Romania is situated in south-eastern Europe between latitudes 43 37' 07" north and longitudes 20 15' 44" east, extending approximately 480 km north to south and 640 km east to west. The country has an area of 237,750 sq. km and a population of over 23,000,000 of which 89% are Romanians, 7% Hungarians, 2% Gypsies, with small minorities of Germans, Slovaks, Turks, Russians, Bulgarians, Croats, Tartars, Czechs, Greeks, Jews, Americans, Polish, Albanians..The Carpathians mountains are in the center of the country, bordered on both sides by hills and plateaus and finally the great plains of the outer rim. Forests cover over a quarter of the country and the fauna is one of the richest in Europe including wolves, bears, deer, lynx and chamois. The mighty Danube forms the southern boundary of the country terminating in the Delta on the Black Sea, a heaven for countless native and migratory birds. Countries sharing borders with Romania are: Hungary, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Republic of Moldavia and Ukraine.

Aiming to reveal the part played by the Romanians and their ancestors in world history, this work sets forth, in a very brief and accessible manner, the most significant events and salient people who have made up the Romanian saga from its beginnings to the day.

The writing is easy to read by all those who have an interest in South Eastern Europe, who are curious to learn more about Romania's origins and past, and want to become acquainted with its people and traditions beyond and against set opinions and poor cliché images of the Dracula's or Ceausescu's kind.

The communist rule kept Romania isolated from the Western world for almost half a century, which made it difficult for her or almost denied her free access to the flow of knowledge and information, to the Western standards and systems of values.The present mini-guide is intended to fill in the gap of information and highlight the Romanian experience from the historian's viewpoint, which may reassert the European vocation of this country.