Romania

Romania is a nation located in Southeast and Central Europe. It sits on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea.

The country follows the lower course of the Danube River. It shares borders with several neighbors. Ukraine lies to the north and east. Hungary is to the west. Serbia is to the southwest. Bulgaria is to the south. Moldova is located to the east.

Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe by area. It is also the sixth-most populous member of the European Union. Nearly 20 million people live there. The capital and largest city is Bucharest. Other major cities include Cluj-Napoca, Iași, and Constanța.

The history of this land stretches back to the Lower Paleolithic period. Human remains found in Peștera cu Oase, or the "Cave with Bones," date to about 40,000 years ago. These represent the oldest known Homo sapiens in Europe. Later, Neolithic agriculture spread through the region. In the 5th and 4th millennium BC, people began salt exploitation at Lunca. This was some of the earliest salt production in Europe. The Cucuteni–Trypillia culture also flourished in the 3rd millennium BC. This culture is known as one of the best archaeological cultures of Old Europe.

In antiquity, the land was home to the Dacians. A ruler named Burebista united the local tribes around 55 to 44 BC.

He expanded the kingdom to the Middle Danube and the Balkan Mountains. Later, the Roman army defeated the Dacians in 106 AD. Emperor Trajan established a new province called Roman Dacia. This province included Banat, Oltenia, and much of Transylvania. Many scholars support the Daco-Roman continuity theory. This theory suggests that the cohabitation of Dacians and Romans formed the basis of the Romanian people.

After the Romans withdrew in the 270s, many groups migrated through the region. The Goths expanded toward the Lower Danube in the 230s. The Huns invaded in 376 AD, causing new waves of migration. Later, the Gepids and the Avars held power in different areas. Slavic-speaking populations also settled in the territory. By the 6th century, Slavic groups lived in Moldavia and Wallachia. The First Bulgarian Empire became a dominant power in the region by the 9th century. During this time, Old Church Slavonic was used as the liturgical language.

The modern Romanian state began to take shape in 1859. This occurred when Moldavia and Wallachia unified under Alexandru Ioan Cuza. The nation became the Kingdom of Romania in 1881 under Carol I.

Romania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. This was later formalized by the Treaty of Berlin. After World War I, the country reached its largest territorial extent. This period created "Greater Romania" by adding Transylvania, Banat, Bukovina, and Bessarabia. However, the country lost territories to Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union in 1940.

Following World War II, Romania underwent significant political shifts. It regained Northern Transylvania through the Paris Peace Treaties. However, the country later fell under Soviet occupation. King Michael I was forced to abdicate during this time. Romania became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact. This era ended with the Romanian revolution in 1989. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, the nation transitioned to a liberal democracy.

Today, Romania is a developing country with a high-income economy. It is considered a middle power in international relations. The country is a net exporter of automotive and vehicle parts.

It has also become a growing technology centre. Romania is known for having some of the fastest internet speeds globally. The nation is a member of the European Union and NATO. It is also part of the BSEC. There are 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites located within its borders.