GEOGRAPHY

    Relief

Nature has been particularly generous with the land of Romania. Country's physical features are various and its altitudes are between 0 m, Bleak Sea level, and 2,543 m, Moldoveanu Peak from Fagaras Mountains. The physical features are harmonious: 31% of Romania's surface is covered by mountains, 33% by hills and tablelands, and 35% by plains.

The Romanian Carpathians feature three main groups: the Eastern Carpathians (from the Northern border to Prahova Valley), maximum altitude in the Rodna Mountains- Pietrosul Peak (2,303m); the Southern Carpathians (between the Prahova Valley and the Timis - Cerna - Bistra - Strei corridors), maximum altitude in the Fagaras Mountains - Moldoveanu Peak (2,543 m); Western Carpathians (between the Southern Danube Valley and the Somes Valley), maximum altitude in the Apuseni Mountains- Curcubata Mare Peak (1,848m).

Inside the Carpathians Arch lies the Plateau of Transylvania (its altitude varies between 400 to 700 m); to the Northern - West the Somes Plateau; to the East the Plateau of Moldavia; to the South the Plateau of Dobrogea.

The largest plain lies in the South, running along the Danube, and it is the main agricultural zone of the country.

    Hydrographic system

The most important river of Romania is Danube. That defines the East part of Romania's boundary with Yugoslavia and almost the entire part of the boundary with Bulgaria.

The Danube river flows on Romanian territory along 1,075 km (out of the total length of 2,850 km from its sources to its flowing into the sea).

Others major flowing waters are: Mures (768 km), Olt (736 km), Prut (716 km) and Siret (596 km).

Romania has many mountains lakes (2,300 lakes) and a lot of salt lakes on sea side, the largest being Razelm Lake (415 sq. km ).

The Danube Delta stretches on Romanian territory over an area of 4,340 sq. km, of which 78% is subjected to flooding, including Razelm Complex.

The Danube Delta, located North of Dobrogea Plateau, is the most recent form of relief in Romania. It has three main arms: Chilia, Sulina and Sfântul Gheorghe.

    Climate

The climate is temperate-continental of transitional type, specific to Central Europe, with local differences caused by altitude and by slight oceanic (to the West), Mediterranean ((to the South - West) and continental (to the East) influences.

Mean temperatures: in wintertime -24⁰C, in summertime 39⁰C; the mean annual temperature is 11⁰C in the South and 8⁰C in the North.

Main annual rainfalls total 637 mm, with higher values in the mountain areas (over 1,000 mm/year) and lower values in the Baragan Plain (500 mm/year), Dobrogea and the Danube Delta (400 mm/year).

The agricultural area -   Out of the 14.8 million hectares of farming land, 9.4 million hectares are arable, 4.9 million hectares pastures and hayfields, 0.5 million hectares vineyards and orchards.
There are many types of soil, most of them fertile.

Forests  - cover an area of 6.3 million hectares (27.5% of the country's area). It is an important natural resource that allows the development of an efficient processing industry.

The mineral resources: Romania has a net output (1999) of 22,853 thousand tons of coal, 6,154 thousand tons of crude oil and 13,808 million cubic meters of natural gas. Other mineral resources are: salt, pegmatite with feldspate, copper, limestone, clays and kaolin sands, various diatomite, siliceous sand, bentonite, various types of quartz, gold, silver, molybdenum, manganese, iron, graphite, mica, etc. There are also deposits of uranium, titanium sands and zirconium that have not been rendered profitable yet.