The historical province of Dobrudja, situated in the southeastern part of Romania and represents one of the most special extra-Carpathian regions, where the relief and geology, but also the microclimate, hydrography, flora and fauna are extremely diverse.

From the geo-morphological point of view, Dobrudja contains four morpho - structural units. One of them is the Danube alluvial and deltaic plain, the mountainous – hilly Hercynian-Kimeric unit of the Northern Dobrudja. Another one is the unit of the green schist Casimcea plateau or the Central Dobrudja. The third one is the plateau with Sarmatian structure or the Southern Dobrudja.

The first two morpho-structural units represent the region object of the present study. We shall deal with them as a single geographical, historical and ethnographical entity, named Northern Dobrudja.

Northern Dobrudja is geographically delimitated at east and north by the Danube River, at east by the Black Sea, at south by the Peceneaga -Camena fault.

From the geological point of view, Dobrudja’s territory belongs to the platform unit. This is a rigid old mountains unit, intensively pleated, faulted and eroded, characterized by block type mono-structures, which continues under the Danube holms and delta.

The relief of the zone, resulted from a long duration sub aerial modeling, contains equal proportions of low regions 0 to 6 m altitude (holms, delta, lakes and swamps) and high regions 6 to 467 m height (stepped plains, hills-plateaus and mountains intensively eroded). The oldest geological and relief units (mountains, hills and plateaus from Precambrian, Hercinian and Kimeric ages, developed in steppe conditions and drowned in loess) are in direct contact with the youngest (Danube holms and delta). The main low regions exponent is the Danube Delta, the youngest Romanian geographical region, which individuality is a case apart among both the European deltas and those of the entire world. The Danube Delta is a classical type delta; its outline is plain because of the outlet into a closed sea, without tides, where the winds have reduced frequency and low intensity that they are favorable for the deltas moulding. Because of the interaction between the river and the sea, Danube Delta splits into two sectors: the river delta at the western part and the river-sea delta at the eastern part. Letea-Caraorman-Crasnicol sand banks line separates these sectors.

Specific to the high regions relief is its intense fragmentation or cutting into numerous massifs and both mountainous and hilly summits, some of them being isolated and having an insular character (named inselbergs). The most important massifs and mountainous summits are the northwestern massive consisting of the Măcin Mountains and the Niculiţel Hills and the southern massive, much more extended, consisting of the biggest part of the Babadag and Casimcea plateaus. Carapelit or Iaila pass at 200 m altitude separates these massifs.

From the climatic side, Northern Dobrudja fits in the low hilly regions of the country, with a high accented continental character. It presents also different local nuances because of its location at the Danube mouths and on the Black Sea seacoast, because of the relief morphology (western, northern and eastern passages and depressions), because of the northwestern and southern massiveness and altitude of the mountains and hills.

Based on the contrast land-sea there have been established two climatic regions: the continental one and the seacoast one. Big thermal contrasts summer-winter, rare shower rains, intense snowstorm phenomenon and ± 400 ml yearly rainfalls characterize the continental climate region. The seacoast climate region is characterized by the local breezes circulation in summer because of the Black sea direct influence (which hinders the air temperature excessive diminution), with a reduced number of warm days.

Based on the relation relief-climate, there were identified many microclimatic nuances: moderate climate for mountains and hills, mild and warm climate for the hills and stepped plains, moderate and very warm climate for the Danube holms, mild and moderate climate for the Danube Delta and areas coterminous to the seacoast.

The winds regime is almost continuous, accenting the region dry climate. The predominant winds come from the north and northeast. There are also local winds, which directions depend on the relief and the water - land distribution.

The hydrographic network belongs to the two big basins – the Danube basin and the Black Sea basin. The waters lop-sided balance, situated on the western and northern side along the highest relief quotas separates them. The dry climates of the region, the relief and the soil structure have a substantial influence on the hydrological regime. The natural water resources are much richer in the low regions and more reduced in the high regions. The humidity deficit due to the climate dryness generates an obvious hydrological disagreement.
In general, the northern Dobrudja rivers from the high regions have their own regime characterized by a minimum flow in winter, big and sometimes catastrophic flow in the spring and winter (as consequence of the snow melting and torrential rains) and by frequent dryings until the complete disappearance for the smaller rivers.
The low regions’ hydrography has characteristics influenced first by the Danube with its delta and by the Razim Lake, then by the system consisting in secondary arms, channels, holms and delta lakes.

From the biogeographical point of view, the Northern Dobrudja, like the entire Dobrudja region, represents one of the most special units of the country because of the northern, southern and Pontic floristic and faunal complex of elements. The diversity of the morphological, climatic, hydrological and edaphic conditions determines the vegetal and animal formations variety, originality and value. The number of plants and animals species reported in the studied zone exceeds 6000. Many of them are the object of the protection and conservation measures. Protection extends also to their habitats. The main Northern Dobrudja protected areas are National Park of Măcin Mountains, Biosphere Reserve Danube Delta, Niculiţel Forest, Valley of Beeches Forest, Sheep’s Valley Lilac Natural Reserve, Peony's Hill Natural Reserve, Big Fountain Lilac Natural Reserve, and Korum Tarla Botanical Reserve. There can be added two geological reserves, declared monuments of the nature: Peonies Hill –Turcoaia Fossiliferous Point and Rocky Hill – Agighiol Fossiliferous Point.