Romanians

Romanians are a Romance ethnic group and nation native to Romania, that share a common Romanian culture, Romanian ancestry, and speak the Romanian language, the most widespread spoken Eastern Romance language which is descended from the Latin language. According to the 2011 Romanian census, just over 88% of Romania's population identified themselves as ethnic Romanians.

History

The history of the Romanians is the series of events that shaped and brought changes to the Romanian people. The origins of the Romanians can be traced back to the Roman conquest of Dacia in 106 AD. The Roman administration withdrew two centuries later, under the pressure of the Goths and Carpi.

Culture

Romanian culture is a unique culture, which shares some characteristics with other cultures of Eastern Europe, but it also has its own distinctive features. Due to its historical evolution, Romania has been influenced by the cultures of the Greeks, Romans, and Slavs, and later the Ottomans.

Cuisine

Romanian cuisine is a diverse blend of different dishes from several traditions with which it has come into contact, but it also maintains its own character. It has been greatly influenced by Ottoman cuisine while it also includes influences from the cuisines of other neighbours.

Language

The Romanian language is a Balkan Romance language, belonging to the Romance group of the Indo-European language family, which has evolved from Vulgar Latin. Romanian is the single representative of the Italic branch of Indo-European in Eastern Europe, the others being of the Germanic, Slavic, and Greek branches.

Religion

The dominant religious body is the Romanian Orthodox Church. Its members make up 81 percent of the population, according to the 2011 census. Other significant religions include Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Pentecostal denominations and the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church.

See also

• History of Romania
• Culture of Romania
• Romanian cuisine
• Romanian language
• Religion in Romania