Romania is the 12 largest European country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It is known for the forested region of Transylvania, ringed by the Carpathian Mountains.
Its preserved medieval towns include Sighişoara, and there are many fortified churches and castles, notably clifftop Bran Castle which has long been associated with the Dracula legend. Bucharest, the country’s capital, is the site of the gigantic, Communist-era Palatul Parlamentului government building. As it is the 12th largest country it is home to over 19 million people. It has a mainly continental climate. Europe’s second-longest river, the Danube, empties into the Danube Delta in the southeast of the country. The Carpathian Mountains cross Romania from the north to the southwest and include Moldoveanu Peak, at an altitude of 2,544 m (8,346 ft). Bucharest is the country’s largest urban area and economic center. Other major urban centers include Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța and Brașov.
The region historically has had a strong riding culture, with indication that humans may have began riding horseback in the Yamnaya culture 5,000 years ago in modern day Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Serbia. Now being able to travel farther distances the Yamnaya then went on to colonize much of Europe.
