Administrative divisions:
41 counties (judete, singular - judet) and 1 municipality*
(municipiu); Alba, Arad, Arges, Bacau, Bihor, Bistrita-Nasaud,
Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucuresti (Bucharest)*, 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 the Ottoman Empire;
independence recognized 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin;
kingdom proclaimed 26 March 1881); 30 December 1947 (republic
proclaimed)
National holiday:
Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918)
Constitution:
8 December 1991; revision effective 29 October 2003
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 Traian BASESCU (since 20 December 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-TARICEANU (since 29
December 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 28 November 2004,
with runoff between the top two candidates held 12 December 2004
(next to be held November-December 2009); prime minister appointed
by the president with the consent of the Parliament
election results: percent of vote - Traian BASESCU 51.23%, Adrian
NASTASE 48.77%
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat
(137 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote on a
proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms) and the
Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (332 seats; members are
elected by direct, popular vote on a proportional representation
basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 28 November 2004 (next expected to be
held in November 2008); Chamber of Deputies - last held 28 November
2004 (next expected to be held November 2008)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by alliance/party -
PSD-PUR 37.1%, PNL-PD 31.8%, PRM 13.6%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party -
PSD 44, PNL 30, PD 20, PRM 20, PC 11, UDMR 10, independents 2;
Chamber of Deputies - percent of vote by alliance/party - PSD-PUR
36.8%, PNL-PD 31.5%, PRM 13%, UDMR 6.2%; seats by party - PSD 111,
PNL 66, PD 45, PRM 34, ex-PRM (Ciontu Group) 12, UDMR 22, PC 20, PIN
(GUSA Group) 3, independent 1, ethnic minorities 18
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court of Justice (comprised of 11 judges appointed for
three-year terms by the president in consultation with the Superior
Council of Magistrates, which is comprised of the minister of
justice, the prosecutor general, two civil society representatives
appointed by the Senate, and 14 judges and prosecutors elected by
their peers); a separate body, the Constitutional Court, validates
elections and makes decisions regarding the constitutionality of
laws, treaties, ordinances, and internal rules of the Parliament; it
is comprised of nine members serving nine-year terms, with three
members each appointed by the president, the Senate, and the Chamber
of Deputies
Political parties and leaders:
Conservative Party or PC [Dan VOICULESCU], formerly Humanist Party
or PUR; Democratic Party or PD [Emil BOC]; Democratic Union of
Hungarians in Romania or UDMR [Bela MARKO]; National Liberal Party
or PNL [Calin Popescu-TARICEANU]; Romania Mare Party (Greater
Romanian Party) or PRM [Corneliu Vadim TUDOR]; Social Democratic
Party or PSD [Mircea Dan GEOANA], formerly Party of Social Democracy
in Romania or PDSR