General Considerations on Villages Development and Rural Economy Diversification in Romania

Romania, with a total area of 238,000 km2 and a population of over 21 million inhabitants, accounts for 6% of the total area of the European Union and 4% of its population. Yet investments and competitiveness need to be improved, so that Romania can speed up economic growth and reach the convergence of its incomes with those from the European Union. Rural areas in Romania cover 90% of the country’s territory and comprise 45.1% of the population (9.7 million). The average population density in rural areas has remained relatively constant over the years (about 45.0 inhabitants/km2). Romania's population has a high rurality level compared to other EU countries, where the rural settlements are less populated and at a smaller scale, so we consider that more attention needs to be paid on village development and rural economy diversification in Romania. Although the Romanian rural area hosts a rich culture with a strong traditional character, with regional differences, this cannot fully put into value its resources, and a paradoxical precarity is maintained, due to the lack of attractiveness and promotion of rural areas. In the present study the authors make a brief diagnosis of the rural areas in our country and try to highlight the main problems that the rural people are facing at present, trying to bring into discussion solutions for at least partially surmounting the present difficulties.