Why is Romanian 1 of the Latin languages?

Romanian is a Romance language, meaning it is derived from Vulgar Latin that was spoken in the Roman Empire. However, it is quite distinct from other Romance languages, due to its geographical isolation from the rest of the Romance-speaking world and the influence of Slavic languages spoken in the region.

Romanian is only spoken by about 25 million people, but it is the most widely spoken language in Southeastern Europe. It is the official language of Romania and Moldova and is also spoken by minorities in countries such as Serbia, Ukraine, and Hungary.