It seems that these
Optimal Borders Surveys are quite a fad recently.
The initial one was some time ago about
Poland, Repeated two years later
here, both posted by
@Magnificate, apparently from Poland.
Warning: Both Threads are old. Do not necro them, please.
[Sadly, while I do remember it, I cannot find it.]
Edit:
@Augenis helped me with the Polish borders threads.
The first copy-cat was about
Serbia, posted by
@Tomislav Addai, who seems to be from Slovakia!
The second copy-cat was about
Lithuania, posted by
@Augenis, who is certainly from Lithuania.
And now, the third copy-cat, about
Romania, posted by me,
@Zagan, from Romania.
The purpose of this thread is to find the best possible borders for Romania. To quote from
@Augenis:
[...] for the tumultous time that was the period between 1918-1920. As always, you can use whatever measure to determine the best possible borders, be it national borders, cultural or historical claims, or strategic importance.
Map of Romania and Adjacent Areas
(superimposed over Google Maps for reference)
Do not use this map for colouring purposes!

Key:
- [CORE] United Principalities Wallachia and Moldavia (part of Romania 1862-present, massive Romanian majority, not claimed by anyone)
- [CORE] Herța Region, United Principalities Wallachia and Moldavia (part of Romania 1862-1940, 1941-1944, massive Romanian majority, not claimed by anyone)
- Northern Dobruja (historical claim, part of Romania 1878-1918, 1919-present, Romanian majority, Bulgarian and Turkish minorities, claimed by Bulgaria)
- Danube Delta riverine islands, Northern Dobruja (historical claim, part of Romania 1878-1918, 1919-1948, claimed by Bulgaria as part of Northern Dobruja)
- Silistra and environs (historical claim, proposal to assign it to Romania in 1878, part of Romania 1913-1918, 1919-1940, mixed Bulgarian and Turkish population, small Romanian minority, claimed by Bulgaria)
- Part of Southern Dobruja (historical claim, part of Romania 1913-1918, 1919-1940, mixed Bulgarian and Turkish population, small Romanian minority, claimed by Bulgaria)
- The rest of Southern Dobruja (historical claim, part of Romania, 1913-1918, 1919-1940, mixed Bulgarian and Turkish population, small Romanian minority, claimed by Bulgaria)
- "Rusciuc-Varna Line" (annexation proposal in 1913, mixed Bulgarian and Turkish population, almost no Romanians)
- Part of Vidin Region (important Romanian minority / plurality)
- The rest of Vidin Region (small Romanian minority)
- Part of Timoc Region with Romanian majority
- The rest of Timoc Region (Romanian minority)
- Southern Bukovina (serious historical claim, part of Romania 1918-present, Romanian majority, Ukrainian minority, claimed by West Ukraine)
- Northern Bukovina (serious historical claim, part of Romania 1918-1940, 1941-1944, mixed population, claimed by West Ukraine)
- Pokuttya (historical claim, Romanian administration 1919, small Romanian minority, claimed by West Ukraine, Poland)
- Central Bessarabia (serious historical claim, part of Romania 1918-1940, 1941-1944, part of Moldova 1991-present, clear Romanian majority, claimed by the Soviet Union)
- Găgăuz Region, Bessarabia (serious historical claim, part of Romania 1918-1940, 1941-1944, part of Moldova 1991-present, mixed population, claimed by the Soviet Union)
- Northern Bessarabia (serious historical claim, part of Romania 1918-1940, 1941-1944, mixed population, claimed by the Soviet Union)
- Southern Bessarabia / the Budjak (serious historical claim, part of Romania 1918-1940, 1941-1944, mixed population, claimed by the Soviet Union)
- Present day Transnistria / part of Moldavian ASSR (historical claim, part of Romania 1941-1944, part of Moldova 1991-present, de facto 1991-1992, Romanian plurality)
- The rest of Moldavian ASSR (historical claim, part of Romania 1941-1944, important Romanian minority)
- Southern Transnistria / Yedisan (historical claim, part of Romania 1941-1944, small Romanian minority)
- Northern Transnistria (part of Romania 1941-1944, almost no Romanians)
- Southern Transylvania Proper (part of Romania 1918-present, clear Romanian majority, claimed by Hungary)
- Northern Transylvania Proper (part of Romania 1918-1940, 1944-present, Romanian majority, claimed by Hungary)
- Szekler Land / Hungarian Autonomous Region (part of Romania 1918-1940, 1944-present, important Romanian minority, claimed by Hungary)
- Romanian Banat (part of Romania 1919-present, Romanian majority, claimed by Hungary, Serbia)
- Part of Serbian Banat without Serbian plurality (mixed population)
- The rest of Serbian Banat (Serbian plurality, Romanian minority)
- Hungarian Banat (Hungarian plurality, Romanian minority)
- Southern Crișana / Southern Partium (part of Romania 1918-present, clear Romanian majority, claimed by Hungary)
- Northern Crișana / Northern Partium (part of Romania 1918-1940, 1944-present, Romanian majority, claimed by Hungary)
- Cenad and Bichiș Counties (part of Romania 1919-1920, important Romanian minority, claimed by Hungary)
- Tisa Plain (Romanian administration 1919-1920, small Romanian minority)
- Part of Tisa Plain in Czechoslovak Ruthenia (Romanian administration 1919-1920, small Romanian minority)
- Southern Maramureș (part of Romania 1918-1940, 1944-present, clear Romanian majority, claimed by Hungary)
- Part of Northern Maramureș with Romanian plurality (part of Romania 1919, claimed by Hungary, West Ukraine, Czechoslovakia)
- The rest of Northern Maramureș (part of Romania 1919, Ukrainian majority, small Romanian minority, claimed by Hungary, West Ukraine, Czechoslovakia)
- The rest of Carpatho-Ukraine (almost no Romanians)
- Overseas Colonies
- Territories with Aromanian plurality in N Greece, E Albania, Serbian Macedonia, SW Bulgaria (annexation or independent / puppet state)
- Territories with Aromanian minorities in N Greece, E Albania, Serbian Macedonia, SW Bulgaria (annexation or independent / puppet state)
Edit: I realized that an Ethnic Map may be useful.
Ethnic Map of Romania and Adjacent Areas
Do not use this map for colouring purposes!
Note: Please excuse the distorsions. It was an old map of unknown projection and I could not fit it perfectly over Google Maps Web Mercator.
Original Map Link
My Vote:
Do not use this map for colouring purposes!
The five levels are the same as always:
- Priority 1 (Violet): Must be acquired at all cost;
- Priority 2 (Blue): May only be sought once all of Priority 1 is acquired;
- Priority 3 (Green): May only be sought once all of Priority 2 is acquired (secondary importance);
- Keep If Offered (Yellow): Keep territory if offered by other countries, otherwise do not claim;
- Keep Out (Red): Do not claim (negatives outweigh the benefits).
Additional colours include:
- Water (Sea Blue): Black Sea;
- Core Romania (Dark Grey): Always part of Romania (you should leave it like that);
- Not Under Consideration (Light Grey): Absolutely no reason to include / never even mentioned.
Use the following Blank Map please. Colour it according to your own rationale.
(no labels and pixelated borders, for easy colouring in Paint)
You may download it from this link.
Thank you.