Romania: Flag and Facts
Romania's flag is blue, yellow, and red in three upright bands of equal width, with blue nearest the pole.
- Capital
- Bucharest
- Region
- Southeast Europe
- Population
- 18 million (2024)
- Languages
- Romanian
- Currency
- Romanian leu
- Area
- 238,391 km² (92,043 sq mi)
- People
- Romanian
- Calling code
- +40
- Highest point
- Moldoveanu 2,544 m
- Independence
- 9 May 1877 (independence proclaimed from the Ottoman Empire
- National symbols
- golden eagle
About Romania
Two old principalities supplied the colors. Walachia used red and yellow, Moldavia used red and blue, and when the pair merged in 1862 to create Romania, the flag kept all three. Its layout follows the French tricolor. A coat of arms used to sit on the yellow band, but it was taken off.
For centuries both regions answered to the Ottoman Turks, until the Treaty of Paris in 1856 gave them self-rule. Romania sided with the Allies in World War I and gained lands, Transylvania above all, that more than doubled its size. A communist people's republic took over in 1947, and Nicolae Ceausescu, in power from 1965, ran an ever harsher police state until he was overthrown in 1989. The Carpathians curve through the middle of the country, wrapping around the Transylvanian Basin. Moldoveanu, the tallest peak, reaches 2,544 meters.
Did you know?
- Romania's anthem, "Desteapta-te romane!", translates as Wake up, Romanian!
- Unification Day, on 1 December, celebrates Transylvania joining Romania in 1918.
- Romania is twice the size of Pennsylvania and slightly smaller than Oregon.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Romania
What is the capital of Romania?
Bucharest, with about 1.8 million residents.
What currency does Romania use?
The Romanian leu, whose plural form, lei, is used as the symbol.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.