What is the capital of Romania?

The capital of Romania is Bucharest.

What is the population of Romania?

Romania has a population of about 19.02 million, the #68 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.

Romania covers 238,397 km², ranking #84 by area, with about 80 people per square kilometre.

Which countries border Romania?

Romania shares a land or maritime border with Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia.

What is the largest city in Romania?

Bucharest is the largest city in Romania, with a metropolitan population of about 1.94 million.

What is the highest mountain in Romania?

The highest summit recorded for Romania in YearMaps is Moldoveanu at 2,543 m (8,343 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.

What is the tallest dam in Romania?

The tallest dam recorded for Romania is Iron Gate I Dam at 60 m, on the Danube.

Country · Europe · RO

Map of Romania

Romania is a country in Europe with its capital at Bucharest, home to about 19.02 million people across 238,397 km². The interactive map below plots 41 cities and towns, 6 rivers, 1 mountain summits, 1 major dams and 11 ports recorded for Romania in YearMaps.

Population: 19.02 million
Area: 238,397 km²
Capital: Bucharest
Continent: Europe

About Romania

Romania is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe. It lies on the lower course of the Danube, north of the Balkan Peninsula, and on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea to the southeast. It is the twelfth-largest country in Europe by area, covering 238,397 km2 (92,046 mi2), and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union, with 19 million inhabitants. The capital, largest city and economic centre is Bucharest. Other major cities include Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Constanța, Timișoara, Brașov and Craiova.

Romania was settled during the Lower Paleolithic, later becoming Dacia before Trajan's Dacian Wars and Romanisation. The modern Romanian state was formed in 1859 with the unification of Moldavia and Wallachia under Alexandru Ioan Cuza, becoming the Kingdom of Romania in 1881 under Carol I of Romania. Romania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877, formalised by the Treaty of Berlin. After World War I, Transylvania, Banat, Bukovina, and Bessarabia joined the Old Kingdom, forming Greater Romania, which reached its largest territorial extent. In 1940, under Axis pressure, Romania lost territories to Hungary, Bulgaria, and the Soviet Union. Following the Act of 23 August, Romania switched sides to join the Allies. After World War II, it regained Northern Transylvania through the Paris Peace Treaties. Under Soviet occupation, King Michael I was forced to abdicate, and Romania became a socialist republic and Warsaw Pact member. After the fall of communism and the Romanian revolution in 1989, Romania transitioned to liberal democracy.

Romania is a developed country with a high-income economy and is widely regarded as a middle power in international relations. The country possesses 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Romania is a global net exporter of automotive parts and is an increasingly prominent technology centre with some of the fastest internet speeds in the world.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia: Romania (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Geography and Climate of Romania

The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia -- for centuries under the control of the Turkish Ottoman Empire -- secured their autonomy through the Treaty of Paris in 1856. They were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country joined the Allied Powers in World War I and subsequently acquired new territories -- most notably Transylvania -- that more than doubled its size. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.

Location: Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Bulgaria and Ukraine.
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 Moldavian Plateau on the east by the Eastern Carpathian Mountains and separated from the Walachian Plain on the south by the Transylvanian Alps.
Highest point: Moldoveanu 2,544 m.
Lowest point: Black Sea 0 m.
Coastline: 225 km.
Land borders: Total: 2,844 km; border countries: Bulgaria 605 km; Hungary 424 km; Moldova 683 km; Serbia 531 km; Ukraine 601 km.
Major rivers: Dunărea (Danube) river mouth (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Ukraine) - 2,888 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth.
Natural resources: Petroleum (reserves declining), timber, natural gas, coal, iron ore, salt, arable land, hydropower.
Land use: Agricultural land: 55.3% (2023 est.); arable land: 36.5% (2023 est.); permanent crops: 1.8% (2023 est.); permanent pasture: 17% (2023 est.); forest: 30.2% (2023 est.); other: 14.5% (2023 est.)
Natural hazards: Earthquakes, most severe in south and southwest; geologic structure and climate promote landslides.
Geographic note: Controls the most easily traversable land route between the Balkans, Moldova, and Ukraine; the Carpathian Mountains dominate the center of the country, and the Danube River forms much of the southern boundary with Serbia and Bulgaria.
Languages: Romanian (official) 91.6%, Hungarian 6.3%, Romani 1.2%, other 0.7% (2021 est.)
Religions: Romanian Orthodox 85.3%, Roman Catholic 4.5%, Reformed 3%, Pentecostal 2.5%, other 4.7% (2021 est.)
Ethnic groups: Romanian 89.3%, Hungarian 6%, Romani 3.4%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, other 0.9% (2021 est.)
Economy: High-income, EU-member economy; euro membership delayed over macroeconomic indicators; persistent inflation, but consumption and EU-funded investments driving recovery; skilled labor shortage; high public debt and budget deficit; challenges include fiscal sustainability and political instability.

