Editing Romanian language (section)

== Geographic distribution ==

{{See also|List of countries and territories where Romanian is an official language|Romanian Americans}}

Romanian is spoken mostly in [[Central Europe|Central]], [[Southeast Europe|South-Eastern]], and [[Eastern Europe]], although speakers of the language can be found all over the world, mostly due to emigration of Romanian nationals and the return of immigrants to Romania back to their original countries. Romanian speakers account for 0.5% of the world's population,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Latin Union – Languages and cultures online 2005 |url=http://dtil.unilat.org/LI/2005/ro/rezultatele_detaliate.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128011831/http://dtil.unilat.org/LI/2005/ro/rezultatele_detaliate.htm |archive-date=28 January 2011 |access-date=23 May 2010 |publisher=Dtil.unilat.org}}</ref> and 4% of the Romance-speaking population of the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Languages Spoken by More Than 10 Million People |url=http://encarta.msn.com/media_701500404/Languages_Spoken_by_More_Than_10_Million_People.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091029104855/http://encarta.msn.com/media_701500404/Languages_Spoken_by_More_Than_10_Million_People.html |archive-date=29 October 2009 |website=MSN Encarta |language=en}}</ref>

Romanian is the single official and national language in Romania and Moldova, although it shares the official status at regional level with other languages in the Moldovan autonomies of [[Gagauzia]] and [[Transnistria]]. Romanian is also an official language of the [[Vojvodina|Autonomous Province of Vojvodina]] in Serbia along with five other languages. Romanian minorities are encountered in Serbia ([[Timok Valley]]), Ukraine ([[Chernivtsi Oblast|Chernivtsi]] and [[Odesa Oblast|Odesa]] [[oblast]]s), and Hungary ([[Gyula, Hungary|Gyula]]). Large immigrant communities are found in Italy, Spain, France, and Portugal.

In 1995, the largest Romanian-speaking community in the Middle East was found in Israel, where Romanian was spoken by 5% of the population.<ref>According to the 1993 ''Statistical Abstract of Israel'' there were 250,000 Romanian speakers in Israel, of a population of 5,548,523 in 1995 (census).</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Reports of about 300,000 Jews that left the country after WW2 |url=http://www.eurojewcong.org/ejc/news.php?id_article=110 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831192934/http://www.eurojewcong.org/ejc/news.php?id_article=110 |archive-date=31 August 2006 |access-date=23 May 2010 |publisher=Eurojewcong.org |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Romanian is also spoken as a second language by people from Arabic-speaking countries who have studied in Romania. It is estimated that almost half a million Middle Eastern Arabs studied in Romania during the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Laslau |first=Andi |date=27 April 2005 |title=Arabii din Romania, radiografie completa |url=http://www.evz.ro/article.php?artid=185041 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071224113558/http://www.evz.ro/article.php?artid=185041 |archive-date=24 December 2007 |access-date=23 May 2010 |website=Evz.ro |language=ro}}</ref> Small Romanian-speaking communities are to be found in Kazakhstan and Russia. Romanian is also spoken within communities of Romanian and Moldovan immigrants in the United States, Canada and Australia, although they do not make up a large homogeneous community statewide.

