National Holiday(s): Unification Day (of Romania and Transylvania) - December 1, 1918
Chief of State: President Traian Basescu
Head of Government: Prime Minister Victor-Viorel Ponta
Executive Branch: Cabinet - Council of Ministers are appointed by the prime minister. Elections - president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 November 2009 with runoff on 6 December 2009 (next to be held in November-December 2014); prime minister appointed by the president with the consent of the Parliament
Legislative Branch: bicameral Parliament or Parlament consists of the Senate or Senat (176 seats; members elected by popular vote in a mixed electoral system to serve four-year terms) and the Chamber of Deputies or Camera Deputatilor (412 seats; members elected by popular vote in a mixed electoral system to serve four-year terms). Elections - Senate - last held on 9 December 2012 (next by December 2016); Chamber of Deputies - last held on 9 December 2012 (next by December 2016)
Judicial Branch: Highest court(s) - High Court of Cassation and Justice (consists of 11 judges); Supreme Constitutional Court (consists of 9 members). Judge Selection and Term of Office - High Court of Cassation and Justice judges appointed by the president upon nomination by the Superior Council of Magistracy, an 11-member body mostly of judges, prosecutors, and law specialists; judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms; Supreme Constitutional Court members appointed - 6 by Parliament and 3 by the president; members serve 9-year, non-renewable terms
Suffrage: 18 years of age; Universal
Name of their Ambassador to the U.S.: Lulian Buga
Location of their embassy in the U.S.: 1607 23rd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Location of their consulates in the U.S.: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Name of U.S. Ambassador to them: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Duane Butcher
Location of U.S. embassy there: Bulevardul Dr. Liviu Librescu 4-6, District 1, Bucharest, 015118
Location(s) of U.S. consulate(s) there: N/A
Name of their representative to UN: Simona-Mirela Miculescu
three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, and red; modeled after the flag of France, the colors are those of the principalities of Walachia (red and yellow) and Moldavia (red and blue), which united in 1862 to form Romania; the national coat of arms that used to be centered in the yellow band has been removed
National Symbol(s): Golden Eagle
International Disputes: The ICJ ruled largely in favor of Romania in its dispute submitted in 2004 over Ukrainian-administered Zmiyinyy/Serpilor (Snake) Island and Black Sea maritime boundary delimitation; Romania opposes Ukraine's reopening of a navigation canal from the Danube border through Ukraine to the Black Sea
Quantity of refugees inside country and county(ies) of origin of refugees: N/A
Quantity of Internally Displaced Persons: N/A
Quantity of Stateless Persons: 248
Current human trafflicking issues related to this country: N/A
Illicit Drug trafflicking/use: major transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin transiting the Balkan route and small amounts of Latin American cocaine bound for Western Europe; although not a significant financial center, role as a narcotics conduit leaves it vulnerable to laundering, which occurs via the banking system, currency exchange houses, and casinos