GEOGRAPHY
Extending inland halfway across
the Balkan Peninsula and covering a large elliptical area of 237,499
square kilometers (91,699 sq. mi.), Romania occupies the greater
part of the lower basin of the Danube River system and the hilly
eastern regions of the middle Danube basin. It lies on either
side of the mountain systems collectively known as the Carpathians,
which form the natural barrier between the two Danube basins.
Romania's location gives it
a continental climate, particularly in the Old Kingdom (east of
the Carpathians and south of the Transylvanian Alps) and to a
lesser extent in Transylvania, where the climate is more moderate.
A long and at times severe winter (December-March), a hot summer
(April-July), and a prolonged autumn (August-November) are the
principal seasons, with a rapid transition from spring to summer.
In Bucharest, the daily minimum temperature in January averages
-7oC (20oF), and the daily maximum temperature in July averages
29oC (85oF).
Area: 237,499 sq. km. (91,699 sq. mi.); somewhat
smaller than New York and Pennsylvania combined.
Cities: Capital--Bucharest (pop. 2.02 million).
Other cities--Constanta (344,000), Iasi (350,000), Timisoara (327,000),
Cluj-Napoca (334,000), Galati (331,000), Brasov (316,000).
Terrain: Consists mainly of rolling, fertile
plains; hilly in the eastern regions of the middle Danube basin;
and major mountain ranges running north and west in the center
of the country, which collectively are known as the Carpathians.
Climate: Moderate.
