1. Romania
By: Isabella Dickens-Bowman

2. Land and Climate
• Temperate: cold, cloudy winters with snow and fog; sunny
summers with showers and thunderstorms
• Total area of Romania is 238,391 sq km, a little smaller than the
state of Oregon
• Romania is made up of the Transylvanian Basin, Moldavian
Plateau, Walachian Plain, Transylvanian Alps, and Eastern
Carpathian Mountains

3. Population
• Population Breakdown: Romanian 83.4%, Hungarian 6.1%, Roma
3.1%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.2%, other 0.7%, unspecified
6.1%
• The Romani (Gypsies) are not viewed favorably in Romania, often
with disgust and shame

4. Appearance
• As with most Eastern European countries, dark eyes (brown and
hazel) are most common, and brown hair is a usual Romanian
feature although blonde hair is not unheard of
• A light to medium skin tone is also typical
• Traditional costumes are bright and colorful, and hairstyles
involve plaiting

5. Language
• The official and most used language is Romanian, which is a
romance language with Slavic influences as well
• Romania is the only eastern Bloc country to speak a romance
language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHP0r
GVzjoA

6. Social and Economic Levels
• Romania is still in a period of economic and social change from its
shift from socialism to a more free market set up
• ‘Romania has traditionally had a huge farming class, and it used to
be that 86% of stores were not privately owned, but that is all
beginning to change
• Less people are tied to the land now, as they move towards factory
jobs
• There is now a bit more room for social mobility and opportunities in
Romania
• The primary industries include mining, timber, construction
materials, metallurgy, chemicals, and machine building
http://countrystudies.us/romania/42.htm

7. Government
• Romania underwent a painful and messy revolution in 1989 that
ended with the death of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescu (the ruling
couple) in front of a firing squad
• After that, Romania began rebuilding its government from a
communist dictatorship to a republic
• The government is led by the Prime Minister, nominated by the
President of Romania and confirmed by the Parliament.

8. Economy
• Romania has a developing market economyand is one of the most
recent entrants to the European Union
• Romania entered the 1990s a relatively poor country, even by
Balkan standards, largely a result of the failed Ceauşescu
economic policies of the 1970s. It remains the poorest EU
member state by GDP per capita
• In the Romanian press it has been referred as a "Tiger" due to
its high growth rates and rapid development

9. Communication Style
• people are more interested in talking about topics that touch their lives
(such as personal, political, economic, or international situations) than
talking about new subjects
• The acceptable amount of personal space required is much less than in
North America; people shake hands up close and do not then move away.
• People tend to have a wandering gaze when speaking to one another.
Compared to North Americans, Romanians focus less on the people to
whom they are speaking

10. Greetings
• Good Day/Hello: Buna Ziua
• Good Morning: Buna Dimineata
• How are You?: Ce Mai Faci
• In Romania it is very important to greet everyone with a “Hello”,
especially anyone you have a commercial relationship with, such as a taxi
driver, waiter, or store clerk
• Greetings are seen as the height of politeness in Romania, and are
therefore necessary if politeness is your goal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axBUj0poChc

11. Gestures
• People use a lot of gestures and facial expressions; Romanians fall somewhere
between English and Italians in their use of non-verbal communication and
animated conversation
• One is expected to give up one's seat in public transport for the elderly or
very young
• In some homes shoes are removed indoors and people put on slippers, or
“papoosh”, and visitors will be strongly encouraged to wear them as well
• If you point to something, you point with one finger but if you want to be
more subtle, you can just stretch your head, or move your eyes in the
direction you want to point
• When you beckon someone you move you whole hand toward yourself. in a
downward motion

12. Attitudes and values
• National identity is centered
on pride in the country's resilience
and ability to withstand attacks
from others throughout Romania’s
history
• Romanians have a strong love
for their country and much national pride
• A somewhat negative national psyche due to the hardships that have
continued through the last few decades, and the tough economic conditions
• Family is very important to Romanians, as is religion, politeness, and respect
to elders and those in authority

13. Religion
• Seventy percent of the population is Romanian Orthodox, 6% is Roman
Catholic, 6% is Protestant, and 18% professes no religious affiliation
• Romanian Orthodoxy traces its history back to the Great Schism
between Eastern and Western Christianity of 1054
• Romanian Orthodox churches follow a specific pattern in the placement
of icons. On the door there are usually life-size representations of the
archangels Gabriel and Michael, above which there are several rows of
other icons, including saints, martyrs, and apostles

14. Family
• Family is one of the most important things to Romanians, many
generations live closely together because of the respect the
young have for the elderly
• It is not uncommon for several generations to live together.
Housing shortages force many people to live in close quarters
and the national culture places a high value on helping extended
family members
• Urbanization has led to smaller families, however, and to a
decrease in the importance of family ties

15. Work
• While the majority of women work outside the home, they tend to
occupy lower-level positions and generally are in traditional female
fields, such as primary school education. Women also make up a
large proportion of agricultural workers
• The poor often have little choice of profession. Education is
expensive, and the children of farmers and factory workers do not
have much opportunity for advancement
• The main industries are mining, timber, construction materials,
metallurgy, chemicals, and machine building. Many industries have
failed in recent years due to old-fashioned equipment Since the
early 1990s, tourism has become a growing industry