{| class="wikitable"
|+Geographic distribution of Romanian
|-
! Country
! Speakers <br /> (%)
! Speakers <br />(native)
! Country Population
|-
! colspan="4" |World
|-
|World
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.33%
| style="text-align:right;"| '''23,623,890'''
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,035,000,000
|-
! colspan="4" |Countries where Romanian is an [[official language]]
|-
|[[Demographics of Romania|Romania]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 90.65%
| style="text-align:right;"| 17,263,561<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tab5. Populatia stabila dupa principalele limbi materne la recensamantul din anul 2011 - rezultate preliminar |url=http://www.recensamantromania.ro/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/TS5.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225050749/http://www.recensamantromania.ro/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/TS5.pdf |archive-date=25 February 2021 |access-date=26 August 2012}}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 19,043,767
|-
|[[Demographics of Moldova|Moldova]] <sup>2</sup>
| style="text-align:right;"| 82.1%
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,184,065
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,681,735
|-
|[[Demographics of Transnistria|Transnistria]] (Moldova)<sup>3</sup>
| style="text-align:right;"| 33.0%
| style="text-align:right;"| 156,600
| style="text-align:right;"| 475,665
|-
|[[Romanians in Serbia|Vojvodina]] ([[Romanian language in Serbia|Serbia]])
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.04%
| style="text-align:right;"| 18,038<ref name="Dissemination database search">{{Cite web |title=Dissemination database search |url=https://data.stat.gov.rs/Home/Result/3104020302?languageCode=en-US |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=data.stat.gov.rs}}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,740,230<ref name="Dissemination database search"/>
|-
|[[Romanians in Ukraine|Ukraine]] <sup>5</sup>
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.8%
| style="text-align:right;"| 327,703
| style="text-align:right;"| 48,457,000
|-
! colspan="4" |Other neighboring European states (except for [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] countries where Romanian is not official)
|-
|[[Demographics of Hungary|Hungary]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.14%
| style="text-align:right;"| 13,886<ref>{{Cite web |title=Hungarian Census 2011 |url=http://www.ksh.hu/docs/hun/xftp/idoszaki/nepsz2011/nepsz_orsz_2011.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717211318/http://www.ksh.hu/docs/hun/xftp/idoszaki/nepsz2011/nepsz_orsz_2011.pdf |archive-date=17 July 2019 |access-date=2 April 2013}}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 9,937,628
|-
|[[Vlachs of Serbia|Timok Valley (Serbia)]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.39%
| style="text-align:right;"| 25,702<ref>{{Cite web |title=Матерњи језик, вероисповест и национална припадност {{!}} О ПОПИСУ СТАНОВНИШТВА |url=https://popis2022.stat.gov.rs/5-vestisaopstenja/news-events/20230616-st/ |access-date=2023-08-22 |website=popis2022.stat.gov.rs |archive-date=22 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230822150240/https://popis2022.stat.gov.rs/5-vestisaopstenja/news-events/20230616-st/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 6,664,007
|-
|[[Romanians in Bulgaria|Bulgaria]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.06%
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,575<ref>Ethnologue.com</ref>{{full citation needed|date=August 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,364,570
|-
! colspan="4" |[[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] countries where Romanian is not official
|-
|[[Demographics of Russia|Russia]] <sup>1</sup>
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.06%
| style="text-align:right;"| 92,675<ref>[https://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/Documents/Vol4/pub-04-08.pdf 2010 Russia Census] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422191553/https://www.gks.ru/free_doc/new_site/perepis2010/croc/Documents/Vol4/pub-04-08.pdf |date=22 April 2021 }} Perepis 2010</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 142,856,536
|-
|[[Demographics of Kazakhstan|Kazakhstan]] <sup>1</sup>
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1%
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,666
| style="text-align:right;"| 14,953,126
|-
! colspan="4"|Asia (excluding [[Commonwealth of Independent States|CIS]] countries)
|-
|[[Demographics of Israel|Israel]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 1.11%
| style="text-align:right;"| ~82,300<ref>{{cite web |title=Jews, by Country of Origin(1) and Age |url=http://www.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_08x&CYear=2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050107/http://www.cbs.gov.il/reader/shnaton/templ_shnaton_e.html?num_tab=st02_08x&CYear=2013 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |work=CBS, Statistical Abstract of Israel 2013 |publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]] |format=PDF}}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 7,412,200