From the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived edition of 2026-01-22. The Factbook is no longer updated, so figures reflect that edition.

Romania in Numbers

Population: 19.02 million
GDP: US$428.7 billion
GDP per person: US$22,538
Life expectancy: 76.5 years
Population growth: -0.17% a year
Population density: 83 per km²
Urban population: 52.2%
Surface area: 238,397 km²
Forest cover: 30.2%
Arable land: 36.4%
Access to electricity: 100.0%
Internet users: 91.3%

Indicators from World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0). The year under each figure is its reference year.

Romania in Depth

History

Human remains found in Peștera cu Oase ("Cave with Bones"), radiocarbon date from circa 40,000 years ago, and represent the oldest known Homo sapiens in Europe. Neolithic agriculture spread after the arrival of a mixed group of people from Thessaly in the 6th millennium BC. Excavations at the Poiana Slatinei site near a salt spring next to Lunca, Neamț yielded the earliest evidence for salt exploitation in Europe; here salt production began between the 5th and 4th millennium BC. The first permanent settlements developed into "proto-cities", which were larger than 320 hectares (800 acres). The Cucuteni–Trypillia culture—the best known archaeological culture of Old Europe—flourished in Muntenia, southeastern Transylvania and northeastern Moldavia in the 3rd millennium BC.

Geography

Romania is the largest country in Southeastern Europe and the twelfth-largest in Europe, having an area of 238,397 square kilometres (92,046 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 43° and 49° N and longitudes 20° and 30° E. The terrain is distributed roughly equally between mountains, hills, and plains. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the centre of Romania, with 14 mountain ranges reaching above 2,000 m or 6,600 ft—the highest is Moldoveanu Peak at 2,544 m or 8,346 ft. They are surrounded by the Moldavian and Transylvanian plateaus, the Pannonian Plain and the Wallachian plains.

Romania is home to six terrestrial ecoregions: Balkan mixed forests, Central European mixed forests, East European forest steppe, Pannonian mixed forests, Carpathian montane conifer forests, and Pontic steppe.

Economy

In 2024, Romania had a GDP (PPP) of around $894 billion and a GDP per capita (PPP) of $47,203. According to the World Bank, Romania is a high-income economy. According to Eurostat, Romania's GDP per capita (PPS) was 77% of the EU average (100%) in 2022, an increase from 44% in 2007 (the year of Romania's accession to the EU), making Romania one of the fastest growing economies in the EU.

The Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB) is the stock exchange of Romania, located in Bucharest. In 2024, the BVB boasted a $74 billion market capitalisation and a trading volume of $7.2 billion. As of 2024, 86 companies were listed on the exchange. In September 2020, FTSE Russell upgraded the BVB from a Frontier market to a Secondary Emerging Market.

Demographics

According to the 2021 Romanian census, Romania's population was 19,053,815. Like other countries in the region, its population is expected to decline gradually as a result of sub-replacement fertility rates and negative net migration rate. According to the 2021 Romanian census, Romanians made up 89.33% of the population, Hungarians 6.05% and the Roma 3.44% of the population, but many ethnicities are not recorded, as they do not have ID cards.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Romania (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Romania: Key Facts

Key facts about Romania
Currency	Romanian leu
Official language	Romanian
Head of state	Nicușor Dan
Head of government	Ilie Bolojan
Form of government	semi-presidential system, unitary state
Calling code	+40
Internet domain	.ro
Highest point	Moldoveanu Peak
Lowest point	Black Sea
Established	1330

Facts from Wikidata Q218 (CC0).

