National Park in the west of Romania is the oldest national park in this country, protected under a law passed in 1935. The park¡¯s 38,047 ha comprise an 1800-ha core area called Gemenele (the Twins). UNESCO¡¯s Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) recognized the universal value of the park in 1979, when it was included in the international network of biosphere reserves.

In the lower part of the park there are deep narrow valleys, while the higher parts consist of glacial plateaus with more than 80 glacier lakes. The single largest area of pristine mixed forest in Europe covers the lower levels of the core area.

The Rodna National Park is the largest protected area in the northern group of the Eastern Carpathians, stretching over 46,399 ha, of which a 900-ha core area was declared Biosphere Reserve in 1979 in the framework of UNESCO¡¯s MAB program.

The massif is dominated by metamorphic formations belonging to the Precambrian or the Paleozoic, with slopes up to 20-35¢ª. The karst in the northern part of the Rodna Mountains is one of the few instance in the Romanian Carpathians of typical exokarstic forms.

The flora is significant owing to local and Carpathian endemic species and a wide range of glacial relicts. Animal life, too, is very diverse, including large birds such as the capercaille, and the eagle as well as large carnivores (brown bear, wolf, lynx). The park comprises nine reserves and one nature monument.

The health of forests

The health of forests is watched by the Forestry Research and Development Institute through the Forestry Monitoring System organized in keeping with the common methodology adopted by all European countries.

Romania has 6,370,000 ha of forests, plus about 320,000 ha of wooden vegetation.

Given the physical-geographical particularities of the land (rugged terrain, sharp slopes, friable lithologic substratum, torrents, etc.) and the social and economic needs, about 52% of the country¡¯s forests fulfill special functions in point of hydrological, anti-erosion, and climatic protection.

The climate

The climate of Romania is temperate-continental, with Atlantic and Mediterranean influences in the Southwest and with excessive elements in the East and Northeast.

Climatic variations are caused by geographical elements, the position of the main mountain ranges, elevation, etc. The average annual temperature varies with latitude, standing at 8¢ªC (45F) in the North and 11¢ªC (52F) in the South, with 2.6¢ªC in the mountains and 11.7¢ªC in the plains. In winter the Scandinavian (Arctic) anticyclone frequently affects this country, and the climate borrows features specific of the sub-polar Scandinavian climate.

Water resources

Water management is integrated from the quantitative and qualitative point of view and at the level of hydrographic basins. The 11 hydrographic basins are Somes-Tisza, the Cris rivers, Banat, Mures, Olt, Jiu, Arges-Vedea, Ialomita-Calmatui, Siret, Prut, and the Dobruja-Seaside.

Given the strategic importance of water resources for the country¡¯s sustainable development, their management and utilization is geared to quality, efficiency and mitigation or elimination of the destructive effects of flashfloods, excess humidity or landslides.

Quality. Romania¡¯s water resources consist in surface waters (inland rivers, natural and artificial lakes, the Danube River) and subterranean waters. In the case of Romania, we have specific water resources of about 2680 cu.m. per capita and per year when the Danube¡¯s contribution is taken into account; and of about 1760 cu.m. per capita and per year if only the rivers are considered, which means that this country ranks 20th in Europe in this respect.

Quantity. The regulations in force have been recently harmonized with relevant EU legislation. Moreover, at both national and local level, there exist units that monitor water quality and apply punitive measures under the law on the protection of water quality.

Water quality has improved as expected as a result of such measures and of modernization works, of the commissioning of new wastewater purification stations, of reduced activity or the closing down of certain highly polluting economic units, and the utilization of less polluting chemicals in agriculture.

• 

Romania¡¯s top environmental priorities include:
- cutting down on pollution and putting in place an efficient waste management system;

• - ensuring sustainable utilization of natural resources;
• rehabilitating affected zones; protecting and conserving nature;
  - biodiversity and ensuring a good management of the protected area network; defense against natural calamities and accidents, by developing preventive control and systems to monitor environmental factors;
  - developing a sustainable management of water resources; firmly enforcing environmental legislation and adopting norms, standards and regulations compatible with EU standards;
  - creating a modern legal and institutional framework regarding control over nuclear activities, and achieving a safe radioactive waste management system.

Source: ROMANIA - FOCUS
Released by the Foreign Languages Press Group

Geography and Habitat

Romania is located in the geographic centre of Europe, between 43° 37"07"-48°15"06" latitude North and 20°15"44"- 29°41"24" longitude East.

