Capital: Bucharest (Bucureşti). Major Cities: As of 2003, Bucharest is
the largest city in Romania, with 1.93 million inhabitants. Other major
cities, in order of population, are Iaşi (313,444), Constanța (309,965),
Timişoara (308,019), Craiova (300,843), Galati (300,211), Cluj-Napoca
(294,906), Braşov (286,371), and Ploeşti (236,724). Independence: July
13, 1878, from the Ottoman Empire; kingdom proclaimed March 26, 1881;
Romanian People's Republic proclaimed April 13, 1948. Public Holidays:
Romania observes the following public holidays: New Year's Day (January
1), Epiphany (January 6), Orthodox Easter (a variable date in April or
early May), Labor Day (May 1), Unification Day (December 1), and
National Day and Christmas (December 25