Government type:
republic
Capital:
Bucharest
Administrative divisions:
41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality*
(municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud,
Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti*, Buzau, Calarasi,
Caras-Severin, Cluj, Constanta, Covasna, Dimbovita, Dolj, Galati,
Gorj, Giurgiu, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomita, Iasi, Ilfov,
Maramures, Mehedinti, Mures, Neamt, Olt, Prahova, Salaj, Satu Mare,
Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timis, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vilcea, Vrancea
Independence:
9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from Turkey; independence
recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin; kingdom proclaimed
26 March 1881; republic proclaimed 30 December 1947)
National holiday:
Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)
Constitution:
8 December 1991
Legal system:
former mixture of civil law system and communist legal theory; is
now based on the constitution of France's Fifth Republic
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ion ILIESCU (since 20 December 2000)
elections: president elected by popular vote for a four-year term;
election last held 26 November 2000, with runoff between the top two
candidates held 10 December 2000 (next to be held NA
November/December 2004); prime minister appointed by the president
head of government: Prime Minister Adrian NASTASE (since 29 December
2000)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
election results: percent of vote - Ion ILIESCU 66.84%, Corneliu
Vadim TUDOR 33.16%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
(140 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a
proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the
Chamber of Deputies or Adunarea Deputatilor (345 seats; members are
elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation
basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 26 November 2000 (next to be held in
the fall of 2004); Chamber of Deputies - last held 26 November 2000
(next to be held in the fall of 2004)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PDSR (now PSD)
37.1%, PRM 21.0%, PD 7.6%, PNL 7.5%, UDMR 6.9%; seats by party - PSD
65, PRM 36, PNL 13, UDMR 12, PD 9, independents 5; Chamber of
Deputies - percent of vote by party - PDSR (now PSD) 36.6%, PRM
19.5%, PD 7.0%, PNL, 6.9%, UDMR 6.8%; seats by party - PSD 171, PRM
69, PD 29, PNL 27, UDMR 27, ethnic minorities 18, independents 4