Portal:Romania

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Romania
LocationAt the confluence of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea to the southeast. It has a mainly continental climate, and an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi) with a population of 19 million people. Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union. Europe's second-longest river, the Danube, empties into the Danube Delta in the southeast of the country. The Carpathian Mountains cross Romania from the north to the southwest and include Moldoveanu Peak, at an altitude of 2,544 m (8,346 ft). Bucharest is the country's largest urban area and financial centre. Other major urban areas include Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța and Brașov.

Romania is a developing country with a high-income economy, classified as a middle power in international relations. It is a unitary republic with a multi-party system and a semi-presidential representative democracy. It is home to 11 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and has become an increasingly popular tourist destination, attracting 14 million foreign visitors in 2024. Romania is a net exporter of automotive and vehicle parts worldwide and has established a growing reputation as a technology centre, with some of the fastest internet speeds globally. Romania is a member of several international organisations, including the European Union, NATO, and the BSEC. (Full article...)

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  • Gelou (Romanian: Gelu; Hungarian: Gyalu) was the Vlach ruler of Transylvania at the time of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin around 900 AD, according to the Gesta Hungarorum. Although the Gesta Hungarorum, which was written after 1150, does not indicate the enemies of the conquering Hungarians (Magyars) known from earlier annals and chronicles, it refers to local rulers—including Gelou—who are not mentioned in other primary sources. Consequently, historians debate whether Gelou was a historical person or an imaginary figure created by the unidentified author of the Gesta Hungarorum. In Romanian historiography, based on the mention of him by Anonymus some 300 years later, Gelou is considered one of three early-10th-century Romanian dukes with lands in the intra-Carpathian region of present-day Romania.

    The Gesta Hungarorum describes pre-conquest Transylvania as a country rich in salt and gold, which was raided by Turkic peoples—"Cumans and Pechenegs"—before the arrival of the Magyars. Archaeological research indicates that a people who cremated their dead inhabited the regions of the Transylvanian salt mines from the seventh to the ninth centuries. Although excavated weapons suggest a military elite, none of the early-medieval Transylvanian fortresses uncovered can be reliably dated before the 10th century. The Gesta Hungarorum states that Gelou's duchy was inhabited by Vlachs and Slavs; most toponyms recorded by the chronicler in connection with Gelou's duchy are of Magyar origin. According to the Gesta Hungarorum, Tétény (or Tuhutum), who was one of seven Magyar chieftains, defeated Gelou's army at the Meseș Gates and Gelou was killed at the Căpuș River as he fled towards his unnamed fortress. Gelou's subjects then yielded to Tuhutum without further resistance. (Full article...)
  • "Deep in Love" is a song by Romanian producer Tom Boxer and singer Morena, featuring guest vocals by English recording artist J Warner. It was released as a CD single in Italy on 31 October 2011 through Step and Go, while later made available for digital download in various countries on 14 February 2012 through Roton. The track was written by Boxer and Warner, and solely produced by Boxer; the latter came up with the song in Morocco in 2011 and recorded a demo while travelling to a concert there. He ultimately worked on the track for four months. A love song, its lyrics include a reference to the popular paradigm that men are from Mars and women are from Venus.

    Filmed in a studio in Bucharest and on the Canary Islands, an accompanying music video for "Deep in Love" was uploaded to Roton's YouTube channel on 15 August 2011. For further promotion, the song was performed at the ZU Loves You event organized by Radio ZU. It reached the top 40 on Hungarian, Romanian, Polish and Italian music charts, while being awarded a Platinum certification in the latter region by the Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) for 30,000 copies sold. (Full article...)
  • "Moment of Silence" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Ovidiu Anton. It was written and composed by himself, while production was handled by Liviu Sorescu. A gothic-inspired pop rock track featuring an electric guitar solo throughout, "Moment of Silence" acts as a homage to the victims of the 2015 Colectiv nightclub fire. It received mixed reviews from music critics, with one likening it to the works of Swedish band Europe. At the 2017 Radio România Actualități Awards, the track won in the Best Pop Rock Song category.

    Winning the Romanian pre-selection show Selecția Națională, "Moment of Silence" was selected to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden. However, Romania was forced to withdraw from the contest due to defaulted payments by the nation's broadcaster, TVR. Anton had promoted his intended Eurovision participation with live performances in Amsterdam and London, as well as on native Românii au talent. On 14 July 2016, "Moment of Silence" was digitally released as a single through Roton. It also received a music video, which was uploaded onto the label's YouTube channel the day prior. (Full article...)
  • "Colors" is a song by Romanian group Morandi intended to be the lead single off the group's fourth studio album, Zebra. However, it was later included in their compilation album, Best Of (2011). The supposed Zebra's mix of club and British rock served as inspiration for the track. Written by the group, the song was first released on 16 June 2009 in Romania and on 6 August 2009 for digital download and streaming in the United States through Universal Music Romania.