History of Romania: Empires and States

The atlas records 37 polities whose mapped territory included part of Romania, from Scythia in 650 BCE to 2024 CE. They are listed in the order they first appear.

Polities that held Romania, in chronological order
Polity	Period here	Extent
Scythia	650–551 BCE	A large part
Kingdom of Lysimachus	323–282 BCE	A small part
Thracian Kingdom	27 BCE – 50 CE	A small part
The Roman Empire	51–476 CE	Most
Gothia	238–382 CE	Most
Huns	378–425 CE	Most
Eastern Roman Empire	395–632 CE	A small part
The Byzantine Empire	395–1187 CE	A small part
Hunnic Empire	426–454 CE	Most
Kingdom of the Gepids	510–566 CE	A large part
Avar Khaganate	561–805 CE	Most
Old Great Bulgaria	674–681 CE	A small part
First Bulgarian Empire	682–1002 CE	A large part
Magyars	840–910 CE	A large part
Principality of Hungary	900–999 CE	A small part
Kievan Rus'	970–979 CE	A small part
Kingdom of Hungary	1000–1546 CE	A large part
Halych-Volhynia occupation	1066–1240 CE	A large part
Second Bulgarian Empire	1188–1362 CE	A large part
The Mongol Empire	1241–1293 CE	A large part
Golden Horde	1294–1362 CE	A small part
Principality of Wallachia	1314–1858 CE	A large part
Principality of Moldavia	1363–1858 CE	Most
The Ottoman Empire	1395–1876 CE	A small part
The Holy Roman Empire	1450–1458 CE	A large part
House of Habsburg	1450–1458 CE	A large part
Vassalage of Electorate of Brandenburg to Holy Roman Empire	1450–1458 CE	A large part
Eastern Hungarian Kingdom	1529–1571 CE	A large part
Principality of Transylvania	1572–1695 CE	A large part
Habsburg Monarchy	1691–1805 CE	A large part
The Russian Empire	1769–1879 CE	A large part
Austrian Empire	1806–1867 CE	Most
United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia	1859–1916 CE	Most
Austria-Hungary	1868–1918 CE	Most
Kingdom of Romania	1919–1947 CE	Nearly all
Socialist Republic of Romania	1948–1989 CE	Nearly all
Romania	1990–2024 CE	Nearly all

Historical Maps of Romania

Romania on the world map in each year one of these states held it:

Derived by testing mapped cities against dated territorial polygons. Dates are when the polygons cover this place, not the polity's whole lifespan, and polities absent from the source dataset are not listed.

Visiting Romania

Romania (Romanian: România) is a country of great natural beauty and diversity and a rich cultural heritage, including a variety of ethnic, linguistic, and confessional groups. Romania enchants visitors with its scenic mountain landscapes and unspoilt rural areas, but also with its historic cities and busy capital. There has been significant development, especially since it joined the European Union in 2007. Still, it may surprise some of its visitors who are used to western Europe. It has one natural and six cultural UNESCO world heritage sites.

Romania is a large country which can sometimes be shocking with contrasts: some cities are truly modern, while some villages can seem to have been brought back from the past. While it has significant cultural similarities with other Balkan states, it is regarded as unique due to its strong Latin heritage, reflected in every part of Romanian society from its culture to its language.

Travel notes adapted from Wikivoyage: Romania (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Largest Cities in Romania

41 cities recorded. Ranked by metropolitan population. A port city's harbour is written up on the page of its sea.

