During the first century A.D., Roman Emperor Trajan's legions made their way across the Danube into Dacia, land inhabited by the Dacians, ancestors of the today Romanians, worshipers of the god Zamolxes. A part of the Dacia's territory was transformed into a Roman province, after being conquered by the Romans. The territory received the name of Dacia Felix.

Witness to the happenings in those very old times, remained until today the bridge built at the orders of Trajan by Apollodoros of Damascus across the Danube between 103 and 105 A.D., the Baile Herculane thermal baths as well the ruins of the ancient roads and forts. The Roman ruling lasted for about 165 years in the central and south-west Dacia, during which roads, forts, towns and digging mines were built. Among the most known towns there are names such as Colonia Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, which was also the capital of Dacia, Apulum, Napoca and Potaissa.

The Romanian nation was born of the ethnic mix of Romans and Dacians.

Successive waves of invaders came across Dacia after the Roman withdrawal during the reign of Aurelian (271). When the Hungarians have arrived in the ninth century the population had already crystallized, and they encountered a fierce resistance from the states established in Banat and Transylvania, two of the Romanian provinces. In the twelfth century, Hungarians called for help from the Germans, to whom they granted privileges over Romanians. During this period, many citadels have been built, including Sighisoara. The Rasnov fortress, Biertan and Cristian Fortified churches take us back in the times of mediaeval Transylvania.

Prince Stephen the Great's Moldavia offers a different middle age view. Known as an opponent of the Ottomans, Stephen the Great has built many citadels and princely courts, as well churches, famous across the world for their uniqueness. We can mention here Suceava, Siret, Targu Neamt, Piatra Neamt, all reminding us how they repelled the invading Turks.

Walachia, known also on the name of Muntenia or Tara Romaneasca (the Romanian Land) obtained its independence in 1330, after Basarb I defeated Charles Robert D'Anjou at the battle of the Lovistea Depression. Many foundations - citadels, princely courts, churches, monasteries - have remained from the rulers of this "land": Neagoe Basarab (1512-1521), who built the Curtea de Arges monastery, Matei Basarab (1632-1654), regarded as a true "patron of the church", since he built more than thirty places of worship, Constantin Brancoveanu (1688-1714), during whose lifetime there was a matchless flowering of culture. Horezu monastery, the Brancoveanu Monastery at Sambata de Sus, the church of St George the New in Bucharest, the palaces of Mogosoaia and Potlogi ( in Dambovita Country) all bear the brilliant imprint of the Brancoveanu style. The first capitals of Walachia were established at Campulung Muscel, Curtea de Arges and Targoviste.

After the battle of Mohaci in 1526 when the Turks took control over the territory of the former Hungarian Kingdom, Transylvania, Moldavia and Walachia became autonomous principalities, although they were forced to recognize the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire, to which they paid a tribute.

In 1593, Michael the Brave, the Voivode of the Romanian Land, joined the Christian League - an anti-Ottoman coalition founded by the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire. Following the battles of Calugareni and Giurgiu, Walachia regained its independence. Michael the Brave even succeeded in proclaiming himself "Prince of the Romanian Land, Transylvania and all Moldavia" in 1600, uniting all the Romanian territories for the first time in history.

Between 1716 and 1821, Wallachia fell under the regime of the Greek Phanariots. During this period, the land was ruled by Greek princes, nominated by the Ottoman Porte. The same thing happened in Moldavia, between 1711 and 1821. The uprising led by Tudor Vladimirescu in 1821 restored the native rule.

Following the Austro-Turkish Peace Treaty of Karlowitz (1699), Transylvania was annexed by the Austrian Empire, under whose protectorate it remained until 1867. Between 1867 and 1918, it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Between 1718 and 1793, Austria temporarily occupied the Romanian province of Oltenia, and the province of Bukovina between 1775 and 1918.

During the Russo-Turkish War of 1828 - 1829, Russian troops led by Pavel Kiseleff occupied Moldova and the Romanian Land (until 1834). It might be said that the Organic Regulations (a kind of constitution) promulgated in that period were the first step towards the modern re-organization of the Romanian principalities. They introduced for the first time the principle of the separation of executive powers and encouraged the development of new economic relations.

Between 1812 and 1918, the Moldavian province of Bessarabia was annexed by Russia.

The revolutionary ideas of 1848 also swept the Romanian provinces, although the movement was crushed at the time.

After the defeat of Russia in the Crimean War (1853-1856), the Romanian principalities came under the protection of the seven powers who signed the Paris Peace Treaty.

In 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was named sole prince of Moldavia and Romanian Land. The latter were to take the name of the United Principalities, and in 1862 became Romania, with its capital in Bucharest. Along with Mihail Kogalniceanu, Alexandru Ioan Cuza introduced a series of reforms that contributed to the modernization of Romania.

After Cuza was deposed in 1866, Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (Carol I) took the throne. A democratic constitution was adopted, inspired by the Belgian model.

After the Russo-Turkish War of 1877, Romania obtained complete state independence. Dobrogea, which had been ruled by the Turks since 1417, was returned to Romania.

In March 1881, Romania was proclaimed a kingdom and Carol I was named King. The long beneficial rule of Carol I (1866-1914) was followed by the reigns of Ferdinand I (1914-1927), Mihai I (1927-1930; 1940-1947), and Carol II (1930-1940), the latter of whom imposed his own dictatorship in 1938.

At Alba-Iulia, on 1 December 1918, Transylvania, the Banat, Maramures and Crisana signed the Act of Union with Romania.

After the Second World War, Romanian territory was occupied by Soviet Troops until 1958. The communists took control of the government, arresting members of the historic political parties. In 1947, King Mihai I was forced to abdicate and Romania was proclaimed a People's Republic.

The period in which Nicolae Ceausescu was in power (1965-1989) was devastating for Romania. His dictatorship was deposed in 1989, following widespread popular anticommunist uprisings. Since 1990, democracy and a pluralist political system have been re-established and a market economy adopted.

Since 1990, Romania has established relations with the nations of the European Union, signing various accords with them. In March 2004, Romania became a member of NATO and in 2007 a member of the European Union.