From Europe’s largest rock sculpture to the happiest cemetery, these are the most interesting facts about Romania.
Fast facts
Official name: Romania
Population: 18,148,155 (2024 est.)
Area: 238,391 sq km
Capital city: Bucharest
Major languages: 91.6% Romanian (official), 6.3% Hungarian
Major religions: Christianity (85.3% Romanian Orthodox, 4.5% Roman Catholic, 3% Reformed)
Time zone: UTC+02:00 (GTB Standard Time)
Interesting facts about Romania
1. Romania is located in Europe and borders Ukraine, Hungary, Bulgaria, Moldova and Serbia.
2. Romania has been an EU member state since 2007.
3. Romania is the 12th largest country in Europe.
4. Dacians, a Thracian tribe, first settled in what is now Romania in 200 BC.
5. Ethnic Romanians conquered the ancient Dacians and settled there in the second and third centuries AD.
6. The region was ruled by many empires, including the Roman, Ottoman, Austro-Hungarian, and Russian empires.
7. Romania is home to the largest rock sculpture in Europe, which is the image of Decebal, the last king of Dacia. It is 40 meters tall and was completed relatively recently, in 2004.
8. Walachia, a principality located on the lower Danube River, merged with Moldavia in 1859 to form Romania.
9. Bessarabia and Bukovina, two provinces in Romania, had been ceded to Soviet control in 1940.
10. The Revolutions of 1989 saw the end of Soviet-imposed regimes in many European countries, including Romania.
11. Romania’s 1991 constitution declared Romania a democracy and market economy.
12. The name Romania comes from the Latin word “Romanus”, meaning “citizen of Rome.”
13. Romania is the only country in Eastern Europe to speak a romance language. These languages, derived from Vulgar Latin, include Spanish and French.
14. Romania’s flag features three vertical stripes of equal width. From left to right, the colors are blue, yellow, and red. The blue and red represent the principalities of Moldavia, and the red and yellow represent that of Walachia. The flag used to feature the national coat of arms.
15. Romania has the highest number of road accidents in the EU. This information comes from 2022 data on road safety published by Eurostat.
16. Romania is home to nine UNESCO World Heritage properties. Many historic sites, such as fortresses, churches and monasteries dot the landscape.
17. Bran Castle inspired Irish author Bram Stoker to write the 1897 horror novel Dracula. The 15th-century Wallachian leader, Vlad the Impaler, was said to have been imprisoned in the castle.
18. Romania’s largest exports are cars, vehicle parts and accessories.
19. The Palace of Parliament is the third-largest administrative building in the world after the Pentagon. The 365,000 sq-meter building was never actually completed and featured over 1,100 rooms.
20. The Palace of Parliament is also the world’s heaviest building, at over 4 million tons.
21. Romania is almost entirely within the Danube River Basin, which is the second biggest river in Europe.
22. The UNESCO-listed Danube River Biosphere Reserve is the largest continuous marshland in Europe.
23. The Danube Delta is home to over 300 bird species and 45 types of freshwater fish.
24. Romania has about 7,000-8,000 bears, second only to Russia for the largest bear population in Europe.
25. The Sapanta-Peri Monastery, a UNESCO site built in 1391, is the world’s tallest wooden church at 78 meters (256 feet) tall.
26. There are 18,300 churches in Romania.
27. Despite being an EU member, Romania has not yet adopted the euro but hopes to do so by 2026.
28. Romania is home to The Merry Cemetery, arguably the happiest cemetery in the world. The gravestones have detailed life stories and other experiences. They also feature bright images and limericks that may be on the darker side of humor.
29. Romania’s Hoia Baciu Forest in Transylvania has a reputation for being one of the most haunted forests and has been dubbed the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania. Popular among tourists, there have been reports of all sorts of strange phenomena, from UFO sightings to ghosts.
Every effort has been made to verify these facts about Romania using primary sources. However, if you find an error or have any questions, please contact us.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. A teacher for seven years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.