Under the Treaty of Paris 1856 the precipitates of Moldovia and Wallachia
united to form Romania in 1862; when Austro Hungary was broken up in 1918
following the First World War, Romania expanded to include Bessarabia,
Bucovina, and Transylvania. In 1940 certain territories were ceded to
Bulgaria and the USSR. In 1944 Romania was occupied by Soviet forces.
Following King Michael's abdication in 1947 the country  came under the
control of the Romanian Communist Party and declared itself a republic. Ties
with the USSR loosened in the 1960s and closer links established with the
West. Revolution in December 1989 led to the overthrow of the regime of the
Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and his regime. A new constitution
which guarantees human rights and ensures a free market economy and
democracy, has been adopted. The country incorporates some of Europe's most
fertile land and thus farming is a major industry; there are also extensive
forests, making the timber industry prominent. Romania also produces oil,
natural gas, chemicals, copper, iron, and steel. Eastern Orthodox
Christianity is the main religion; Romanian is the official language
although French is also commonly spoken.