|-
|[[Expatriates in the United Arab Emirates|UAE]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.1%
| style="text-align:right;"| 5,000{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,106,427
|-
|Singapore
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.02%
| style="text-align:right;"|1,400{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"|5,535,000
|-
|[[Demographics of Japan|Japan]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.002%
| style="text-align:right;"| 2,185{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 126,659,683
|-
|South Korea
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.0006%
| style="text-align:right;"|   300{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 50,004,441
|-
|China
| style="text-align:right;"|0.0008%
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,000{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 1,376,049,000
|-
! colspan="4" |The Americas
|-
|[[Romanian American|United States]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.049%
| style="text-align:right;"| 154,625<ref>{{Cite web |title=Detailed Languages Spoken at Home and Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over: 2009–2013 |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=Census.gov |archive-date=17 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417223557/https://www.census.gov/data/tables/2013/demo/2009-2013-lang-tables.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 315,091,138
|-
|[[Romanian Canadian|Canada]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.289%
| style="text-align:right;"| 100,610<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2017-08-02 |title=Mother Tongue (263), Single and Multiple Mother Tongue Responses (3), Age (7) and Sex (3) for the Population Excluding Institutional Residents of Canada, Provinces and Territories, Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 2016 Census – 100% Data |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=110180&PRID=10&PTYPE=109445&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2016&THEME=118&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=www12.statcan.gc.ca |archive-date=12 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512141910/https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/dt-td/Rp-eng.cfm?LANG=E&APATH=3&DETAIL=0&DIM=0&FL=A&FREE=0&GC=0&GID=0&GK=0&GRP=1&PID=110180&PRID=10&PTYPE=109445&S=0&SHOWALL=0&SUB=0&Temporal=2016&THEME=118&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF= |url-status=live }}</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 34,767,250
|-
|Argentina
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.03%
| style="text-align:right;"|  13,000{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 40,117,096
|-
|Venezuela
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.036%
| style="text-align:right;"|  10,000{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 27,150,095
|-
|[[Immigration to Brazil|Brazil]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.002%
| style="text-align:right;"|  4,000{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 190,732,694
|-
! colspan="4" |Oceania
|-
|[[Romanian Australian|Australia]]
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.046%
| style="text-align:right;"| 12,251<ref>{{Cite web |title=Redirect to Census data page |url=https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/cowsredirect |website=www.abs.gov.au |access-date=15 November 2019 |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726024303/https://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/censushome.nsf/home/cowsredirect |url-status=live }} c=AU; o=Commonwealth of Australia; ou=Australian Bureau of Statistics.</ref>
| style="text-align:right;"| 26,482,413
|-
|New Zealand
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.08%
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,100{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 4,027,947
|-
! colspan="4" |Africa
|-
|South Africa
| style="text-align:right;"| 0.007%
| style="text-align:right;"| 3,000{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
| style="text-align:right;"| 44,819,778
|-
| colspan="4" style="text-align:left;"|
<sup>1</sup> Many are Moldavians who were deported<br />
<sup>2</sup> Data only for the districts on the right bank of Dniester (without Transnistria and the city of Tighina). In Moldova, it is sometimes referred to as the "[[Moldovan language]]"<br />
<sup>3</sup> In Transnistria, it is officially called "[[Moldovan language]]" and is written in [[Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet]].<br />
<sup>4</sup> Officially divided into Vlachs and Romanians<br />
<sup>5</sup> Most in Northern Bukovina and Southern Bessarabia; according to a ''Moldova Noastră'' study (based on the latest Ukrainian census).<ref>[http://noinu.rdscj.ro/article.php?articleID=146&document=4 RDSCJ.ro] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080322113510/http://noinu.rdscj.ro/article.php?articleID=146&document=4 |date=22 March 2008 }}</ref>
|}

