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| Map of Romania's counties |
Q: The US has states. Canada has provinces. Does Romania have anything similar?
A: Yes. Romania is divided into 41 județe (usually translated as “counties”) and 1 municipality. I live in Mureș County, with the county capital being the city of Târgu Mureș.
Q: When did Romania become a country?
A: In 1877, Romania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire. Romania was declared a kingdom in 1881. In 1918, Transylvania became part of Romania. This date (Dec. 1, 1918) is celebrated as Romania’s national holiday (much like July 4th is in the U.S.) In 1947, the king was forced to abdicate after the Communists took power and proclaimed a socialist republic. Communism was overthrown in 1989.
Q: What kind of government does Romania have?
A: Romania is a republic. The present constitution was adopted in 1991, following nearly 2 years of restructuring after the end of communism. The president is elected by popular vote for a 5-year term of office. The president appoints the Prime Minister. Elections are held every 4 years for the bicameral Parliament which is divided into the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.*
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| Romania's Parliament Palace in Bucharest |
A: I really don’t stay up to date on Romanian politics, but this year Romanian politics has made more than its share of the world’s news headlines.
In January, thousands marched through their capital to demand the resignation of their government for imposing harsh austerity measures in order to receive international loans for the nation's battered economy. See this article from USA Today to read more.
In April, the government changed again. Check it out here on CNN.
Just last week, the Romanian Parliament, led by the prime minister (the 3rd person to fill this position this year!) voted to suspend the president, Traian Basescu, in an impeachment process. Read more at ABC news.
Additional Stories about the political "maneuvering" in Bucharest, posted July 11:
Euro News: Court's ruling gives suspended Romanian president hope (July 10)
BBC News: Alarm over Romania's "turf war" (July 10)
Bloomberg: Romanian Turmoil Hurting Outlook for Leu, Boosting Debt Costs
Check out this link to see all EuroNews stories about Romanian politics.
*According to the CIA World Factbook
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