For starters i'll give you - The factsheet

Background:

The principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia - for centuries under the suzerainty of the Turkish Ottoman Empire - secured their autonomy in 1856; they were de facto linked in 1859 and formally united in 1862 under the new name of Romania. The country gained recognition of its independence in 1878. It joined the Allied Powers in World War I and acquired new territories - most notably Transylvania - following the conflict. In 1940, Romania allied with the Axis powers and participated in the 1941 German invasion of the USSR. Three years later, overrun by the Soviets, Romania signed an armistice. The post-war Soviet occupation led to the formation of a Communist "people's republic" in 1947 and the abdication of the king. The decades-long rule of dictator Nicolae CEAUSESCU, who took power in 1965, and his Securitate police state became increasingly oppressive and draconian through the 1980s. CEAUSESCU was overthrown and executed in late 1989. Former Communists dominated the government until 1996 when they were swept from power. Romania joined NATO in 2004 and the EU in 2007.

Geography:

Romania is situated in South-Eastern Europe, between latitudes 43-37'07'' and 48-15'06'' North and longitudes 20-15'44'' and 29-41'24'' East, extending approximately 480 km North to South and 640 East to West.

The country has an area of 237,500 sq. km and a population of over 23,000,000 of which 89% are Romanians, 7% Hungarians, 2% Gypsies, with small minorities of Germans, Ukraineans, Serbs, Slovaks, Turks, Czecs, Greeks, Jews, Armenians, Poles, Albanians...

The Carpathians form a mountainous arch in the centre of the country, bordered on both sides by hills and plateaus and there are great plains off the outer rim.

Forests cover over a quarter of the country and the fauna is one of the richest in Europe including wolves, bears, deer, lynx and chamois.

The mighty Danube forms the southern boundary of the country ending with the Delta or the Black Sea, a haven for countless local and migratory birds.

Countries sharing borders with Romania are Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Republic of Moldavia and the Ukraine.

Climate:

Temperate; cold, cloudy winters with frequent snow and fog; sunny summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms.

Independence:

9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire; independence recognized on 13 July 1878 by the Treaty of Berlin); 26 March 1881 (kingdom proclaimed); 30 December 1947 (republic proclaimed).

National Holiday:

Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania), 1 December (1918).

Getting Here

By Air

Regular and charter flights of Romanian airlines (namely Tarom) and of the foreign airlines with offices in Bucharest ( Delta, Air France, Lufthansa, Alitalia, Swissair...) connect Bucharest with the world's major airports.

Romania's international airports are Bucharest - Otopeni, Constanta-Mihail Kogalniceanu, Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca.

Otopeni International Airport in Bucharest is situated 18 km away from the city centre. The centre can be reached by airport coach (fare 600 lei) or by taxi. In the latter case it is wise to agree with the driver upon the price before beginning the journey. Check with your travel agent as tour operators can often supply transfers at very competitive rates.

By Rail

International express trains connect the main central European capitals with Bucharest, the Black Sea coast and the main cities in the country. Romania is a member of the International Railway Tariff System RIT and Inter Rail.

By Road

The access ways to Romania are: Berlin, Warsaw, Budapest-Petea E 81: Vienna, Prague, Budapest-Bors E 60 or Nadlac E64 or Varsand E 671: Trieste, Belgrade-Moravita E 70 or Portile de Fier E 70: Athens, Tirana, Sofia-Giurgiu E 85; Istanbul, Sofia- Vama Veche E 87: Moscow, Kiev, Kishinev-Albita E 580; Warsaw, Kiev, Chernowitz-Siret E 85. All roads are marked in accordance with international regulations. Cars are driven on the right side of the road and can overtake on the left.

Distances between Bucharest and various main cities are: Athens-1252 km, Berlin-2154 km, Berne ( Zurich)-2125 km, Brussels-2394 km, Bonn-2100 km, Budapest-893 km, Copenhagen-2587 km, Frankfurt-2100 km, The Hague (Amsterdam)-2428 km Helsinki-2900km, Istanbul -704 km, Kiev-1065 km, Kishinev-445 km, Lisbon-4120 km, London-2577 km, Madrid-3530 km, Minsk-1650 km, Moscow-1963 km, Oslo-2820 km, Paris-2401 km, Prague-1465 km, Riga-1955 km, Rome-2149 km, Sofia-407 km, Stockholm -3100 km, Vienna - 1100 km. Warshaw-1797 km.

If you come to Romania by car , bring your driving license, car papers and green card. The Romanian Automobile Club - ACR - and the insurance company CAROM are at your disposal for technical and any other kind of assistance with your car. Call ACR at 927 in Bucharest.

By sea and river

Cruise ships call at the Port of Constanta (on the Black Sea coast), the country's biggest port. Passenger boats also operate on the Danube and the new European riverway Rotterdam-Constanta, includes the Romanian Danube-Black Sea Canal. The former calls at the ports of Sulina, Tulcea and Braila and the latter at Drobeta-Turnu Severin and Giurgiu.

To be continued ....