    Commercially, the song topped the charts in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Slovakia and Ukraine, and reached the top five in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. A music video directed by Marius Moga and Giuliano Bekor was released to promote the song, which premiered on Romanian radio station Radio 21's website and was aired on MTV in late September 2009. The song was nominated at the 2010 Balkan Music Awards and at the 2010 Radio România Actualităţi Awards for Best Song from Romania and Best Pop/Dance Song, respectively. The video also received a nomination in the former ceremony for Best Video in the Balkans 2009. (Full article...)
  • Romania was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with the song "Liubi, Liubi, I Love You", written by Vlad Crețu, Kamara Ghedi, and Bogdan Tașcău, and performed by the group Todomondo. The Romanian participating broadcaster, Televiziunea Română (TVR), held the national final Selecția Națională 2007 in order to select its entry for the contest. Controversy surrounded the event, as TVR disqualified several entries over the course of the competition.

    Prior to Eurovision, "Liubi, Liubi, I Love You" was promoted by a music video and a promotional tour in Belarus. Todomondo ultimately achieved 13th place in the contest's Grand Final on 12 May 2007, scoring 84 points. Their performance saw the use of pyrotechnics. (Full article...)

  • The Battle With Torches by Romanian painter Theodor Aman (1866)

    The night attack at Târgoviște (Romanian: Atacul de noapte de la Târgoviște) was a battle fought between forces of Prince Vlad III of Wallachia, and Sultan Mehmed II of the Ottoman Empire on Thursday, 17 June 1462. The battle started after Mehmed II, who already had tense relations with Vlad, discovered his alliance with Hungary's king Matthias Corvinus and ordered his forces to ambush him. Vlad foiled the attack and invaded Bulgaria. In response, Mehmed raised a great army with the objective to conquer Wallachia. The two leaders fought a series of skirmishes, the most notable one being the conflict where Vlad attacked the Turkish camp in the night in an attempt to kill Mehmed. The assassination attempt failed and Mehmed marched to the Wallachian capital of Târgoviște, where he found a few men with cannons. After leaving the capital, Mehmed discovered 23,844 impaled Turks whom Vlad had killed during his invasion of Bulgaria. The number is mentioned by Vlad himself in a letter to Matthias Corvinus. The sultan and his troops then sailed to Brăila and burned it to the ground before retreating to Adrianople. Mehmed's forces returned home with many captured slaves, horses, and cattle. (Full article...)
  • "Kylie" is a song by Romanian group Akcent from their fourth studio album, S.O.S. (2005). It was written by two of the group's members, Adrian Sînă and Marius Nedelcu, alongside its producers Sebastian Barac, Radu Bolfea, Marcel Botezan and Viorel Şipoş. The track was initially released as "Dragoste de închiriat" (Romanian: "Love for Rent") on 28 January 2005, before being re-released in June in English under its current title. "Kylie" is a dance track which describes the group's fondness of Australian singer Kylie Minogue.

    Reception towards the group's association with Minogue was mixed, two reviewers were critical of it, while one considered that it made the group stand out. Commercially, "Dragoste de închiriat" reached number two in Romania, while "Kylie" entered the charts in several European countries, including Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands. A music video, directed by Iulian Moga, premiered on MTV in April 2005. It depicts the group's members engaging in suggestive actions with one woman separately. The group performed both versions of the song on various occasions. (Full article...)

  • The 99th Military Base Deveselu (Baza Militară 99 Deveselu), or the Deveselu Military Base, is a Romanian NATO base hosting the United States Navy Aegis Ashore Ballistic Missile Defense System. The base consists of three military units: The Romanian 99th Military Base, which hosts two American bases: the Naval Support Facility Deveselu and the Aegis Ashore Defense System Romania. Located in Deveselu commune, Olt County, the base has an area of 900 ha (2,200 acres); of those, 170 ha (420 acres) are used by the U.S. forces.

    The Deveselu base is operated by about 500 Romanian soldiers, 250 U.S. troops, and other personnel. The base is subordinated to the Romanian Joint Logistics Command. The current base commander is Colonel Marius Chiriță. (Full article...)
  • "Alcohol You" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Roxen, digitally released on 21 February 2020 by Global Records. It was written by Ionuț Armaș and Breyan Isaac, while Viky Red solely handed its production. "Alcohol You" emerged as the winner of Selecția Națională 2020 and was thus scheduled to represent Romania at the Eurovision Song Contest 2020 before the event's cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in China and its spread to other countries. Roxen had previously been internally selected at the country's representative by Romanian Television (TVR).