=== Legal status ===
==== In Romania ====
According to the [[Constitution of Romania]] of 1991, as revised in 2003, Romanian is the official language of the Republic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Constitution of Romania |url=http://www.cdep.ro/pls/dic/site.page?den=act2_1&par1=1 |access-date=23 May 2010 |publisher=Cdep.ro |archive-date=7 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907004110/http://www.cdep.ro/pls/dic/site.page?den=act2_1&par1=1 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Romania mandates the use of Romanian in official government publications, public education and legal contracts. Advertisements as well as other public messages must bear a translation of foreign words,<ref>Legea "[[George Pruteanu|Pruteanu]]": [http://www.cdep.ro/proiecte/2001/500/80/5/leg_pl585_01.pdf 500/2004 – Law on the Protection of the Romanian Language] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111112160042/http://www.cdep.ro/proiecte/2001/500/80/5/leg_pl585_01.pdf |date=12 November 2011 }}</ref> while trade signs and logos shall be written predominantly in Romanian.<ref>Art. 27 (3), Legea nr. 26/1990 privind Registrul Comerțului</ref>

The Romanian Language Institute (Institutul Limbii Române), established by the Ministry of Education of Romania, promotes Romanian and supports people willing to study the language, working together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department for Romanians Abroad.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ministry of Education of Romania |url=http://www.edu.ro/index.php/articles/c262/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060629192930/http://www.edu.ro/index.php/articles/c262/ |archive-date=29 June 2006 |access-date=19 April 2006 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Since 2013, the [[Romanian Language Day]] is celebrated on every [[31 August]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=31 August 2020 |title=31 august – Ziua Limbii Române |language=ro |work=[[Agerpres]] |url=https://www.agerpres.ro/documentare/2020/08/31/31-august-ziua-limbii-romane--563779 |access-date=26 November 2020 |archive-date=25 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025003653/https://www.agerpres.ro/documentare/2020/08/31/31-august-ziua-limbii-romane--563779 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=31 August 2020 |title=De ce este sărbătorită Ziua Limbii Române la 31 august |language=ro |work=Historia |url=https://www.historia.ro/sectiune/general/articol/de-ce-este-sarbatorita-ziua-limbii-romane-la-31-august |access-date=26 November 2020 |archive-date=19 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220319083523/https://www.historia.ro/sectiune/general/articol/de-ce-este-sarbatorita-ziua-limbii-romane-la-31-august |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== In Moldova ====
{{Main|Moldovan language}}
Romanian is the official language of the Republic of Moldova. The 1991 [[Moldovan Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]] named the official language Romanian,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Declarația de independența a Republicii Moldova, Moldova Suverană |url=http://www.moldova-suverana.md/index.php?start_from=&ucat=7&subaction=showfull&id=1156426235&archive=1156767681& |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080205095219/http://www.moldova-suverana.md/index.php?start_from=&ucat=7&subaction=showfull&id=1156426235&archive=1156767681& |archive-date=5 February 2008 |access-date=9 October 2013 |publisher=Moldova-suverana.md |language=ro}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=A Field Guide to the Main Languages of Europe – Spot that language and how to tell them apart |url=http://ec.europa.eu/translation/language_aids/recognition/field_guide_main_languages_of_europe_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070224120109/http://ec.europa.eu/translation/language_aids/recognition/field_guide_main_languages_of_europe_en.pdf |archive-date=24 February 2007 |access-date=9 October 2013 |publisher=European Commission |df=dmy-all}}</ref> and the [[Constitution of Moldova]] as originally adopted in 1994 named the state language of the country [[Moldovan language|Moldovan]]. In December 2013, a decision of the [[Constitutional Court of Moldova]] ruled that the Declaration of Independence took precedence over the Constitution and the state language should be called Romanian.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-03-25 |title=Moldovan Court Rules Official Language is 'Romanian', Replacing Soviet-Flavored 'Moldovan' |language=en |work=Fox News |agency=Associated Press |url=http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/12/05/moldovan-court-rules-official-language-is-romanian-replacing-soviet-flavored/ |access-date=7 December 2013 |archive-date=9 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131209102718/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/12/05/moldovan-court-rules-official-language-is-romanian-replacing-soviet-flavored |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2023, the Moldovan parliament passed a law officially adopting the designation "Romanian" in all legal instruments, implementing the 2013 court decision.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Moldovan president promulgates law replacing name of state language in country's constitution with 'Romanian' |url=https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/88948/ |access-date=2023-04-06 |website=Interfax |archive-date=6 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406205842/https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/88948/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Scholars agree that Moldovan and Romanian are the same language, with the [[-onym|glottonym]] "Moldovan" used in certain political contexts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Marian Lupu: Româna și moldoveneasca sunt aceeași limbă |url=http://www.realitatea.net/marian-lupu--romana-si-moldoveneasca-sunt-aceeasi-limba_288666.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511204743/http://www.realitatea.net/marian-lupu--romana-si-moldoveneasca-sunt-aceeasi-limba_288666.html |archive-date=11 May 2011 |access-date=7 October 2009 |publisher=Realitatea .NET |df=dmy-all}}</ref> It has been the sole official language since the adoption of the Law on State Language of the [[Moldavian SSR]] in 1989.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dalby |first=Andrew |title=Dictionary of Languages |date=1998 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=07-4753-117-X |page=518 |author-link=Andrew Dalby}}</ref> This law mandates the use of Moldovan in all the political, economic, cultural and social spheres, as well as asserting the existence of a "linguistic Moldo-Romanian identity".<ref>[http://www.iatp.md/ladom/downloads/M3.doc Legea cu privire la functionarea limbilor vorbite pe teritoriul RSS Moldovenesti Nr.3465-XI din 01.09.89 Vestile nr.9/217, 1989] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060219024839/http://www.iatp.md/ladom/downloads/M3.doc |date=19 February 2006 }} (Law regarding the usage of languages spoken on the territory of the Republic of Moldova): "Moldavian RSS supports the desire of the Moldavian that live across the borders of the Republic, and – considering the existing Moldo-Romanian linguistic identity – of the Romanians that live on the territory of the USSR, of doing their studies and satisfying their cultural needs in their maternal language."</ref> It is also used in schools, mass media, education and in the colloquial speech and writing. Outside the political arena the language is most often called "Romanian". In the breakaway territory of Transnistria, it is co-official with [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] and Russian.

