Short facts about the geography of Romania

Location:

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine

Geographic coordinates:

46 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references:

Europe

Area:

total:  237,500 sq km land:  230,340 sq km water:  7,160 sq km

Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries:

total:  2,508 km border countries:  Bulgaria 608 km, Hungary 443 km, Moldova 450 km, Yugoslavia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km

Coastline:

225 km

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

Climate:

temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms

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

Elevation extremes:

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

Natural resources:

petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower

Land use:

arable land:  41% permanent crops:  3% permanent pastures:  21% forests and woodland:  29% other:  6% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land:

31,020 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards:

earthquakes most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides

Environment - current issues:

soil erosion and degradation; water pollution; air pollution in south from industrial effluents; contamination of Danube delta wetlands

Environment - international agreements:

party to:  Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note:

controls most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine

Source: World Factbook