ne, west and central European, pannonic, balkanic, sub Mediterranean and even eastern colchic. The high level of geographic diversity in Romania and the consequence of its location as a biological confluence place have produced a floral diversity that includes over 3,700 species and fauna diversity estimated to be more than 33,800 species. Many of the wild plant and animal species from the country's territory are endemic or relict with evolution significance and other species like the brown bear, the lynx or the wolf which have disappeared or are hardly surviving in other European countries, in Romania they are in a very good state of conservation.
             The Carpathian Mountains are amongst the most pristine ecosystems left in Europe. Here, about 80% are covered with unspoiled mountain forests, which represent the largest contiguous forest ecosystem in Central and Eastern Europe.
             Economic Effects of Travel and Tourism
             Most of Romania's tourism facilities are run down and operated by incompetent management. In the 1960s, Romania invested heavily in its tourism facilities, especially at the Black Sea, and was at that time successful in attracting international tourists mostly from Germany, Great Britain, Scandinavia, France, Italy, Austria and Belgium. During the eighties, quality of tourist accommodation was not maintained, with a resultant decline in the number of foreign tourists.
             During the past ten years, Romania has experienced:
             A 20% decline in the number of foreign tourists arriving, from 6.5 million to 5.2 million since 1990;
             A 14% drop in total number of beds in hotels and accommodation facilities, from 328,000 in 1990 to 283,000 in 1999;
             A drop in the accommodation occupancy rate from 57.8% to 34.5%;
             A reduction in the length of stays in accommodation by 61% for Romanian tourists and 53% for foreign tourists.
             The national and regional transportation infrastructur
             ...