SOMEWHERE ON EARTH

IN THE SOUTH - EAST OF EUROPE

LIES ROMANIA Romania lies in the south-east of Europe. The territory is crossed by souththe Carpathian Mountains. In the south it is bordered by the Danube River, which represents the connection with central Europe and in the south-east by souththe Black Sea which has always provided the opening to the Orient. Our city, Constanta, is on the Black Sea shore and it was founded by Greek Constanta, colonists in the sixth century BC, under the name Tomis.

First InhabitantsRomanian territory has been inhabited since ancient times. times. Early Stone Age archaeological traces date about 1 million years ago and belong to the most distant human ancestors (homo habilis and homo sapiens). sapiens). New Stone Age is better documented by the many discoveries made in Romania. Romania.

Especially remarkable are the painted pottery vessels belonging to the Cucuteni culture. High quality ceramics culture. with different motifs and elegant forms, obtained by combining three colors: colors: white, red and black (black was obtained in special ovens at a temperature over 1000 degrees in a natural oxide) have made Cucuteni culture unique in the Europe of the IVth millennium BC. BC.

Also in the Neolithic were discovered 3 burned clay tablets at T rt ria, tablets which include some , figurative signs and which could be, in the opinion of some researchers, a preceding stage of Sumerian writing, invented 2 millenniums later and that is considered today the oldest writing. writing. In the Metal age it is formed, in central and south-east Europe, the southThracian tribe which is our ancestor. ancestor.

Dacians (after Roman historians), Getae (after the Greek historians) lived on the present territory of Romania. Romania. The first king who united all the Daco-getics tribes Dacoand founded a state was Burebista. Burebista. The Dacian State reached its maximum prosperity during King Decebal when the military conflict with the mighty Roman Empire was resumed. resumed.

Ancient Romania

The new emperor Traian proposed the conquest of Dacia and he succeeded after two long and bloody wars between 101101-102 and 105-106 AC. Decebal committed suicide to escape 105AC. the humiliation of being taken prisoner in Rome and Dacia becomes Roman province. So begins the process of Romanization province. of the Dacians. Dacians. Between 106 AC and ninth century took process of formation of the Romanian people and language. language. Romanian people was formed as a result between the Dacians, Roman settlers and part of the who passed our territory. territory. place the Romanian of mixing migratory

The Romanian language is of Latin origin with some influences from the migratory Slavs. Slavs.

Middle AgesIn the early Middle Ages in the aria known today as Romania there were four separate countries which shared the same language and traditions: traditions:Transylvania,The Romanian Country, Moldavia, Dobrudja. Dobrudja. Transylvania was occupied first by Hungarians, then by Ottomans and Austrians while the Romanian Country, Moldavia and Dobrudja were later occupied by the Ottomans. Ottomans. Throughout the Medieval time, the rulers of the Romania Countries tried to stop the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Empire. Sources noted the involvement in this fight of Stephen the Great (Stefan cel Mare), Iancu from Hunedoara (Iancu de Hunedoara), Vlad the Impaler (Vlad Tepes) and Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul). Viteazul).Michael the Brave (Mihai Viteazul)

In a letter of Stephen the Great, the leader of Great, Moldavia, in which he asked the Pope for help in the fight against the Ottomans, he called Moldavia the Gate of Christianity, meaning that if Moldavia fell, the , entire Christianity would be in danger. danger.

Iancu from Hunedoara, Hunedoara, the Transylvanian leader, defeated at the walls of the fortress of Belgrade the conqueror of Constantinople - Mehmed the 2nd- thus stopping the Ottomans advance towards the heart of Europe. Europe.

The same anti - Ottoman policy was promoted by the leader of the Romanian Country, Vlad the Impaler. Impaler. The cruelty of his ways of punishment, exaggerated by some medieval writings, generated the legend of Dracula. Dracula.

Despite the heroic struggle carried out by Romanians, the Ottoman Empire gradually established a strong dominance through centuries over the Romanian Countries.

The Modern AgeThe modern history of the Romanians is tightly related to the events that took place in Europe. Europe. The ideas of equality, liberty and justice promoted by the French revolution echoed in the Romanian Countries too. During the revolutions of 1821 too. and 1848 the Romanians and other nations fought for national liberty, social equality and the modernization of society. society. In 1859, with the help of some European 1859, rulers (France, Piemont and Prusia) the Romanians succe succeed in unifying Moldavia with the Romanian Country and in constituting a state under the name of Romania and under the reign of Alexandru Ioan Cuza. Cuza.

In 1866 Romania became more powerfull by bringing Carol the 1st from the German house of the Hohenzollern to the throne. Under his reign of 48 throne. years, Romania gained independence as a result of years, fighting along Russia against the Ottoman Empire. uss Empire. Between the years 1916 and 1918, Romania took part in 1918, the First World War in order to set free the Romanian teritories under foreign reign (Transylvania, Basarabia (Transy and Bucovina) and afterwards unite them with Romania after the war. war.

Carol Ist

Contemporary PeriodThe period between World War II and today marks a great devastation for Romania both in economic and political terms. The economic reforms have terms. delayed the country, and the new 1923 constitution consolidates the democratic regime, under the leadership of king Ferdinand. Ferdinand. Unfortunately the Romanian history is marked by the evolution of European historical events: the installation of communism in Russia and the rise of events: fascism in the European countries. countries. Romania is forced to sign an alliance with Hitlers Germany with the promise of the recovery of the lost territories of Basarabia, the North of Bucovina, the South of Dobrudja, and a large part of Transylvania in favour of URSS, Bulgaria and Hungary. Hungary. In the second World War Romania fights with Germany against URSS for the release of Basarabia (Moldova). On August 23rd 1944 Romania starts to fight (Moldova). 23rd against Germany until the 8th of May 1945 when Romania joins the Allied forces. forces.

At the end of the war, on complicated background, the countries from Eastern Europe are abandoned by the western countries under the leadership of Stalin - the leader of URSS who sets up a communist regime in the area. area. Romania bears the toughest communist regime, marked in the last part by a powerful economic crisis. In December 1989 the communist crisis. regime is concluded with the killing of Nicolae Ceausescu, the leader of Romania. Romania. Nicolae Ceausescu President of the Socialist Republic of Romania 1974 - 1989

Starting with 1990 Romania tries to integrate European political and strategic structures. In 2004 Romania joins NATO. In 2007 Romania joins the UE.

Quiz Where did the geto-dacians come from ? getoPlease specify the name of the Roman emperor who conquered Dacia. What origins does the Romanian language have ? During the Middle Age there were three Romanian principalities. Can you specify them? Which one of the Romanian rulers gives birth to Draculas legend? In what century was the Romanian state built under the leadership of Alexandru Ioan Cuza? Cuza? What German dynasty did the Romanian kings come from, between 1866-1947? 1866What kind of political regime existed in Romania between 1974-1989? 1974-

Who was the last communist dictator of Romania?

Study the origin of Draculas legend.