Short facts about the government of Romania

Country name:

conventional long form:  none conventional short form:  Romania local long form:  none local short form:  Romania

Government type:

republic

Capital:

Bucharest

Administrative divisions:

40 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, Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea

Independence:

1881 (from Turkey; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947)

National holiday:

Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)

Constitution:

8 December 1991

Legal system:

former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state:  President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 December 2000) head of government:  Prime Minister Adrian NASTASE (since 29 December 2000) cabinet:  Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister elections:  president elected by popular vote for a four-year term; election last held 26 November 2000, with runoff between the top two candidates held 10 December 2000 (next to be held NA November/December 2004); prime minister appointed by the president election results:  percent of vote - Ion ILIESCU 66.84%, Corneliu Vadim TUDOR 33.16%

Legislative branch:

bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (140 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 (345 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) elections:  Senate - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in the fall of 2004) election results:  Senate - percent of vote by party - PDSR 37.1%, PRM 21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%; seats by party - PDSR 65, PRM 37, PD 13, PNL 13, UDMR 12; Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PDSR 36.6%, PRM 19.5%, PD 7.0%, PNL, 6.9%, UDMR 6.8%; seats by party - PDSR 155, PRM 84, PD 31, PNL 30, UDMR 27, ethnic minorities 18

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the president on the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistrates)

Political parties and leaders:

Democratic Party or PD [Petre ROMAN]; Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party or PNL [Mircea IONESCU-QUINTUS]; Party of Social Democracy in Romania or PDSR [Adrian NASTASE]; Romania Mare Party (Greater Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; The Democratic Convention or CDR [Ion DIACONESCU]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

various human rights and professional associations

International organization participation:

ACCT, Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CCC, CE, CEI, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NAM (guest), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UPU, WCL, WEU (associate partner), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:

chief of mission:  Ambassador (vacant) 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

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission:  Ambassador James C. ROSAPEPE embassy:  Strada Tudor Arghezi 7-9, Bucharest mailing address:  American Embassy Bucharest, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5260 (pouch) telephone:  [40] (1) 210 40 42 FAX:  [40] (1) 210 03 95 branch office(s):  Cluj-Napoca

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

Source: World Factbook