It neighbours to the East on the Republic of Moldova, the Ukraine, the Black Sea; to the South on Bulgaria; to the South and South-East on Yugoslavia; to the West on Hungary; and to the North on the Ukraine.

It stretches over 238,391 sq km, which ranks it 12th in Europe. 31% of Romania"s area is covered by mountains, 33% by hills and tablelands, and the rest of 36% by plains.

The mountains, the Romanian Carpathians, feature three main groups: the Eastern Carpathians (from the northern border to Prahova Valley) with the highest peak, Pietrosul (2303 m), in the Rodna Mountains; the Southern Carpathians (from Prahova Valley to the Timis-Cerna-Bistra-Strei corridor) reaching the highest elevation in the Fagaras Mountains (Moldoveanu Peak-2543 m); and the Western Carpathians (from the Danube Valley to the South to the Somes Valley to the North) with the highest elevation at the Cucurbata Peak (1848 m).

Inside the Carpathian arc lies the Plateau of Transylvania (its altitude varies between 400 m and 700 m): to the North-West-the Somes Plateau, to the East-the Plateau of Moldavia, to the South-the Plateau of Dobrudja.

The largest plain (Baragan), the country’s the main agricultural zone, lies in the South, running along the Danube.

The Danube Delta, located north of the Plateau of Dobrudja, is the most recent geographical feature in Romania. It has three main arms: Chilia, Sulina and Sfantul Gheorghe through which the Danube flows into the Black Sea. The Danube Delta stretches on the Romanian territory over an area of 4340 sq km, of which 78% is subject to flooding.

The mainstay of the drainage system in Romania is the Danube river, which flows on Romanian territory along 1075 km (out of a total length of 2850 km). Other major rivers: Mures (768 km), Olt (736 km), Prut (716 km), Siret (598 km), Ialomita (410 km), Somes (388 km), Arges (344 km), Jiu (331 km), Buzau (324 km), and Bistrita (290 km).

There are 2,300 lakes scattered all over the country (plus 1150 ponds) taking 2620 sq km. The largest lakes: Razelm (415 sq km), Sinoe (171 sq km), Brates (21 sq km), Tasaul (20 sq km), Techirghiol (12 sq km), and Snagov (5.8 sq km).

The climate is temperate continental, with slight ocean influences in the West, Mediterranean in the South-West, and excessively-continental in the North-East. The annual average temperature varies between 8°C in the North and 11°C in the South.

Average annual rainfall does not exceed 700 mm.

The population of Romania is of 21,680,976, according to the 2003 census, with a density of 91.7 inhabitants per square km.

Outside this country"s borders live another 12 million Romanians. In Europe, in the Republic of Moldova live about 2.8 million - plus those in Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Greece, and Albania. In the United States of America and Canada live about 2 million Romanians. Large communities of Romanians live in Australia, South Africa and South America.

The administrative organization of Romania features 41 counties, plus Bucharest, the capital city of the country. In the counties, the basic administrative units are the towns and communes (made of several villages). There are 263 cities and towns, of which 80 municipalities, and 2685 communes with over 13 285 villages.

Besides Bucharest, which has a population of nearly 2.1 million, there are 17 cities with over 100 000 inhabitants, 7 of which exceed 300 000.

The population of Romania by ethnicity:

Nr. crt.	Total population 21.680.976 of which:		Percentage 100%
1	Romanians	19.399.597	89,5%
2	Hungarians	1.431.807	6,6%
3	Roma	535.140	2,5%
4	Ukrainians	61.098	0,3%
5	Germans	59.764	0,3%
6	Lippovan-Russians	35.791	0,2%
7	Turks	32.098	0,2%
8	Tartars	23.935	0,1%
9	Serbians	22.561	0,1%
10	Slovakians	17.226	0,1%
11	Bulgarians	8.025	0,03%
12	Croatians	6.807	0,03%
13	Greeks	6.472	0,03%
14	Jews	5.785	0,02%
15	Czechs	3.941	0,01%
16	Poles	3.559	0,01%
17	Italians	3.288	0,01%
18	Chinese	2.243	0.003%
19	Armenians	1.780	0,008%
20	Other etnnic groups	18.116	0,01%
21	Non-stated ethnic origin	5,935	0,02%

Source: ROMANIA - FOCUS
Released by the Foreign Languages Press Group