In the [[2014 Moldovan Census|2014 census]], out of the 2,804,801 people living in Moldova, 24% (652,394) stated Romanian as their most common language, whereas 56% stated Moldovan. While in the urban centers speakers are split evenly between the two names (with the capital [[Chișinău]] showing a strong preference for the name "Romanian", i.e. 3:2), in the countryside hardly a quarter of Romanian/Moldovan speakers indicated Romanian as their native language.<ref>National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova: [http://www.statistica.md/pageview.php?l=ro&idc=479 Census 2014] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030171529/http://www.statistica.md/pageview.php?l=ro&idc=479 |date=30 October 2017 }}</ref> Unofficial results of this census first showed a stronger preference for the name Romanian, however the initial reports were later dismissed by the Institute for Statistics, which led to speculations in the media regarding the forgery of the census results.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2017-03-29 |title=Biroul Național de Statistică, acuzat că a falsificat rezultatele recensământului |language=ro |work=Independent |url=https://independent.md/biroul-national-de-statistica-acuzat-ca-falsificat-rezultatele-recensamantului/ |access-date=2022-02-27 |archive-date=27 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227183027/https://independent.md/biroul-national-de-statistica-acuzat-ca-falsificat-rezultatele-recensamantului/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== In Serbia ====
{{Main|Romanian language in Serbia}}

===== Vojvodina =====
[[File:Vojvodina romanian map.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Official usage of Romanian language in [[Vojvodina]], Serbia]]
[[File:Romanian and Vlach language in Serbia.png|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Romanian language in entire Serbia (see also [[Romanians in Serbia]]), census 2002
{| style="width:100%;"
|-
| style="vertical-align:top" |
{{legend|#DFB5F7|1–5%}}
{{legend|#D094EE|5–10%}}
{{legend|#B366FF|10–15%}}
| style="vertical-align:top" |
{{legend|#903CC4|15–25%}}
{{legend|#6B0194|25–35%}}
{{legend|#490165|over 35%}}
|}]]
The [[Constitution of the Republic of Serbia]] determines that in the regions of the Republic of Serbia inhabited by national minorities, their own languages and scripts shall be officially used as well, in the manner established by law.<ref>Official Gazette of Republic of Serbia, No.1/90</ref>

The Statute of the Autonomous Province of [[Vojvodina]] determines that, together with the [[Serbian language]] and the Cyrillic script, and the Latin script as stipulated by the law, the [[Croatian language|Croat]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], Romanian and [[Rusyn language]]s and their scripts, as well as languages and scripts of other nationalities, shall simultaneously be officially used in the work of the bodies of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in the manner established by the law.<ref>Article 24, [http://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=statut&j=EN "The Statute of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171019112141/http://www.skupstinavojvodine.gov.rs/Strana.aspx?s=statut&j=EN |date=19 October 2017 }}, published in the ''Official Gazette of AP Vojvodina'' No.20/2014</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Official Use of Languages and Scripts in the AP Vojvodina |url=http://www.puma.vojvodina.gov.rs/etext.php?ID_mat=207%3Flang%3D7 |access-date=2022-02-27 |website=Provincial Secretariat for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities – National Communities |archive-date=27 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220227183017/http://www.puma.vojvodina.gov.rs/etext.php?ID_mat=207%3Flang%3D7 |url-status=live }}</ref> The bodies of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina are: the Assembly, the Executive Council and the provincial administrative bodies.

The Romanian language and script are officially used in eight municipalities: [[Alibunar]], [[Bela Crkva, Banat|Bela Crkva]] (''Biserica Albă''), [[Žitište]] (''Sângeorgiu de Bega''), [[Zrenjanin]] (''Becicherecu Mare''), [[Kovačica]] (''Covăcița''), [[Kovin]] (''Cuvin''), [[Plandište]] (''Plandiște'') and [[Sečanj]] (''Seceani''). In the municipality of [[Vršac]] (''Vârșeț''), Romanian is official only in the villages of [[Vojvodinci]] (''Voivodinț''), [[Markovac (Vršac)|Markovac]] (''Marcovăț''), [[Straža, Vršac|Straža]] (''Straja''), [[Mali Žam]] (''Jamu Mic''), [[Malo Središte]] (''Srediștea Mică''), [[Mesić (Vršac)|Mesić]] (''Mesici''), [[Jablanka]] (''Iablanca''), [[Sočica]] (''Sălcița''), [[Ritiševo]] (''Râtișor''), [[Orešac (Vršac)|Orešac]] (''Oreșaț'') and [[Kuštilj]] (''Coștei'').<ref>Provincial Secretariat for Regulations, Administration and National Minorities: [http://www.puma.vojvodina.gov.rs/dokumenti/sljezik.xls "Official use of the Romanian language in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (APV)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111201426/http://www.puma.vojvodina.gov.rs/dokumenti/sljezik.xls |date=11 November 2011 }}</ref>

In the 2002 Census, the last carried out in Serbia, 1.5% of Vojvodinians stated Romanian as their native language.

