Democracy Builders Info Cultural Pack

8/12/2019 Democracy Builders Info Cultural Pack

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Cultural Information about Romania


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Dear Democracy Builders Participants,

We are happy that you will join us this year for Democracy Builders in Bacau.This brochure will provide you with some basic information and help you to

prepare yourself for the stay in Romania. It will introduce you to the general facts, customs, history and life in Romania. It will also give you some tipsconcerning weather, language and currency. Further you will learn more aboutthe history and significance of many beautiful cultural places you will be able toexperience during the trips.

We are looking forward to seeing you soon in Bacau !

RYMDs Team


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Before You Come to Romania

Weather In summer there's usually hot, sunny weather east of the Carpathians, with days

around 30C (86F) not uncommon. The majority of Romania's rain falls in the spring, withthe mountains getting the most, the Danube Delta the least.

Time zone GMT/UTC +2 (When it is 12:00 in Dublin, 13:00 in Brussels, it is 14:00 inBucharest and Bacau).

Language

Young people start to learn English, but French is widely known by the older generation. Youwill therefore be understood in French without any problems and in English by the youngpeople. Otherwise, here are some basic phrases in Romanian:

Basic Vocabulary

Thank you Multumesc Yes Da

Good morning Buna ziua No Nu

Good evening Buna seara Cheers Noroc

Good night Noapte buna It is possible E posibil

Goodbye La revedere How are you? Ce ma faceti ?

Madam Doamna How much does it cost? Cat costa?

Sir Domnule Where is the street? Unde e strada?

Please Poftim, Va rog Is it far? E departe pana la?

Phones

- country code: +40

- Area code for Bacau: 0234 (for Romtelecom) 0334 (for other networks)

- Mobile phone: Romania has large network coverage. You will be able to use your Cellphone.

- internet connection: you can find wifi connection in your hotel and also in many pubs orrestaurants where well go

Romanian Cuisine


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- In Romania as in many Latin countries life is lived at a more relaxed pace. NormalEuropean courtesies should be followed on social occasions. Although casual dress is fine inmost occasions, wearing a suit and tie, or the women's equivalent, is important at businessmeetings. Appointments are necessary and punctuality is expected.

- It is not considered impolite to ask a person's age, politics, income or religion, so don't takesuch questions amiss.

Currency

The Romanian currency is called the Leu (plural is Lei). In July2005, in light of Romanias future entry into the EU, the Leuwas taken four zeros away to become the New Leu. You willfind coins of 1, 5, 10, and 50 bani, and notes of 1, 5, 10, 50,100, and 500 Lei. 1 Euro is worth approximately 4.4 RON

New Lei.

Be careful: damaged notes (even slightly) will be refused!!!

Tips:

- Change money progressively according to your needs

- Travellers checks remain the security solution, but they are difficult to change outside frombanks and big exchange offices; and when they can be changed, the commission is oftenexcessively high.

- You may have difficulties using travellers cheques and credit cards. Romania is largely acash only economy, bun an increasing number of businesses do accept credit cards

- Be aware of young pickpockets in city centres especially in crowded areas e.g. buses, trains,and busy streets.

Banks And Exchange Offices

- Do not change too much money at the airport where they charge high rates.

- Some exchange offices are located in big hotels and sometimes remain open 24hs a day, butthe commissions they take are often significant, comparing to the nearest bank.

- You will be offered to exchange money on the street: do not do it because first, it is illegal;second, the rates they propose are almost similar to those offered by banks; and third, youmight get ripped off.


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Short History of Romania

Romania is situated in South-EasternEurope, sharing borders with Hungary,Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, the Republic ofMoldavia and the Ukraine, betweenlatitudes 43-37'07'' and 48-15'06'' Northand longitudes 20-15'44'' and 29-41'24''East.

Area: 237,500 sq. km

The Carpathian Mountains form an archin the centre of the country, bordered onboth sides by hills and plateaus and Great

Plains off the outer rim.

Over a quarter of the country is covered by forests and the fauna is one of the richest inEurope including wolves, bears, deer, lynx and chamois.

The Danube forms the southern boundary of the country ending with the Delta or the BlackSea, a haven for countless local and migratory birds.

Population: over 19,000,000 of which 89% are Romanians, 6,6% Hungarians, 2% Gypsies,with small minorities of Germans, Ukrainians, Serbs, Slovaks, Turks, Czechs, Greeks, Jews,

Armenians, Poles, Albanians...The territory of Romania has been inhabited since the Paleolithic.

The ancestors of the Romanian people are the Dacians, brave warriors subdued by theRomans under Traian in two extremely difficult campaigns at the beginning of the 2ndcentury AD. The relatively brief

Roman occupation (165 years), left the Latin language which survived the numerousinvasions of migratory peoples.

Over the years a Romanian identity developed progressively with the formation of the feudalstates of Wallachia and Moldavia in the 13th and 14th centuries. Centuries of fighting againstthe Turks ensued in these states. Moldavia and Wallachia were united in 1859 as Romania,and achieved the independence in 9 May 1877.

Transylvania was occupied successively by the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian Empires andachieved the Great Union with Romania, in 1 December 1918. This date, which is theNational Holiday, symbolize the union of all Romanians within a single state.

The communist regime, established after the 2nd World War lasted for 45 years and ended

with the Revolution in December 1989.


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Cultural Trips from Bacau County:

This county has a total area of 6,621 km.The West side of the county are mountains fromthe Eastern Carpathian group. Here, along the valleys of the Oituz River and Trotu River there are two important links between Moldavia and Transylvania. To the East side, the

heights decrease and the lowest point can be found on the Siret River valley which crossesthe county from North to South in the middle. On the East side there is the Moldavian Plateaucrossed by many small rivers.The county of Bac u was one of the most industrialized regionsin the communist period and it remained Moldavia's most important industrial center eversince. There are two large oil refineries at One ti and D rmneti. Following the collapse ofthe communist regime, Bac u continued to be the region's most important GDP supplier, butthe county became more famous for the controversial figures involved in local economy thanfor its performance.

The predominant industries in the county are: the chemical and oil industry, food industry,construction materials industry, wood and paper industry, textile industry, mechanicalcomponents industry, aeronautics industry.

The cities of Bac u and One ti

The resorts:

Slnic - Moldova is a resort well known for its springs with mineral water and the

waterfall resort Slanic with park or fishery trouts,

Tourist attractions


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Trgu Ocna is a town in BRiver, an affluent of the SPass from Moldavia into TranMountains on bare hills formine.

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cu County, Romania, situated on the leftiret, and on a branch railway which csylvania. Trgu Ocna is built amoed of rock salt. In fact the English translat

bank of the Trotu rosses the Ghime g the Carpathian

ion of Ocna is salt


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Poiana Uzului

The Nemira Mountains

YOU SOON

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