economy of romania





before world war ii, the romanian economy was primarily agricultural. in 1948 the communist government came to power and took control of nearly all aspects of the economy. through a series of five-year plans, the communists transformed romania into an industrial nation. the economy grew considerably during the first part of the communist period, but by the 1980s it had slid into decline, and shortages of consumer goods and degradation of the environment had become widespread. after the communist government was overthrown in 1989, the romanian economy virtually collapsed. although dominated by former communists, the new government began taking steps to reform the economy in the early 1990s. these steps included devaluing the national currency, removing government subsidies on most consumer goods, and converting some state-owned companies to private ownership.

the romanian economy declined considerably in the early...