Romania
Europe Β· Capital: Bucharest
How it is run: Romania is a member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly. Use the research links below to find out exactly who makes the laws there.
Romania is home to 19.0 million people in Southeast Europe, where people speak Romanian.
Numbers that tell a story π’
π₯ People
19.0 million people
That is 0.2% of everybody alive (counted in 2025).
πΊοΈ Land
238,391 kmΒ²
Roughly the size of Italy or the state of Arizona.
ποΈ How crowded
About 80 people per square kilometre β a comfortable mix of cities and open land.
π Size in its region
9th most people in Europe
12th largest by land in Europe.
π£οΈ Official languages
Romanian
π° Money
Romanian leu (lei)
Life here today π©Ί
These come from World Bank open data β the same numbers governments use when they argue about budgets.
β€οΈ How long people live
76.5 years on average
Doctors, clean water and food supply all change this number over time.
πΌ Money made per person each year
about US$22,538
An upper-middle-income country: growing cities, and more families joining the middle class.
π’ Living in cities
52.2% of people
Many people still live in villages and farming towns.
π Kids under 15
15.6% of the population
An older country β there are more grandparents than schoolchildren.
Everyday details π§
π Phone code
+40
Dial this before the number to call from another country.
π Websites end in
.ro
π§ People here are called
Romanian
π·οΈ Name at home
RomΓ’nia
Also written: Rumania, Roumania, RomΓ’nia.
π Coast or inland
Has a coastline
ποΈ UN voting group
Eastern European Group
Countries in the same group often plan votes together.
Neighbours & borders π€
Romania touches 5 neighbours by land. Neighbours share rivers, roads and usually a lot of trade.
Say its name around the world π£οΈ
Countries have different names in different languages. Try these with a penpal.
Spanish
Rumania
French
Roumanie
Arabic
Ψ±ΩΩ Ψ§ΩΩΨ§
Chinese
η½ι©¬ε°ΌδΊ
Japanese
γ«γΌγγγ’
Russian
Π ΡΠΌΡΠ½ΠΈΡ
Portuguese
RomΓ©nia
German
RumΓ€nien
Put it in perspective π
- Russia β the most populated country in Europe β has about 7.5Γ as many people as Romania.
- Romania covers roughly 2,270 times the area of Hong Kong Island.
- If everyone in Romania lined up shoulder to shoulder, the line would stretch about 9,510 km.
Fast facts π§
Fact of the day: Romania sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
π·οΈ Official name
Romania
ποΈ Capital
Bucharest
π Region
Europe Β· Southeast Europe
π€ Country code
RO
ποΈ UN status
UN member state
π© Independence
Independent country
More about Romania π
π§ Where on the map
46.0Β° N, 25.0Β° E
π Half of the world
Northern & Eastern hemisphere
π°οΈ Clock check
Roughly UTC+2 β when it is noon in London it is about 14:00 in Bucharest.
- Romania is a full member of the United Nations, so it gets one vote in the General Assembly β the same as every other member, big or small.
- Romania is close to the line of 0Β° longitude, so its clocks are near the world's reference time (UTC).
- Romania sits in the temperate zone, the belt where most of the world's farms and big cities are.
- Romania sits in Southeast Europe, in the northern and eastern half of the globe.
- Romania is an independent country, meaning it makes its own laws.
Countries nearby π€
Talk about it π¬
- Romania has 1 official language. How would your school day change if lessons were taught in more than one language?
- Romania can trade by sea. What should a country protect first: its ports, its fishing waters, or its beaches?
- If Romania spoke at the General Assembly tomorrow, what one problem should its delegate ask the world to help fix?
Quick quiz π§ͺ
Guess first, then tap to check your answer.
What is the capital of Romania?
Bucharest
Which money do people spend in Romania?
Romanian leu (lei)
How many countries share a land border with Romania?
5 β Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine.
Roughly how many people live in Romania?
19.0 million people
Keep researching π
Everything here is a starting point. These trusted sites, databases and libraries will take you further β and they are the kind of sources a teacher will accept in a report.
Start here β kid-friendly encyclopedias π
Short articles written for students, with maps and photos you can use in a report.
Official data & government sources ποΈ
Primary sources. Cite these when your teacher asks for real data.
News & current policy π°
Use two different outlets before you decide what you think.
Your library card π«
Libraries give you books, databases and librarians β all free.
Library tip: Ask your school or public librarian for their online databases (like Gale in Context or EBSCO Explora). Your library card unlocks them for free at home, and they are already checked by adults for school use.