City Statistics
Location: Wallachia, southeast Romania.
Country dialling code: 40.
Population: 2,354,510 (city).
Ethnic mix: 97.5% Romanian, 1.4% Gypsy, 0.19% German, 0.16% Jewish, 0.09% Serbian, 0.05% Russian, 0.04% Greek, 0.3% Hungarian, 0.27% other minorities, including mainly Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Turks, Armenians, Poles, Tartars, Czechs, Slovaks and Croats.
Religion: 96.5% Greek Orthodox, 1.4% Roman Catholic, 0.4% Greek Catholic, 0.1% Protestant, 1.6% other minorities including Unitarian, Jewish and Muslim.
Time zone: GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50Hz; round two-pin plugs are standard.
Average January temp: - 2.4°C (28°F).
Average July temp: 22.8°C (73°F).
Annual rainfall: 530mm (21 inches).
Cost of Living
Inflation in Romania has slowed from its 100%+ statistics of the 1990s. However, since 2000, it has been slowing considerably and the government plans to lop several zeros off the confusing currency in 2003. All prices have been given in US Dollars in this guide, to make them more realistic. However, payments are made in Lei.
One-litre bottle of mineral water: US$0.40/Lei14,000
33cl bottle of beer: US$0.60/Lei21,000
Financial Times newspaper: US$2.75/Lei95,500
36-exposure colour film: US$3.30/Lei114,500
City-centre bus ticket: US$0.18/Lei6000
Adult football ticket: From US$5/Lei173,500
3-course meal with wine/beer: From US$2.40/Lei83,000
1000 Romanian Lei (Lei1000) = £0.02; US$0.03; C$0.04; A$0.05; €0.03
1 American Dollar (US$1) = Lei31,346; £0.61; C$1.37; A$1.53; €0.85
Currency conversion rates as of June 2003
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