Grosu Alina Andreea Romania, in southeast Europe, is dominated by the Carpathian mountains in the north and centre of the country while the main feature in the south is the vast Danube valley which becomes a delta as it approaches the Black Sea. Capital: Bucharest Geographical size: km 2 Population: (2014) Population as % of total EU population: 3.9 % (2014) GDP: billion (2013) Official EU language(s): Romanian Political system: semi-presidential republic EU member country since: 1 January 2007 Seats in the European Parliament: 32 Currency: Romanian Leu RON Christmas traditions This can be for women a gathered black skirt or dark wraparound with a blouse of local cut either with or without a leather waistcoat. In Oa and Maramure even young girls often wear the local fashion costume on Sundays. This is normally made from brightly coloured material, in Oa a dress, in Maramure a skirt. Added to the local costume is the latest fashion in blouses and footwear such as white lacy blouses in Maramure and platform shoes or stilettos, in both regions. Men usually have "western " trousers or jeans but may have a local shirt, or local shaped hat, although unfortunately the universal trilby is fast replacing these. Certain items of costume, specific to occupations, are still worn, for example men working in the forestry industry wear the wide leather belts (chimir), usually now over a T-shirt and jeans. Men's traditional fur hats (caliciul ) are still worn in winter in rural areas, and women usually wear a printed woollen scarf, and often a traditional straw hat over this when working in the fields in the summer. Muntenia Maramures Oltenia Medieval Towns Central Romania encompasses what is popularly known as Transylvania a place that immediately brings to mind the legend of Count Dracula. While the legend is certainly intriguing and a genuine tourist attraction, the region has much more to offer. Some of Europes best-preserved medieval towns, most notably Sighisoara, Brasov and Sibiu, are located here. Fringed by the peaks of the Carpathian Mountains and resplendent with gothic, baroque and renaissance architecture, as well as a wealth of historical attractions, the medieval city of Brasov (find out more about Brasov), located just three hours north of Bucharest, provides a great introduction to thFringed by the peaks of the Carpathian Mountains and resplendent with gothic, baroque and renaissance architecturefind out more about Brasov CLUJ NAPOCA The western Transylvania city ofCluj Napoca (find out more aboutCluj Napoca), tracing its origin back to the Dacian settlement of Napoca in 2nd century A.D., is today a vibrant cultural and university center.find out more aboutCluj Napoca Designated European Capital of Culture in 2007, Sibiu (find out more about Sibiu) retains the grandeur of its earlier days when rich and powerful guilds dominated regional trade.find out more about Sibiu SIGHISOARA Transylvania is also home to the exquisite medieval town of Sighisoara (find out more about Sighisoara), a perfectly intact 15th century gem with nine towers, narrow passageways and cobbled streets, burgher houses and ornate churches.find out more about Sighisoara Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucuret i, pronounced ) is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania and a primate city, located in the southeast of the country, lies on the banks of the Dmbovia River, less than 70 km (43.5 mi) north of the Danube River. Portuguese: Portugal officially the Portuguese Republic a country in southwest Europe. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula, and it is the westernmost country of mainland Europe, being bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east. Aside from continental Portugal, the Portuguese Republic holds sovereignty over the Atlantic archipelagos of Azores and Madeira, which are autonomous regions of Portugal. The country is named after its second largest city, Porto, whose name derives from a combination of Latin "Portus", and the Celtic place-name Cale., Portugal has developed a specific culture while being influenced by various civilizations that have crossed the Mediterranean and the European continent, or were introduced when it played an active role during the Age of Discovery. In the 1990s and 2000s (decade), Portugal modernized its public cultural facilities, in addition to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation established in 1956 in Lisbon. Portuguese cuisine is diverse. The Portuguese consume a lot of dry cod (bacalhau in Portuguese), for which there are hundreds of recipes. There are more than enough bacalhau dishes for each day of the year. Two other popular fish recipes are grilled sardines and caldeirada, a potato- based stew that can be made from several types of fish. Typical Portuguese meat recipes, that may be made out of beef, pork, lamb, or chicken, include cozido portuguesa, feijoada, frango de churrasco, leito (roast suckling pig) and carne de porco alentejana, a very popular northern dish is the arroz de sarrabulho (rice stewed in pigs blood) or the arroz de cabidela (Rice and chickens meat stewed in chickens blood). Portugal has a rich history in painting. The first well- known painters date back to the 15th century like Nuno Gonalves were part of the Gothic painting period. Jos Malhoa, known for his work Fado, and Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (who painted the portraits of Tefilo Braga and Antero de Quental) were both references in naturalist painting.