Largest Cities in Romania
#	Name	Population	Region	Role
1	Bucharest	1.94 million	Bucharest	National capital
2	Iași	325,914	Iasi	Admin-1 capital
3	Cluj-Napoca	316,748	Cluj	Admin-1 capital
4	Timișoara	315,053	Timis	Admin-1 capital
5	Galați	311,156	Galati	Admin-1 capital
6	Brașov	311,044	Brasov	Admin-1 capital
7	Craiova	304,142	Dolj	Admin-1 capital
8	Constanța	303,399	Constanta	Admin-1 capital
9	Ploiești	232,542	Prahova	Admin-1 capital
10	Oradea	213,830	Bihor	Admin-1 capital
11	Brăila	213,569	Braila	Admin-1 capital
12	Bacău	199,668	Bacau	Admin-1 capital
13	Pitești	171,021	Arges	Admin-1 capital
14	Arad	169,065	Arad	Admin-1 capital
15	Sibiu	155,565	Sibiu	Admin-1 capital
16	Tirgu Mures	149,433	Mures	Admin-1 capital
17	Baia Mare	136,553	Maramures	Admin-1 capital
18	Buzău	130,954	Buzau	Admin-1 capital
19	Botoșani	114,783	Botosani	Admin-1 capital
20	Satu Mare	112,490	Satu Mare	Admin-1 capital
21	Rimnicu Vilcea	107,558	Vâlcea	Admin-1 capital
22	Drobeta-Turnu Severin	106,578	Mehedinti	Admin-1 capital
23	Suceava	105,796	Suceava	Admin-1 capital
24	Focșani	105,112	Vrancea	Admin-1 capital
25	Piatra-Neamt	102,688	Neamt	Admin-1 capital

The other 16 (population, region, role)

Târgu Jiu · 97,179 · Gorj · Admin-1 capital
Tulcea · 92,475 · Constanta · Admin-1 capital
Târgoviște · 88,435 · Dâmbovita · Admin-1 capital
Reșița · 83,324 · Caras-Severin · Admin-1 capital
Bistrița · 81,318 · Bistrita-Nasaud · Admin-1 capital
Slatina · 78,988 · Olt · Admin-1 capital
Călărași · 73,224 · Calarasi · Admin-1 capital
Vaslui · 69,225 · Vaslui · Admin-1 capital
Giurgiu · 69,067 · Giurgiu · Admin-1 capital
Deva · 67,802 · Hunedoara · Admin-1 capital
Alba Lulia · 66,085 · Alba · Admin-1 capital
Zalău · 63,232 · Salaj · Admin-1 capital
Sfintu-Gheorghe · 60,677 · Covasna · Admin-1 capital
Slobozia · 52,693 · Ialomita · Admin-1 capital
Alexandria · 49,346 · Teleorman · Admin-1 capital
Miercurea Cuic · 42,029 · Harghita · Admin-1 capital

Highest Mountains in Romania

1 mountain recorded. Ranked by summit elevation above sea level. A summit on a border is listed under both countries.

Highest Mountains in Romania
#	Name	Elevation	Feet	Region
1	Moldoveanu	2,543 m	8,343 ft	Europe

Moldoveanu

Mountain · 2,543 m

Moldoveanu is a mountain rising to 2,543 metres (8,343 ft) in Romania, in the Europe region.

Moldoveanu Peak (Romanian: Vârful Moldoveanu, pronounced [ˈvɨrful moldoˈve̯anu]; "Moldavian Peak"), at 2,545 metres (8,350 ft), is the highest mountain peak in Romania. It is located in Argeș County, in the Făgăraș Mountains of the Southern Carpathians.

The most popular routes to reach Moldoveanu are over the Viștea Mare (2,527 metres (8,291 ft)), by paths coming from Podragu, Sâmbăta, or by the Viștea Valley.

The closest settlement on the north side is Victoria and on the south side Câmpulung.

In December 2019, the star XO-1, located 536 light-years away in the constellation Corona Borealis, was named Moldoveanu after the mountain.

Adapted from Wikipedia: Moldoveanu Peak (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Elevation: 2,543 m (8,343 ft)
Global rank: #331 of 641 indexed
Region: Europe (#28)
Country: Romania
Coordinates: 45.6085°, 24.7477°

Of the 641 named summits indexed in YearMaps, Moldoveanu ranks #331 by elevation, below Uludag Tepe (2,543 m) and above Pidurutalagala (2,524 m).

Ranges:: Carpathian Mountains (Europe), Transylvanian Alps (Europe)
Neighbouring summits:: Midzor (2,168 m), Musala (2,925 m), Kékes (1,015 m)
Settlements below:: Sibiu (52 km), Rimnicu Vilcea (62 km), Brașov (67 km)

View on the live map

More about Moldoveanu

Moldoveanu: Key Facts

Key facts about Moldoveanu
Topographic prominence	2,042 m
Mountain range	Făgăraș Mountains

Facts from Wikidata Q746524 (CC0).