    Musically, the track is a ballad that discusses emotions such as sadness, despair, hope and nostalgia, as well as finding inner peace. It has a minimalistic and Billie Eilish-inspired production. "Alcohol You" was generally well received by music critics upon release, receiving praise for its lyrics and Roxen's vocal delivery. To promote the song, a lyric video was uploaded to YouTube simultaneously with the track's digital availability. Directed by Bogdan Păun, Roxen is shown in front of a neon sketch of herself alongside light and smoke effects. Additionally, the singer performed "Alcohol You" on the native talk show La Măruță and radio station Virgin in February and March 2020, respectively. (Full article...)
  • "Bebe" is a song by Romanian singer Inna and Ugandan recording artist Vinka, digitally released on 4 November 2019 by Global Records. It was written by the aforementioned artists alongside Theea Miculescu, while the production was handled by Sebastian Barac and Marcel Botezan. A French, Swahili, Luganda, and English love song, the track's genre has been described as Afro and dancehall-influenced pop. Music critics gave mixed reviews to the track, praising its catchiness but criticizing the track as sonically uninteresting.

    An accompanying music video for "Bebe" was uploaded to Inna's YouTube channel simultaneously with the song's digital release. Directed by Bogdan Păun and filmed at the Bucharest Metro, the clip features Inna and Vinka residing in a graffiti-decorated train and walking the corridors of the subway. They wear various Gucci clothing pieces which were praised by critics. Commercially, the track experienced success in Romania, reaching number one on the country's Airplay 100 chart. (Full article...)
  • Romania was represented at the qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1993 with the song "Nu pleca", written and performed by Dida Drăgan. The Romanian participating broadcaster, Televiziunea Română (TVR), selected its entry through the national final Selecția Națională 1993 on 16 January 1993. The entry, which would have been the first-ever entry from Romania in the Eurovision Song Contest, failed to make it through the pre-selection round ranking last. Predominantly negative reactions from Romanian media followed as a result of Drăgan's poor performance. (Full article...)
  • Mai bună ca niciodată (Romanian: Better than Ever) is the only studio album recorded by Romanian actress, television host and singer Oana Zăvoranu under her mononym Oana. It was released on 28 June 2007 by Roton and Sincron. Zăvoranu had gained significant popularity in her native country in the early 2000s for her acting roles, but took a hiatus in 2006 to focus on a music career and parted ways with the television production company Media Pro.

    Mai bună ca niciodată features production by Adrian Cristescu, who was also a contributing songwriter along with Georgiana Ariton, Sabina Cojocar, Dan Lazăr and Silviu Păduraru. "Pusă pe fapte" and "Cariño" featuring Cristescu under his stage name Adi Korekt were selected as singles to support the album, with the latter receiving an accompanying music video and peaking at number 99 on the Romanian Top 100 chart. (Full article...)

  • Christopher depicted in Franz Christoph Khevenhüller's Conterfet Kupfferstich

    Christopher Báthory (Hungarian: Báthory Kristóf; 1530 – 27 May 1581) was voivode of Transylvania from 1576 to 1581. He was a younger son of Stephen Báthory of Somlyó. Christopher's career began during the reign of Queen Isabella Jagiellon, who administered the eastern territories of the Kingdom of Hungary on behalf of her son, John Sigismund Zápolya, from 1556 to 1559. He was one of the commanders of John Sigismund's army in the early 1560s.

    Christopher's brother, Stephen Báthory, who succeeded John Sigismund in 1571, made Christopher captain of Várad (now Oradea in Romania). After being elected King of Poland, Stephen Báthory adopted the title of Prince of Transylvania and made Christopher voivode in 1576. Christopher cooperated with Márton Berzeviczy, whom his brother appointed to supervise the administration of the Principality of Transylvania as the head of the Transylvanian chancellery at Kraków. Christopher ordered the imprisonment of Ferenc Dávid, a leading theologian of the Unitarian Church of Transylvania, who started to condemn the adoration of Jesus. He supported his brother's efforts to settle the Jesuits in Transylvania. (Full article...)
  • "Amnesia" is a song recorded by Romanian singer Roxen, digitally released by Warner Music Poland on 4 March 2021. It was written by Adelina Stîngă and Victor Bouroșu, while the production was solely handled by the latter. A dark ballad, the song's lyrics discuss combatting self-neglection in modern society, referring to this phenomenon as "self-love amnesia". Music critics generally applauded the song, with praise concentrated on its catchiness and commercial appeal, as well as on Roxen's vocal delivery. For promotional purposes, a music video was released simultaneously with the digital premiere of the song and was directed by Bogdan Păun. Filmed at an empty National Theatre Bucharest, the visual shows Roxen and several dancers performing contemporary dance to portray the story of a person who manages to gain control over their surrounding fears.

