Romania is in Southeast Europe bordered by Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Bulgaria. It has a large population with 19 million people, and its capital, Bucharest, with two million people, is one of the largest cities in Europe. But Bucharest isn’t the city people think of when they hear about Romania, it’s Transylvania.
On this day January 11th, in 1919, Transylvania is incorporated by Romania. This incorporation came directly after World War I and the cities Bukovina and Bessarabia were also part of this same incorporation into the Kingdom of Romania. Democracy for Romania would not ensue until after the fall of the Iron Curtain.
What makes Transylvania so intriguing is its association with fantasy and vampires. The cult film “Rocky Horror Picture Show” also references Transylvania with its eerie Transylvanians. Transylvania is a historical area of Romania, and its area is considered anything west of the Carpathian Mountains. It has 16 counties and according to 2002 census there were 7.2 million people. The area is rich in iron, manganese, gold, copper, natural gas, timber and a number of industries. If visiting Transylvania, be sure to check out Bran Castle (aka Dracula’s castle), you never know what you’ll find.