Major Dams in Romania

1 dam recorded. Ranked by structural height.

Major Dams in Romania
#	Name	Height	River	Capacity	Completed
1	Iron Gate I Dam	60 m	Danube	2,192 MW	1972

Rivers in Romania

6 rivers recorded. Listed alphabetically. A river is listed where its mapped reach lies, so long rivers appear under more than one country.

Rivers in Romania
Name	Type	Also Flows Through
Borcea	River	—
Danube	River	Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia
Ialomita	River	—
Mures	River	Hungary
Olt	River	—
Prut	River	Moldova, Ukraine

Ports in Romania

11 ports recorded. Ranked by approach channel depth, the figure that limits which ships can call. Harbours link to their write-up on the page of the sea or coast they lie on.

Ports in Romania
#	Name	Channel Depth	Class	Sea	Max Vessel
1	Midia	49.4 m	Very Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	point_of_interest
2	Medgidia	49.4 m	Very Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	large vessels
3	Mangalia	45.7 m	Very Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	medium vessels
4	Basarabi	45.7 m	Very Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	point_of_interest
5	Danube-Black Sea Canal	45.7 m	Minor	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	point_of_interest
6	Cernavoda	45.7 m	Very Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	medium vessels
7	Galati	42.1 m	Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	medium vessels
8	Sulina	38.4 m	Very Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	large vessels
9	Braila	34.7 m	Very Small	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	medium vessels
10	Constanta	12.8 m	Minor	Black Sea & Sea of Azov	medium vessels

The other 1 (channel depth, class, sea, max vessel)

Tulcea · Very Small · Black Sea & Sea of Azov · large vessels

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Romania

7 World Heritage Sites recorded. Listed by year of inscription, earliest first. Sites shared with another country appear under each.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Romania
#	Name	Inscribed	Type	Criteria
1	churches of Moldavia	1993	Cultural	(i) (iv)
2	Horezu monastery	1993	Cultural	(ii)
3	Dacian Fortresses of the Orăștie Mountains	1999	Cultural	(ii) (iii) (iv)
4	Historic Centre of Sighișoara	1999	Cultural	(iii) (v)
5	wooden churches of Maramureș	1999	Cultural	(iv)
6	Limes Dacicus	2024	Cultural	(ii) (iii) (iv)
7	Sculptural Ensemble of Constantin Brâncuși at Târgu Jiu	2024	Cultural	(i) (ii)

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Romania

6 mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms recorded. Ranked by mapped area. Covers mountain ranges, deserts, plateaus, named glaciers, plains, basins, peninsulas and capes. One that crosses a border is listed under every country it lies in, with the area of the whole feature.

More on these mountain ranges, deserts and other landforms →

Mountain Ranges, Deserts and Landforms of Romania
#	Name	Area	Type	Region
1	Europe	11.24M km²	Continent	Europe
2	Carpathian Mountains	220,248 km²	Range/mtn	Europe
3	Pontic Steppe	102,190 km²	Plain	Europe
4	Alföld	100,263 km²	Plain	Europe
5	Danube Delta	932 km²	Delta	Europe
6	Transylvanian Alps	135 km²	Range/mtn	Europe

Countries Bordering Romania

Land and maritime neighbours.

More Maps in Europe

Romania: Quick Answers

What is the capital of Romania?: The capital of Romania is Bucharest.
What is the population of Romania?: Romania has a population of about 19.02 million, the #68 largest of 225 countries in YearMaps. Source: World Bank, 2025.
How big is Romania?: Romania covers 238,397 km², ranking #84 by area, with about 80 people per square kilometre.
Which continent is Romania in?: Romania is in Europe.
Which countries border Romania?: Romania shares a land or maritime border with Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Serbia.
What is the largest city in Romania?: Bucharest is the largest city in Romania, with a metropolitan population of about 1.94 million.
What is the highest mountain in Romania?: The highest summit recorded for Romania in YearMaps is Moldoveanu at 2,543 m (8,343 ft). Summits on a border are counted for both countries.
What is the tallest dam in Romania?: The tallest dam recorded for Romania is Iron Gate I Dam at 60 m, on the Danube.

Interactive Map of Romania