===== Timok Valley =====
The [[Vlachs of Serbia]] are considered to speak Romanian as well.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Sorescu-Marinković |first1=Annemarie |title=Pluricentric Languages and Non-Dominant Varieties Worldwide: New Pluricentric Languages – Old Problems |last2=Huțanu |first2=Monica |date=2018 |publisher=Peter Lang Verlag |editor-last=Muhr |editor-first=Rudolf |location=Frankfurt |pages=233–246 |chapter=Non-Dominant Varieties of Romanian in Serbia: Between Pluricentricity and Division |hdl=21.15107/rcub_dais_5795 |editor-last2=Meisnitzer |editor-first2=Benjamin |chapter-url=https://dais.sanu.ac.rs/123456789/5795 |via=DAIS – Digital Archive of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts |hdl-access=free}}</ref>

==== Regional language status in Ukraine ====
In parts of Ukraine where [[Romanians in Ukraine|Romanians]] constitute a significant share of the local population (districts in [[Chernivtsi Oblast|Chernivtsi]], [[Odesa Oblast|Odesa]] and [[Zakarpattia Oblast|Zakarpattia]] [[oblast]]s) Romanian is taught in schools as a primary language and there are Romanian-language newspapers, TV, and radio broadcasting.<ref>
* {{Cite web |title=Регіональний портрет України. 2003 р. Чернівецька область |publisher=Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research |url=http://www.ucipr.kiev.ua/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3384&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930202020/http://www.ucipr.kiev.ua/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3384&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 |archive-date=30 September 2011 |access-date=2006-01-23 |df=dmy-all}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.ucipr.kiev.ua/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3377&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2006-01-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120427132707/http://www.ucipr.kiev.ua/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3377&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 |archive-date=27 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Internetový časopis človek a spoločnosť |url=http://www.clovekaspolocnost.sk/sk/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514084325/http://www.saske.sk/cas/1-2000/gulpa-petrisce.html |archive-date=14 May 2009 |website=www.clovekaspolocnost.sk}}</ref>
The [[University of Chernivtsi]] in western Ukraine trains teachers for Romanian schools in the fields of Romanian philology, mathematics and physics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kramar Andriy |title=University of Chernivtsi |url=http://www.chnu.cv.ua/index.php?page=ua/gradinf/rules/02bac_d |access-date=23 May 2010 |publisher=Chnu.cv.ua |archive-date=23 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723195813/http://www.chnu.cv.ua/index.php?page=ua/gradinf/rules/02bac_d |url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[Hertsa Raion]] of Ukraine as well as in other villages of [[Chernivtsi Oblast]] and [[Zakarpattia Oblast]], Romanian has been declared a "regional language" alongside Ukrainian as per the 2012 [[legislation on languages in Ukraine]].

==== In other countries and organizations ====
{{See also|Romanian diaspora}}

Romanian is an official or administrative language in various communities and organisations, such as the [[Latin Union]] and the [[European Union]]. Romanian is also one of the five languages in which religious services are performed in the autonomous monastic state of [[Mount Athos]], spoken in the monastic communities of [[Prodromos (Mount Athos)|Prodromos]] and [[Lakkoskiti]]. In the unrecognised state of [[Transnistria]], Moldovan is one of the official languages. However, unlike all other dialects of Romanian, [[Moldovan Cyrillic alphabet|this variety of Moldovan is written in Cyrillic script]].
[[File:DiagramăLimbaRomână.png|thumb|upright=1.2|Distribution of first-language native Romanian speakers by country. [[Vojvodina|Voivodina]] is an autonomous province of northern [[Serbia]] bordering Romania, while ''Altele'' means "Other"]]

=== As a second and foreign language ===
Romanian is taught in some areas that have Romanian minority communities, such as [[Vojvodina]] in Serbia, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Hungary. The [[Romanian Cultural Institute]] (ICR) has since 1992 organised summer courses in Romanian for language teachers.<ref>[http://www.ziua.net/display.php?id=183071&data=2005-08-19&ziua=f08bdeacd2583ee59a42d5f08d1fba7e "Cursuri de perfecționare"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070225040246/http://www.ziua.net/display.php?id=183071&data=2005-08-19&ziua=f08bdeacd2583ee59a42d5f08d1fba7e |date=25 February 2007 }}, ''[[Ziua]]'', 19 August 2005</ref> There are also non-Romanians who study Romanian as a foreign language, for example the Nicolae Bălcescu High-school in [[Gyula, Hungary|Gyula]], Hungary.