16. Recreation
• Arts, music, theatre, architecture, and dance have always been
important Romanian traditions
• Bucharest is the center of these activities with the National
Theatre
• The traditional Romanian sport is oina, which is played with a bat
and a leather ball and resembles baseball. Football (soccer) is by far
the country’s most popular sport, and all the big cities have
stadiums and teams in the league
• In the mountainous regions
skiing, snowboarding, hiking,
and rock
climbing are all very popular
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kf-RI62PFs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f8Ac4_rmLQ

17. Food and Eating
• Breakfast is usually a small meal of bread with butter and
jam and tea
• The largest meal is eaten in the early afternoon
• Most dishes and meals revolve around meat (sausage, pork,
veal) and vegetables are served as side dishes
• Typical desserts include placinte, a kind of pie, and
baclava, a pastry made of nuts and honey

18. Holidays
• The annual sheep feast, Simbra Oilor, is a traditional holiday
marking the moving of the herds to the high pastures
• Labor Day is celebrated May 1st and 2nd , Independence Day is on
August 23rd and 24th , and the National Day of Romania on
December 1st
• Different regions have traditions of spring and summer
festivals, including the Pageant of the Juni in the city of Brasov
• Many Catholic Holidays are observed as well

19. Romanian Celebrations

20. Dating, Courtship, and Marriage
• Respect is very important in relationships, and relationships
tend to move slowly to establish adequate levels of respect
• It is customary for young people to choose their own spouses,
but certain elements of the traditional ceremony are preserved
• The bride's hair is braided in an elaborate style, and she dons a
crown of flowers, jewels, and ribbons. The groom wears a white
leather vest and a hat decorated with feathers, flowers, and
leaves. In the ceremony, both the bride and the groom ask their
parents to forgive them for leaving the family

21. Transportation and Communication
Systems
• Romania has a well-developed
railway network that covers
the whole country. Trains are
one of the most popular means
of getting around Romania because
they are inexpensive and dependable
• In the larger cities there are lots of public transportation
options such as buses, trams, trolleys, and subways
• the telecommunications sector is being expanded and
modernized in Romania with domestic and international service
improving rapidly, especially mobile-cellular services

22. Educational System
• School is free and mandatory from the ages of six to
sixteen. From ages six to fourteen, children attend
elementary school; after this, they must pass examinations
to enter secondary school. About half these students go
on to vocational schools; others continue their education
at technical institutes or teacher-training programs
• To study at a university, it is necessary to pass a rigorous
examination that often requires expensive tutoring
outside of school.

23. Health, Sanitation, and Medical
Facilities
• Healthcare in Romania is universal, but not up to American
standards, except for some private hospitals and clinics. But there
is a great network of pharmacies throughout the country
• Hospitals in the larger cities are equipped with basic medical and
emergency necessities; however, rural areas and smaller towns
often have limited or no medical supplies
• As Romania has become a more popular tourist destination, the
infrastructure has improved how it handles waste water, thus
making the country and water supply more sanitary
• There is now a project called ‘Safe Sanitation, Health, and Dignity
which is making the push to create a healthier and more sanitary
living environment in smaller villages across Romania

24. Travel
• “Romania offers countless unique travel experiences that are waiting to be discovered. A journey of a few
hours by car or train can take you from the Danube River to a beautiful, intact, medieval town in
Transylvania; from Bucharest - Romania's capital city - to the Black Sea; from Southern Transylvania to
Bucovina or Maramures. Take a step back in time as you visit one of the world’s famous painted
monasteries in Bucovina, the ancient, hilltop citadel in Sighisoara or an authentic, centuries-old, folkloric
village in Maramures. Explore Romania's many architectural treasures and experience its vibrant and
flourishing arts scene.” –Romanian Tourism Board Website
• Romanians are very open to tourists and foreigners. Somewhat
curious, but proud to share their country and traditions with
others
• Since the fall of the Communist regime, Romania has become
much more open to the rest of the world, and therefore much
easier to visit

25. Works Cited
• http://romaniatourism.com/about-romania.html
• https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-
factbook/geos/ro.html
• http://www.infoplease.com/country/romania.html
• http://www.errc.org/article/being-a-gypsy-the-worst-social-stigma-in-
romania/1385
• http://www.icr.ro/bucharest/romanians-body-and-soul-17-2003/the-
beauty-of-romanian-women.html
• http://linguistics.byu.edu/classes/ling450ch/reports/romanian.html
• Giurescu, Constantin C. The Making of the Romanian People and Language.
Bucharest: Meridiane Publishing House. 1972
• http://www.upet.ro/annals/economics/pdf/2011/part2/Hamburg.pdf
• http://www.moveoneinc.com/blog/videos/public-transportation-in-romania/
• http://www.expatarrivals.com/romania/healthcare-in-romania