Geography

Romania is the 12th largest country in Europe.
It is located halfway from the equator and the North Pole.

Romania’s relief is almost evenly divided between mountains (31 %), hills (33 %) and plains (36%).

» The Carpathian Mountains

Although not as high as the Alps, the Carpathians are equally picturesque and spectacular.  This mountain range, fragmented here and there by valleys and crossed by a few major rivers extends over 600 miles in Romania, under the shape of an arch. The Romanian Carpathians are made up of three groups: the Eastern (Oriental) Carpathians, the Southern Carpathians (also known as the Transylvanian Alps), and the Western Carpathians. Each of these groups has different features and offers a varied landscape given by different types of relief (glacial, karstic, structural, and volcanic).

Romania’s mountains are a perfect destination for a numerous sports and activities including: climbing, hiking, biking or river-rafting. Some of the most popular ski resorts are Poiana Brasov, Sinaia, Predeal, Vatra Dornei, Lake Balea and Paltinis.

» Hills and Plateaus

Romanian hills surround the Carpathians, forming a parallel arch, composed of 4 distinct ranges: Moldavian, Curburii, Getic and the Western Hills.
Altitude varies from 1,300 to 3,300 feet in elevation.
Also known as “Sub-Carpati”, the Romanian Hills are known for their pastures, orchards and vineyards.

» Plains

Following its symmetry, Romania’s relief features 3 major plain areas.
In the southern part of the country, the lower Danube Plain represents the most important agricultural region of the country. It is divided in two by Olt River: the Romanian Plain in the east and Oltenia Plain, to the west.
The Moldavian Plain, in north-eastern Romania, is actually a part of the Moldavian Plateau but lower than the rest of the region and intensively used for agriculture.
The Western Plain is made up of several little plains developed along its main rivers: Somes, Cris, Mures and Bega.

» The Danube Delta
Danube River ends its journey of almost 1864 miles through Europe in south-eastern Romania. Here the river divides into 3 frayed branches (Chilia, Sulina, Sfântu Gheorghe) forming the Danube Delta. It is the newest land in the country, with beaches expanding almost 65 feet into the sea every year.
Overall, the delta is a triangular swampy area of marshes, floating reed islands and sandbanks. It is a UNESCO Biosphere Reservation since 1990, and a protected wetland, as a natural habitat for rare species of plant and animal life.
For more information on the Danube Delta please visit

» The Black Sea

The Romanian Black Sea Coast stretches a little over 150 miles.  
The Black Sea is a continental sea, with a low tide and salinity and water temperatures of 77 - 79˚F in the summer.  Its wide, sandy beaches facing east and south-east become a major tourist attraction from May until September.
For tourist information about the Black Sea please visit

» Rivers

98% of the Romania’s rivers spring from the Carpathian Mountains, which made the mountains be often compared to a “water castle”. Most of the rivers are fed by rainfall, melting snow and underground waters and are tributary to the Danube. The upper streams are usually more spectacular, featuring numerous gorges, caves and precipices.
The main rivers in Romania are Mures (473 miles on Romania's territory), Prut (461 miles on Romania's territory), Olt (382 miles), Siret (347 miles on Romania's territory), Ialomita (259 miles), Somes (233 miles on Romania's territory) and Arges (217 miles). In the east, river waters are collected by Siret and Prut rivers. In the south, waters flow directly into the Danube and in the west most of them are collected by Tisa River on Hungarian territory.

Europe’s second longest river, the Danube, flows through southern Romania forming part of the country’s frontier with Serbia, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Its blue waters run along 621 miles, from Bazias to the Black Sea. Virtually all of the country's rivers are tributaries to the Danube, either directly or indirectly.
The Danube is an important water route for domestic shipping, as well as international trade and tourist cruises. River vessels can navigate its entire course and seagoing ships between Braila and the Black Sea. The main port, both for trade and tourism, is Constanta, linked to the Danube by a canal build in 1984. Tulcea, Galati, Calarasi, Giurgiu and Drobeta are other important river ports.  The nearest Danube river port to Bucharest is Giurgiu.  Plans for construction of a 40 miles canal connecting Bucharest with the Danube River, dating form 1980’s, are being re-considered by the Romanian Government.   Lakes

There are around 3,500 lakes in Romania, most of them small or medium.  
The largest are the lagoons and coastal lakes on the Black Sea shore, such as Razim (164 sq. miles) and Sinoe (66 sq. miles), or lakes along the Danube bank - Oltina (8.5 sq. miles); Brates (8.1 sq. miles).

Formed at the end of the last Ice Age, the glacial lakes in the Carpathian Mountains are small, but spectacular. Worth mentioning are the glacial lakes in Retezat Mountains: Zanoaga, the deepest lake in the country (95 feet) and Bucura, the largest (24.7 acres) or the lakes located in the Transylvanian Alps (Balea, Capra, Caltun, Podragu).

Eastern Carpathians are home of 2 unique natural lakes. Lake St. Ana, located in Ciomatu Mare Massif, near Tusnad is the only volcanic lake in Romania, sheltered in a perfectly preserved crater and surrounded by vast fir-tree forests. The lake is not fed by any brook or stream, the only water supply being rain. Therefore, its waters are nearly as pure as distilled water. 

The Red Lake, located in the Hasmas Massif, near Bicaz Gorges, is unique in shape and landscape. It is a natural dam lake situated at 3,215 feet altitude. It has an “L” shape and was formed in the summer of 1837. Then, after heavy rains, a great quantity of rocks slide from a nearby mountain, blocking the river. As a result, waters accumulated and formed a natural storage lake. A lot of empty trunks of old fir trees come out of the water in which the surrounding mountains are reflected. The name “Lacul Rosu” (Red Lake) comes from the reddish alluvia deposited by its main tributary.

» Flora and fauna

Due to its varied relief and climate Romania has a diverse flora and fauna.
Over 3,700 species of plants and 33,792 species of animals can be found in Romania.  
Oak, beech, elm, ash, maple and linden made up 71 percent of Romania’s forests while conifers (fir, spruce, pine and larch) account for the remaining 29 percent.

» Soil and mineral resources

More than 58.000 square miles - almost two-thirds of the country's territory - are suitable for agriculture. Arable land accounts for about 40 percent, pastures for 19 percent, and vineyards and orchards represent some 5 percent of the total land area.

Significant oil reserves are concentrated at the foothills of southern and eastern Carpathians, in Prahova, Arges, Olt, and Bacau counties, as well as in southern Moldova and the Danube Plain.  Important oil deposits have also been discovered in the Black Sea. Large deposits of natural gas are located in the Transylvanian Plateau, while the Southern Carpathians and Banat region hold most of the hard coal reserves.

A wide range of metallic ores, including iron, chrome, nickel, zinc, copper, tin, titanium, gold and silver have been found on Romania’s territory.
There are important iron ore deposits in Poiana Rusca Mountains, Banat and Dobrogea regions, as well as in Harghita Mountains (Eastern Carpathians).  Most of the nonferrous metal reserves are concentrated in the northwest, particularly in Maramures and Apuseni Mountains. Some of the largest gold deposits in Europe are also located in Apuseni.  Major copper, lead and zinc deposits have been discovered in Bistrita Mountains, Banat and Dobrogea and large amounts of pure salt are located at: Slanic, Tîrgu Ocna, Ocna Mures, Praid and Cacica.