Romanian is taught as a [[foreign language]] in tertiary institutions, mostly in European countries such as Germany, France and Italy, and the Netherlands, as well as in the United States. Overall, it is taught as a foreign language in 43 countries around the world.<ref>[http://ilr.ro/plr.php?lmb=1 "Data concerning the teaching of the Romanian language abroad"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207173432/http://www.ilr.ro/plr.php?lmb=1 |date=7 December 2010 }}, Romanian Language Institute.</ref>

[[File:Knowledge Romanian Eastern EU.png|thumb|Romanian as secondary or foreign language in Central and Eastern Europe
{{legend|#00005B|Native}} {{legend|#1111FF|Above 3%}} {{legend|#6C6CFF|1–3%}} {{legend|#B0B0FF|Under 1%}} {{legend|#CDC3CC|N/A}}
]]

=== Popular culture ===
Romanian has become popular in other countries through movies and songs performed in the Romanian language. Examples of Romanian acts that had a great success in non-Romanophone countries are the bands [[O-Zone]] (with their No. 1 single [[Dragostea Din Tei]], also known as ''[[Numa Numa (video)|Numa Numa]],'' across the world in 2003–2004), [[Akcent]] (popular in the Netherlands, Poland and other European countries), [[Activ (band)|Activ]] (successful in some Eastern European countries), [[DJ Project]] (popular as clubbing music) [[SunStroke Project]] (known by viral video "[[Run Away (SunStroke Project and Olia Tira song)|Epic Sax Guy]]") and [[Alexandra Stan]] (worldwide no.1 hit with "[[Mr. Saxobeat]]") and [[Inna (singer)|Inna]] as well as high-rated movies like ''[[4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days]]'', ''[[The Death of Mr. Lazarescu]]'', ''[[12:08 East of Bucharest]]'' or ''[[California Dreamin' (film)|California Dreamin']]'' (all of them with awards at the [[Cannes Film Festival]]).

Also some artists wrote songs dedicated to the Romanian language. The multi-platinum pop trio [[O-Zone]] (originally from Moldova) released a song called {{lang|ro|italic=no|"Nu mă las de limba noastră"}} ("I won't forsake our language"). The final verse of this song, {{lang|ro|italic=no|"Eu nu mă las de limba noastră, de limba noastră cea română"}}, is translated in English as "I won't forsake our language, our Romanian language". Also, the Moldovan musicians [[Doina and Ion Aldea Teodorovici]] performed a song called "The Romanian language".

=== Dialects ===
{{Main|Romanian dialects}}

Romanian is also called Daco-Romanian in comparative linguistics to distinguish from the other dialects of [[Common Romanian]]: [[Aromanian language|Aromanian]], [[Megleno-Romanian language|Megleno-Romanian]], and [[Istro-Romanian language|Istro-Romanian]]. The origin of the term "Daco-Romanian" can be traced back to the first printed book of Romanian grammar in 1780,<ref name="Elementa">{{Cite book |last1=Micu |first1=Samuil |title=Elementa linguae daco-romanae sive valachicae |last2=Șincai |first2=Gheorghe |date=1780 |location=Vienna |language=la}}</ref> by [[Samuil Micu]] and [[Gheorghe Șincai]]. There, the Romanian dialect spoken north of the [[Danube]] is called {{lang|la|lingua Daco-Romana}} to emphasize its origin and its area of use, which includes the former [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] province of [[Dacia]], although it is spoken also south of the Danube, in [[Dobruja]], the [[Timok Valley]] and northern Bulgaria.

