Local time
Romania is in the Eastern European Time Zone: GMT +2 hours. When it is 12.00 in Bucharest, it is: 11.00in Berlin, 10.00 in London, 05.00 in New York, 20.00 in Sydney and 13.00 in Moscow.

Romania: 21,700,000; Bucharest: 2,100,000. Ethnic composition: Romanian 89,4%, Hungarian 7,1%, Gypsies 2,1%.

Geography

Romania covers a territory of 237,500 kmsq. Bucharest lies on the Wallachian plains between the Danube to the south, and the Carpathians mountains tothe north. North of the Carpathians is Transilvania. Romania has land boarders with Moldova, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia and Bulgary, and a coastline on the Black Sea. The highest peak is Moldoveanu (2544m).

President Traian Basescu (2004 - present)

Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu (2004 - present)

Bucharest (Romanian: Bucuresti) is the capital city and the commercial center of Romania. It is located in the southeast of the country, at 44,25 north/ 26,06 east, and lies on the banks of Dambovita River. The city was first mentioned in 1459 and became the capital of Romania in 1862. Since then, it has gone through a variety of changes and has become the center of the Romanian mass media, cultural and arts scene. Its eclectic architecture, which is a mix of historical, Ceausescu-era and modern, also reflects the city's varied history. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sofistication of its elite gave Bucharest the nickname of the "Paris of the East" or "Little Paris". Although much of the historic center was damaged by war, eartquakes and Nicolae Ceusescu's program of systhematization, much survived and in the recent years the city is experiencing an economic and cultural boom. Bucharest has a population of roughly 2.3 million inhabitants, making it the largest city in Romania and the entire Southeastern Europe. Economically, the city is by far the most prosperous in Romania and is one of the main industrial centers and transportation hubs in the region. As the most important city in Romania, Bucharest has a breoad range of educational facilities. The city is administratively known as the Municipality of Bucharest and has the same administrative level as a county being further subdivided into six sectors.