    Romanian broadcaster Romanian Television (TVR) internally selected Roxen as Romania's contestant and "Amnesia" as the nation's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2021. The singer was previously scheduled to perform "Alcohol You" at the 2020 contest, which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Presenting a stage show similar to the music video of the song, Roxen failed to progress from the semi-finals, placing 12th in a field of 16 with 85 points, marking Romania's third non-qualification in the contest. Upon the event, "Amnesia" reached numbers 51 and 26 on Lithuania's AGATA and the Netherlands' Single Tip rankings, respectively. (Full article...)

  • Italian scout cruiser Sparviero, 1917–1920; later Mărăști

    NMS Mărăști was one of four Vifor-class destroyers ordered from Italy by Romania shortly before the beginning of the World War I. All four sister ships were requisitioned when Italy joined the war in 1915. Originally named Vijelie by the Romanians, she was renamed Sparviero in Italian service. Not completed until mid-1917, the ship took part in the later stages of the Adriatc campaign but engaged Austro-Hungarian Navy ships in the Adriatic Sea only twice before the war ended in November 1918. She was renamed Mărăști when the Romanians re-purchased her in 1920.

    After the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941 (Operation Barbarossa) during World War II, Mărăști took part in combat during the Soviet Navy's the Raid on Constanța a few days later and may have damaged a Soviet destroyer leader during the battle. The powerful Soviet Black Sea Fleet heavily outnumbered Axis naval forces in the Black Sea and the Romanian destroyers were limited to escort duties in the western half of the Black Sea during the war. In early 1944 the Soviets were able to cut off and surround the port of Sevastopol on the Crimean Peninsula; during this time Mărăști escorted convoys evacuating Axis troops from the port before she ran aground in April 1944. Mărăști saw no further action as she was being repaired. (Full article...)

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Aerial view overlooking Roses Park and the Bega

Timișoara (UK: /ˌtɪmɪˈʃwɑːrə/, US: /ˌtiːmiː-/, Romanian: [timiˈʃo̯ara] ⓘ; German: Temeswar [ˈtɛmɛʃvaːɐ̯] ⓘ, also Temeschwar or Temeschburg; Hungarian: Temesvár [ˈtɛmɛʃvaːr] ⓘ; Serbian: Темишвар, romanized: Temišvar [ˈtěmiʃʋaːr]; see other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega River, Timișoara is considered the informal capital city of the historical Banat region. From 1848 to 1860 it was the capital of the Serbian Vojvodina and the Voivodeship of Serbia and Banat of Temeschwar. With 250,849 inhabitants at the 2021 census, Timișoara is the country's fifth most populous city. It is home to around 400,000 inhabitants in its metropolitan area, while the Timișoara–Arad metropolis concentrates more than 70% of the population of Timiș and Arad counties. Timișoara is a multicultural city, home to 21 ethnic groups and 18 religious denominations. Historically, the most numerous were the Swabian Germans, Jews and Hungarians, who still make up 6% of the population in Timișoara.

Conquered in 1716 by the Austrians from the Ottoman Turks, Timișoara developed in the following centuries behind the fortifications and in the urban nuclei located around them. During the second half of the 19th century, the fortress began to lose its usefulness, due to many developments in military technology. Former bastions and military spaces were demolished and replaced with new boulevards and neighborhoods. Timișoara was the first city in the Habsburg monarchy with street lighting (1760) and the first European city to be lit by electric street lamps in 1884. It opened the first public lending library in the Habsburg monarchy and built a municipal hospital 24 years ahead of Vienna. Also, in 1771 it published the first German newspaper in Southeast Europe (Temeswarer Nachrichten). In December 1989, Timișoara was the starting point of the Romanian Revolution. (Full article...)

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Țiriac in 2008

Ion Țiriac (Romanian pronunciation: [iˈon t͡siriˈak]; born 9 May 1939), also known as the "Brașov Bulldozer", is a Romanian businessman and former professional tennis and ice hockey player. He has been president of the Romanian Tennis Federation.

A former singles top 10 player on the ATP Tour, he was active from 1958 to 1979 and won 34 career singles titles. Tiriac was the winner of one grand slam title, the 1970 French Open in men's doubles. Țiriac was the first man to play against a woman and defeat her, in a sanctioned tennis tournament (against Abigail Maynard, in 1975). The highlight of his ice hockey career was participating as a defenseman in the Romanian national team at the 1964 Winter Olympics. (Full article...)

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The rock sculpture of Decebalus, made between 1994–2004, is a carving in rock of the face of Decebalus (r. AD 87–106), the last king of Dacia, who fought against the Roman emperors Domitian and Trajan to preserve the independence of his country, which corresponded to modern Romania.

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