by Lonely Planet author Leif Pettersen

Practical Information

Romania | Moldova

 

Romania

"Lonely Planet Romania and Moldova" 4th edition featuring agonizingly updated information and sarcastic comments by myself and Robert Reid is in stores now!

"Lonely Planet Eastern Europe" 9th edition, with my dense chapters on Rom & Mol, is in stores now!

"Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring" 5th edition, with my tiny chapters on Rom & Mol, is in stores now!

"Lonely Planet 2007 Bluelist" includes a piece I contributed about the Danube Delta.

Capital: Bucharest

Population: 22.3 million

Area: 237,500 sq km (slightly smaller than Oregon)

Languages: Romanian, Hungarian

Border countries: Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine

Coastline: 225 km

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

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Black Sea 0 meters, highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 meters

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

Life expectancy: total population: 71.63 years, male: 68.14 years, female: 75.34 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.5%, Hungarian 6.6%, Roma 2.5%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.3%, Russian 0.2%, Turkish 0.2%, other 0.4% (2002 census)

Religions: Eastern Orthodox (including all sub-denominations) 86.8%, Protestant (various denominations including Reformate and Pentecostal) 7.5%, Roman Catholic 4.7%, other (mostly Muslim) and unspecified 0.9%, none 0.1% (2002 census)

GDP per capita: $8,200 (2005 est.)

Unemployment: 5.9% (2005 est.)

Population below poverty line: 25% (2005 est.)

Industries: textiles and footwear, light machinery and auto assembly, mining, timber, construction materials, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining

 

 

Moldova

Pre-order "Lonely Planet Romania and Moldova" 4th edition written by me and Robert Reid, in stores in May 2007!

Pre-order "Lonely Planet Eastern Europe" 9th edition, with my dense chapters on Rom & Mol, in stores February 2007!

Pre-order "Lonely Planet Europe on a Shoestring" 5th edition, with my tiny chapters on Rom & Mol, in stores March 2007!

Capital: Chisinau

Population: 4.5 million

Area: 33,843 sq km

Languages: Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Border countries: Romania, Ukraine

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Climate: moderate winters, warm summers

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Dniester River 2 m, highest point: Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Natural resources: lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

Life expectancy: total population: 65.65 years, male: 61.61 years, female: 69.88 years (2006 est.)

Ethnic groups: Moldovan/Romanian 78.2%, Ukrainian 8.4%, Russian 5.8%, Gagauz 4.4%, Bulgarian 1.9%, other 1.3% (2004 census)
note: internal disputes with ethnic Slavs in the Transnistrian region

Religions: Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5% (2000)

Independence: 27 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)

GDP per capita: $1,800 (2005 est.)

Unemployment: 8%; note - roughly 25% of working age Moldovans are employed abroad (2002 est.)

Population below poverty line: 80% (2001 est.)

Industries: sugar, vegetable oil, food processing, agricultural machinery; foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines; hosiery, shoes, textiles

 

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