The Beyond News

Romania is a country in Central and Eastern Europe which borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east and the Black Sea to the southeast. It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate, and an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi), with a population of around 19 million. Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe, and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest; other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța, Craiova, Brașov, and Galați.The Danube, Europe's second-longest river, rises in Germany's Black Forest and flows in a southeasterly direction for 2,857 km (1,775 mi), before emptying into Romania's Danube Delta. The Carpathian Mountains, which cross Romania from the north to the southwest, include Moldoveanu Peak, at an altitude of 2,544 m (8,346 ft).

Romania was formed in 1859 through a personal union of the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. The new state, officially named Romania since 1866, gained independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1877. During World War I, after declaring its neutrality in 1914, Romania fought together with the Allied Powers from 1916. In the aftermath of the war, Bukovina, Bessarabia, Transylvania and parts of Banat, Crișana, and Maramureș became part of the Kingdom of Romania. In June–August 1940, as a consequence of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact and Second Vienna Award, Romania was compelled to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union, and Northern Transylvania to Hungary. In November 1940, Romania signed the Tripartite Pact and, consequently, in June 1941 entered World War II on the Axis side, fighting against the Soviet Union until August 1944, when it joined the Allies and recovered Northern Transylvania. Following the war and occupation by the Red Army, Romania became a socialist republic and a member of the Warsaw Pact. After the 1989 Revolution, Romania began a transition towards democracy and a market economy.

Romania is a developing country, with a high-income economy, ranking 49th in the Human Development Index. It has the world's 45th largest economy by nominal GDP. Romania experienced rapid economic growth in the early 2000s; its economy is now based predominantly on services. It is a producer and net exporter of machines and electric energy through companies such as Automobile Dacia and OMV Petrom. Romania has been a member of the United Nations since 1955, NATO since 2004, and the European Union since 2007. The majority of Romania's population are ethnic Romanian and Eastern Orthodox Christians, speaking Romanian, a Romance language.

Foods in Romania  :

(1) Sarmale (Cabbage Rolls) : 

Considered to be Romania's national dish, these stuffed cabbage rolls are actually of Turkish origins, but the Romanians claim that theirs are the best.And they are probably right.The initial recipe was strongly modified over time until it reached what is considered to be now the perfect stuffing. A balanced mixture of rice and minced meat (usually pork or pork combined with beef) and other vegetables and local herbs is rolled in cabbage leaves or young grape leaves for a delicate flavor.Pro tip: if you want to take this dish to the next level, use pickled cabbage leaves for extra flavor.The tastiest cabbage rolls are those slowly cooked in clay pots in the oven, covered with a little water, some cabbage brine for sourness, and some slices of traditional bacon for a tasty smoky touch. Traditionally served with mamaliga (often translated as polenta, this is a corn flour mush replacing bread in many traditional dishes) and sour cream, the Romanian cabbage rolls are not only delicious, but very creamy, consistent, and extremely satisfying.Here's a great cabbage rolls recipe so you can enjoy this delicious Romanian dish in the comfort of your own kitchen.

(2) Ciorba de burta (tripe soup) : 

When it comes to tripe soup, you either love it or hate it. This traditional food has a very strong aroma and a velvety texture which is the result of several hours of work. Besides the beef tripe, this dish also uses beef and pork legs which, are boiled for several hours in order to obtain the delicious soup.Counterintuitively, the tripe is not the most important part of the dish, but the soup itself. Besides the bones, several vegetables are used to obtain its delicious taste, such as carrots, bell peppers, hot peppers, celery, and parsley.Close to the end, a couple of garlic cloves are added in order to enrich the flavor, and everything is served with sour cream, hot peppers, and toast.

(3) Ciorba Radautean (Radauti Soup) : 

Ciorbă refers to a type of traditional soup which can be served in many different ways, depending on the ingredients used. But the one called rădăuțeană is among the most appreciated in Romania."Invented" in the late '70s in the city of Radauti, this dish is actually an alternative to the above-mentioned soup - the tripe soup, which was considered to be too heavy and many people didn't enjoy the particular flavor of the tripe. So instead of tripe, ciorba rădăuțeană uses chicken breast.To keep it simple, this dish has plenty of sour cream and garlic in it, and for the specific sour taste, vinegar is used. It's a delicious soup, not too fatty and not too heavy either, but a whole meal in itself.Best served with homemade bread.

