Romania

Romania is a country in southeastern Europe. It is famous for the Transylvania region, which inspired the Dracula stories. Romania has thick forests, snowy mountains, and medieval castles that look like they are from fairy tales.

Land and People

About 19 million people live in Romania. The capital is Bucharest. The Carpathian Mountains curve through the middle of the country. Romania has some of the last wild forests in Europe where bears, wolves, and lynxes roam.

Map showing the old land of Dacia before the Romans.
Map showing the old land of Dacia before the Romans. (Presse03 at German Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons)

Culture and Fun Facts

Bran Castle in Transylvania is called Dracula's Castle, even though the real story is fiction. Romanians eat sarmale, cabbage rolls stuffed with meat. Traditional folk music and dances are still popular. Romania has painted monasteries and wooden churches that are hundreds of years old.

Fun Facts

  • Romania has the largest population of brown bears in Europe.
  • Bran Castle inspired the legend of Count Dracula.
  • The Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest is the heaviest building in the world.

Did You Know?

Romania is home to the largest number of brown bears in Europe, with about 6,000 living in the Carpathian Mountains. The forests there are some of the last old-growth forests on the continent. Wolves and lynxes also live in these wild woods.