MOLDAVIA AND WALLA'CHIA, two states forming the so-called Danubian Principal dies, which, since Dec. 23, 1851, have been united under one prince and one administra /Aon, and officially bear the single name of ROUMANIA or RUMANIA. Formerly subject to 1:14e Porte, Roumania proclaimed its own absolute independence in 1877. and had its.claim recognized at the Berlin Congress of 1878. Reliable statistics as to the Dobrudscha (q.v.), then granted to Roumania in return for Roumanian Bessarabia (q.v.), ceded to Russia, are not yet forthcoming.
1. Mor.DAvrA (Ger. difoldau, Turk. Bogdan) is bounded on the n. and e. by Russia, on th- T. by Wallacain, and on the w. by Hungary. Area, since the cession of Bessarabia, about 15,000 sq.miles. The country forms, geograpffically, part of the great plain of south Russia, except 3.0.ward,s the w.; :lvh.erg there are spurs from the.Carputhians. It is watered by the Pruth, the Screth, and Danube, and is almost, everywhere fertile, pro ducing considerable quantities of grain, fruit, and wine. But the riches of the country consist mainly in its cattle and horses, of which immense numbers are reared on its splendid and far-stretching pastures; swine and sheep are also numerous; and the rearing of bees, owing to the multitude of nine-trees, is extensively carried on. The great plagues of the land are locusts and earthquakes. Minerals and precious metals are said to be abundant, but they have not as yet been worked. There are only a few salt-pits near Okna, in the Carpathian mountains. Trade is almost exclusively in the hands of the numerous Jews, Germans, Greeks, and Russians who have settled in the country. The capital of Moldavia is Jassy (q.v.); but the great center of trade is Galacz (q.v.), where, of late, several British merchants have established houses. The principal exports are, grain, wool, lambs' skins, hides, feathers, maize, tar, tallow, honey, leeches, cattle, and salt (in blocks); the imports are chiefly the manufactured products of western Europe. Moldavia is divided into 13 districts, each of which has a prefect or governor, a receiver general of taxes, and a civil tribunal consisting of a president, and two other judges.
2. WA.t.r.AcitiA, the larger of the united Danubian principalitieg, is bounded on the n. by the Austrian empire and Moldavia, on the e. and s. by the Danube, and on the w. by the Austrian empire and the Danube. Length from the western frontier to cape Kaliakra on the Black sea, 805 m.; greatest breadth, 130 in.; area, 27,500 sq.miles. The greater part of 'Wallachia is quite flat; but in the n., where it borders on Hungary and Transyl vania, it gradually rises up into a great mountain-wall, impassable save in five places. It is destitute of wood throughout almost its whole extent; and especially along the banks of the Danube, is covered with marshy swamps, miles upon miles in breadth. The principal river flowing through the country is the Aluta, which joins the Danube at Nikopol. The climate is extreme: the summer heats are intense; while in winter, the
land lies under deep snow for four months. The principal products are corn, maize, millet, wine, flax, tobacco, and olive-oil. The vast treeless heaths afford sustenance to great herds of cattle, sheep, and horses. As in Moldavia, agriculture is an important branch of industry; and the swampy districts of the south are haunted by immense bens of wild water-fowl. In minerals—especially gold, silver, copper, and rock-salt the soil is rich, but only the last of these is extensively worked. Bucharest is the capital of Wallachia and of 'Roumania. The pop. of Roumania, though the loss of Bessarabia was not balanced by the gain of the Dobrudscha, was still estimated in 1878 at near 5 Administration.—The ruler of the principalities—styled by the Roumans domnu or domnitor; officially called by the sublime porte woit,coti (prince); by the Turks gener ally, ijauer-effendi (lord of the unbelievers); and by the Russians, hospodar or gospodaj (prince)—receives his investiture from the sultan, but is otherwise independent. By the treaty of Paris (1836) and the convention (1858), Moldavia and Wallachia were politically united under one prince, with a special ministry for each country, two elective assem blies, and a central commission, which had its seat at Fokshani. But in Nov., 1861, the sultan sanctioned the admistrative union of the two states; and in the following month it was publicly proclaimed at Bucharest and Jassy. The first ruler of Roumania, prince Alexander John Couza, was forced to abdicate in 1866, when Karl I., son of the prince of Hohenzollern-Signiaringen, was chosen his successor. At the same time a new and more popular constitution was adopted by a coustitutent assembly elected by universal suffrage. The legislative power is vested in two houses, a senate and a chamber of depu ties. The former consists of 76 and the latter of 157 members, of whom 82 are for Wallachia and 75 for Moldavia. The members of both houses are chosen by indirect election—i. e., the first voters nominate electors, who choose the members. All citizens 'who have reached their 25th year, and who can read and write, are voters in the first instance. and every Rouman who possesses a small yearly income is eligible for a seat in parliament. The prince has a suspensive veto over all laws passed by both chambers. He is also chief of the executive, which is composed of a council of seven ministers, heads of the departments of the interior, of foreign affairs, of war, of finance, of justice, of commerce and agriculture, and of religion and public instruction. Judges are removable at the pleasure of the superior authorities. The legal codes are founded upon the civil law and the customs of the principalities; but though the system of juris prudence has been much amended, many reforms remain to be effected, especially in the administration of the laws, which is said to be most corrupt.