(4) Balmos : 

100% Romanian, balmoș is a traditional shepherd dish, a genuine tribute to the famous mamaliga, which will blow your mind when tasting it. It's fatty, it's buttery and sticky,  it's soft and silky like a cream but heavy and rich in taste, and it has tons of cheese in it.And it's incredibly easy to make if you have the right ingredients!Sour cream is boiled with butter and a bit of salt for a couple of minutes. Then, the corn flour is added until it is properly boiled with no lumps in it, and finally, plenty of salty traditional fermented cheese is added.Served extra hot, with some butter and sweet cheese on top, balmoș is the perfect dish for cold winter nights when all you want is something truly tasty and comforting.Enjoy this tasty dish following this awesome balmos recipe.

(5) Jumari (Smoked bacon and greaves) : 

This is a traditional Romanian appetizer made, of course, from pork.In Romania, the traditional bacon is called slănină, and it is actually smoked salty pig fat flavored with garlic, pepper, paprika, and several other spices, and it's a dish usually prepared by all Romanian families for the winter time.The frying crunchy version is called jumari, meaning greaves, and along with slănină, accompanied with raw onions, homemade bread, and a shot of țuică (traditional plum brandy) as digestive, they make up for the perfect starter of an authentic Romanian meal.Definitely, a must try!

Weather & geography in  Romania :

Romania is a great year-round tourist destination.Summers can be hot especially in Southern Romania, including Bucharest, but along the Black Sea Coast, sea breezes offer moderate temperatures. Winters are coldest in the Carpathian Mountains where there is snow from December through to April.With an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi), Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe. Located in Southeastern Europe, bordering on the Black Sea, the country is halfway between the equator and the North Pole and equidistant from the westernmost part of Europe—the Atlantic Coast—and the most easterly—the Ural Mountains. Romania has 3,195 kilometres (1,985 mi) of border. Republic of Moldova and Ukraine lie to the east, Bulgaria lies to the south, and Serbia and Hungary to the west. In the southeast, 245 kilometres (152 mi) of sea coastline provide an important outlet to the Black Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Per day Cost in Romania :

You should plan to spend around lei306 ($74) per day on your vacation in Romania, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, lei104 ($25) on meals for one day and lei79 ($19) on local transportation.

History of Romania :

34,950-year-old remains of modern humans with a possible Neanderthalian trait were discovered in present-day Romania when the Peștera cu Oase ("Cave with Bones") was uncovered in 2002. In 2011, older modern human remains were identified in the UK (Kents Cavern 41,500 to 44,200 years old) and Italy (Grotta del Cavallo 43,000 to 45,000 years old)[2] but the Romanian fossils are still among the oldest remains of Homo sapiens in Europe, so they may be representative of the first such people to have entered Europe. The remains present a mixture of archaic, early modern human and Neanderthal morphological features.The Neolithic-Age Cucuteni area in northeastern Romania was the western region of the earliest European civilization, which is known as the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture. The earliest-known salt works is at Poiana Slatinei near the village of Lunca; it was first used in the early Neolithic around 6050 BC by the Starčevo culture and later by the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture in the pre-Cucuteni period. Evidence from this and other sites indicates the Cucuteni-Trypillia culture extracted salt from salt-laden spring water through the process of briquetage.

The new state, which was located between the Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian empires, looked to the West—particularly to France—for its cultural, educational, military and administrative models.In August 1914, when World War I broke out, Romania declared its neutrality. Two years later, under the pressure of the Allies—especially France, which was desperate to open a new front. Between 14 and 27 August 1916, Romania joined the Allies, for which it was promised support for the accomplishment of national unity, including recognition of Romanian rights over Transylvania, which was part of Austria-Hungary. Romania declared war on Austria-Hungary.The Romanian military campaign ended in disaster for Romania as the Central Powers conquered two-thirds of the country and captured or killed the majority of its army within four months. Moldavia remained in Romanian hands after the invading forces were stopped in 1917. In May 1918, Romania could not continue the war and negotiated a peace treaty with Germany. In November 1918, Romania rejoined the war after the Austro-Hungarian and Russian empires had disintegrated.