POPULATION
Romania counts 20 million people, of which 53% are city dwellers. The average population density is 98 people per km2. The largest city is Bucharest (2,5 million inhabitants), the next one is Constanta (350 000), Jassy (345 000), Timisoara (334 000), Kluż-Napoka (328 000), A gala (326 000), Brasov (324 000) and Krajowa (310 000). The main university centers are Bucharest, Jassy, Kluż-Napoka i Timosoara.
The number of Germans living in the territory of what is now Romania has gradually decreased since the 18th century. During World War II 175 000 Romanian Germans died or left the country, and after its completion many others emigrated to Germany. Between 1976 a 1991 r. approx 227 000 people, reducing the number of the German minority from 745 000 in year 1930 do 119 000 w 1992. Three years later, their number was estimated at less than 10 000.
According to government data, he only lives in Romania 400 000 Gypsies (proper name Roma), but in fact it is perhaps their largest concentration, numbering approx 1,5 million. Unfortunately, Romanians - just like other nationalities of Central and Eastern Europe – they are strongly prejudiced against gypsies and are often blamed for contributing to the country's economic problems. It even got to that, that the nationalists burned down gypsy villages with official consent. The creation of the Romani Alliance can be considered the only positive event, associations of gypsy groups, enabling them to participate in national elections for the first time.
In the past, the situation has been a flash point in Romanian-Hungarian relations 1,8 million Hungarians residing in Romania. During Ceausescu's reign, all Hungarian magazines and newspapers were liquidated and a resettlement was planned 7000 Romanian villages in Transylvania, which meant a threat to Hungarian cultural distinctness.
After a year 1989 things are looking much better. Constitution z 1991 r. it includes guarantees of minority rights, and the Democratic Union of Hungarians is represented both in the Senate, and in the House of Deputies.
Most of the reports on ethnic conflicts in Romania published in the European press sided with the Hungarian minority, but forgetting about it, that the Romanian majority in Transylvania was under compulsory "Magyarization."” in the period preceding the First World War. Hungarians and Bulgarians look down on their neighbors, and these consider themselves direct heirs of ancient Rome, thus culturally superior to the descendants of the barbarian Slavic and Magyar tribes. Interestingly, Romania has always maintained friendly relations with Yugoslavia; you can see the similarities between the personal cults of Ceausescu and Marshal Tito and the position of neo-communists, such as the womb of Iliescu and Slobodan Milosevic.
Poles in Romania
After World War I, approx. 80 000 Poles, including approx. 50 000 in Bukovina, 8 000 in Chernivtsi; it was mainly rural population, workers and artisans. When in 1922 r. Romanianization of education began, it also affected Polish schools, m.in. w 1924 r. the Polish gymnasium and teachers' seminary in Czerniowce was closed. The first three Polish schools were opened in 1929 r. thanks to the efforts of the Polish School Matter, it was then that the first Polish diaspora organizations were founded. W 1932 r. The Polish National Council and the National Union of Poles united, creating the Union of Polish Associations in Romania. Numerous Polish Houses conducted cultural and educational activities, Polish scouting was active. From 1938 r. there was a halt in the activity of the Polish diaspora.
In September 1939 r. the evacuated Polish government with the president found themselves in Romania, General Staff, The Supreme Commander and approx. 30 000 soldiers and approx. 20 000 civilians. The Romanian Polonia joined the activities for Polish refugees; thanks to the evacuation action in 1940 r. in Romania only remained 4500 Poles.
Currently, there are approx. 5 000 people of Polish origin, mainly in Bukovina and Bucharest. (Chernivtsi and its surroundings now belong to Ukraine). After World War II, the Romanian government pursued a policy of unification towards national minorities. Polish houses, traditional local Polish societies, w 1952 r. were liquidated and replaced with community centers. The situation changed only after the fall of the communist regime. W 1990 r. a central Polish community organization was established in Bucharest – Association "Polish House” and began to organize local branches. Polish House In Bucharest (Calderon street 59/6, tel.01/3125360; pn., Wed., pt., 9.00-13.00, wt., Wed. 15.00-19.00, sb. Polish language lessons for children and teenagers), under the leadership of Teresa Kwiecińska, conducts social, cultural and educational activities. On Sunday at the Italian Church, at St. Nicolae Balcescu, at. 9.00 a mass is held in Polish. Who would like to get to know the Polish community in Bucharest, then he can visit the Polish House – after the mass there are meetings in a wider group.