Romania: Quick Facts

Romania boasts one of the world's most significant regions of unspoiled natural beauty, the Danube Delta. The Danube Delta is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site (www.deltadunarii.ro).

The Romanian countryside is host to half of Europe's bear population (about 5400), a third of its wolves (about 3500) and a third of its lynx (about 2000).

The legend of Dracula is based on Vlad Tepes, known as the Impaler, a medieval ruler of Wallachia who organised resistance against the invading Ottoman army.

Wine has been cultivated in what is modern Romania for some 6000 years. It is thought to be one of the oldest wine producing regions in all the world.

The Romanian language has its roots in Latin, with modern Romanian being closer to French and Italian than to neighbouring languages.

Romania has provided the world with the sporting legends Gheorghe Hagi (football), Nadia Comaneci (gymnastics), Ilie Nastase (tennis). In 1976 Nadia Comaneci became the first gymnast ever to achieve a perfect 10 in the Olympics.

In 2007, the Romanian city of Sibiu, in Transylvania, will be the Cultural Capital of Europe.

The Romanian landscape is the setting for many Hollywood films – for example 'Cold Mountain'. Romanian cinema is also undergoing something of a renaissance led by such movies as 'The Death of Mr Lazarescu' and the Cannes Festival prize winner '12:08, East of Bucharest'.

Alina Cojocaru, at the age of just 20, became the principal female dancer at the Royal Ballet, Covent Garden.

Angela Gheorghiu, the world famous opera singer, also regularly performs at Covent Garden. After her audition before Sir Georg Solti he announced "I was in tears. I had to go out. The girl is wonderful. She can do anything!"