This article deals with the Romanian (i.e. Daco-Romanian) language, and thus only its dialectal variations are discussed here. The differences between the regional varieties are small, limited to regular phonetic changes, few grammar aspects, and lexical particularities. There is a single written and spoken standard (literary) Romanian language used by all speakers, regardless of region. Like most natural languages, Romanian dialects are part of a [[dialect continuum]]. The dialects of Romanian are also referred to as 'sub-dialects' and are distinguished primarily by phonetic differences. Romanians themselves speak of the differences as 'accents' or 'speeches' (in Romanian: {{lang|ro|accent}} or {{lang|ro|grai}}).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Delyusto |first=Maryna |date=2016 |title=Mul'tilingval'nyy atlas mezhdurech'ya Dnestra i Dunaya: Istochniki i priyemy sozdaniya |script-title=ru:Мультилингвальный атлас междуречья Днестра и Дуная:источники и приемы создания |trans-title=Multi-Lingual Atlas of Dialects Spread Between the Danube and the Dniester Rivers: Sources and Tools of Creation |url=http://journals.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/research/article/view/3523 |journal=Journal of Danubian Studies and Research |language=ru |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=362–369 |access-date=28 December 2017 |archive-date=1 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040837/http://journals.univ-danubius.ro/index.php/research/article/view/3523 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Depending on the criteria used for classifying these dialects, fewer or more are found, ranging from 2 to 20, although the most widespread approaches give a number of five dialects. These are grouped into two main types, southern and northern, further divided as follows:
* The southern type has only one member:
** the [[Wallachian dialect]], spoken in the southern part of Romania, in the historical regions of [[Muntenia]], [[Oltenia]] and the southern part of [[Northern Dobruja]], but also extending in the southern parts of [[Transylvania]].
* The northern type consists of several dialects:
** the [[Moldavian dialect]], spoken in the historical region of [[Moldavia]], now split among Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine ([[Bukovina]] and [[Bessarabia]]), as well as northern part of [[Northern Dobruja]];
** the [[Banat Romanian dialect|Banat dialect]], spoken in the historical region of [[Banat]], including parts of Serbia;
** a group of finely divided and transition-like [[Transylvanian varieties of Romanian|Transylvanian varieties]], among which two are most often distinguished, those of [[Crișana dialect|Crișana]] and [[Maramureș dialect|Maramureș]].

Over the last century, however, regional accents have been weakened due to mass communication and greater mobility.

Some [[argot]]s and speech forms have also arisen from the Romanian language. Examples are the [[Gumuțeasca]], spoken in [[Mărgău]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Arjocu |first=Florin |date=29 June 2020 |title=Satul din România unde se vorbește o limbă secretă. Tălăuzești gumuțeasca? |language=ro |work=Știri România |url=https://stiriromania.ro/locul-din-romania-unde-se-vorbeste-o-limba-secreta-talauzesti-gumuteasca/ |access-date=11 April 2021 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411143023/https://stiriromania.ro/locul-din-romania-unde-se-vorbeste-o-limba-secreta-talauzesti-gumuteasca/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Florea |first=Sorin |date=1 June 2020 |title=Care este satul din România unde se vorbește o limbă secretă? |language=ro |work=Shtiu |url=https://www.shtiu.ro/care-este-satul-din-romania-unde-se-vorbeste-o-limba-secreta-17934.html |access-date=11 April 2021 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411143023/https://www.shtiu.ro/care-este-satul-din-romania-unde-se-vorbeste-o-limba-secreta-17934.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the [[Totoiana]], an inverted "version" of Romanian spoken in [[Totoi]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=19 January 2009 |title=În localitatea Totoi, județul Alba, se vorbește o limbă specifică locului |language=ro |work=[[Realitatea TV]] |url=https://www.realitatea.net/stiri/ultimele-stiri/in-localitatea-totoi-judetul-alba-se-vorbeste-o-limba-specifica-locului_5dcc919c406af85273c9bb5e |access-date=12 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412124024/https://www.realitatea.net/stiri/ultimele-stiri/in-localitatea-totoi-judetul-alba-se-vorbeste-o-limba-specifica-locului_5dcc919c406af85273c9bb5e |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Arsenie |first=Dan |date=9 December 2011 |title=Totoiana – messengerul de pe uliță. Povestea unei limbi inventate de români |language=ro |work=GreatNews.ro |url=https://greatnews.ro/totoiana-messengerul-de-pe-ulita-o-limba-inventata-de-romani/ |access-date=12 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412124028/https://greatnews.ro/totoiana-messengerul-de-pe-ulita-o-limba-inventata-de-romani/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2 November 2009 |title='Limba intoarsă' vorbită în Totoi |language=ro |work=Ziare.com |url=https://ziare.com/alba-iulia/stiri-actualitate/limba-intoarsa-vorbita-in-totoi-1036814 |access-date=12 April 2021 |archive-date=12 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412124025/https://ziare.com/alba-iulia/stiri-actualitate/limba-intoarsa-vorbita-in-totoi-1036814 |url-status=live }}</ref>