Romania is a south eastern European country known for the forested region of Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains. Its preserved medieval towns include SighiÅŸoara, and there are many fortified churches and castles, notably cliff top Bran Castle, long associated with the Dracula legend. Bucharest, the country’s capital, is the site of the gigantic, Communist-era Palatul Parlamentului government building.

Romania is a developing country and one of the poorest in the European Union, ranking 50th in the Human Development Index,[10][11] although as of 2017 its economy is growing at an estimated annual rate of 5%, tied with Malta for the highest in the EU.[12] Following rapid economic growth in the early 2000s, Romania has an economy predominantly based on services, and is a producer and net exporter of machines and electric energy, featuring companies like Automobile Dacia and OMV Petrom. It has been a member of NATO since 2004, and part of the European Union since 2007. A strong majority of the population identify themselves as Eastern Orthodox Christians and are native speakers of Romanian, a Romance language. The cultural history of Romania is often referred to when dealing with influential artists, musicians, inventors, and sportspeople..