I just wanted to share some information about the nation of Romania and the village of Draganesti-Olt.
The location and national flag of Romania…
The information below about Romania is from CIA World Factbook.
History: Formed in 1862 from the former Ottoman territories of Wallachia and Moldavia. Fought along side the allied Powers in World War 1, gaining territory in Transylvania. Fought with the Axis powers during World War 2, which eventually led to occupation by the Soviet Union and the formation of a Communist government.
Economy: Joined the European Union January 1, 2007. Began transition from Communism in 1989 with obsolete industrial base unsuited to meet the country's needs. Corruption and red tape permeate business environment.
Problems: Major shipment point for heroin and cocaine. Vulnerable to money laundering.
Capital: Bucharest, population 1.9 million
Area: 92,043 square miles, slightly smaller than the state of Oregon
Ethnic Groups​: Romanian – 89.5%, Hungarian – 6.6%, Roma – 2.5%, Ukranian – 0.3%, German – 0.3%, Russian – 0.2%, Turkish – 0.2%, Other – 0.4% (2002)
Languages: Romanian [official] – 91%, Hungarian – 6.7%, Romany – 1.1%, Other – 1.2%
Religions: Eastern Orthodox – 86.8%, Protestant – 7.5%, Roman Catholic – 4.7%, Other – 0.9% {mostly Muslim}, None – 0.1%
Population: just under 21.9 million (July 2012 estimate)
Age Structure: 0-14 – 14.8%, 15-64 – 70.4%, > 65 – 14.8%
Median Age: 40 (Male – 38, Female – 41)
Urbanization: 57%
Growth Rate: – 0.26% (2012 estimate)
Infant Mortality: 10.7 per 1,000 live births
Life Expectancy: 74 (Male – 71, Female – 78)
Literacy Rate: 97.7%
Unemployment rate: 5.1% (2011 estimate)
Governemt Type: Republic
Suffrage: 18, universal
Gross Domestic Product Per Capita: $12,600 (2011 estimate)
Inflation: 5.8% (2011 estimate)
Currency: Lei (3.1/US$1)
Our host for the month is Raul Costea. He lives in the village Draganesti, on the banks of the Olt River. It is a town of just over 12,000 and it is at the center of region where less than 0.5% of the people are Christians. Raul is the pastor of Hope Baptist Church. There are many missionaries working throughout the area and it is from his church that Pastor Raul connects these missionaries with the tools that they need in order to more efectively reach the villages that they are located in. During this month my team and I will be working with Pastor Raul and these various missionaries to plant and build churches, teach English and better connect these missionaries with the resources and people that they need to get their job done.
