Romania Geography Profile 2008

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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, Serbia 476 km, Ukraine (north) 362 km, Ukraine (east) 169 km

Coastline

225 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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: 39.49%
permanent crops: 1.92%
other: 58.59% (2005)

Irrigated land

30,770 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources

42.3 cu km (2003)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 6.5 cu km/yr (9%/34%/57%)
per capita: 299 cu m/yr (2003)

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, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note

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


Source: CIA World Factbook
Unless otherwise noted, information in this page is accurate as of May 16, 2008