charest (/ˈbuːkərɛst/; Romanian: București, pronounced [bukuˈreʃtʲ]) is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at 44°25′57″N 26°06′14″ECoordinates: 44°25′57″N 26°06′14″E, lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than 70 kilometres (43 mi) north of the Danube River.
Bucharest was first mentioned in documents in 1459. It became the capital of Romania in 1862 and is the centre of Romanian media, culture and art. Its architecture is a mix of historical (neo-classical), interbellum (Bauhaus and Art Deco), Communist-era and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of "Little Paris" (Micul Paris).[6] Although buildings and districts in the historic city centre were heavily damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes, and above all Nicolae Ceauşescu's program of systematization, many survived. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom.[7]
According to 2011 census, 1,883,425 inhabitants live within the city limits,[4] a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census.[2] The urban area extends beyond the limits of Bucharest proper and has a population of about 1.9 million people.[8] Adding the satellite towns around the urban area, the proposed metropolitan area of Bucharest would have a population of 2.27 million people.[9] According to Eurostat, Bucharest has a Larger Urban Zone of 2,151,880 residents.[5] According to unofficial data, the population is more than 3 million.[10] Bucharest is the 6th largest city in the European Union by population within city limits, after London, Berlin, Madrid, Rome, and Paris.
Economically, Bucharest is the most prosperous city in Romania[11] and is one of the main industrial centres and transportation hubs of Eastern Europe. The city has big convention facilities, educational institutes, cultural venues, traditional "shopping arcades" and recreational areas.
The city proper is administratively known as "The Municipality of Bucharest" (Municipiul București), and has the same administrative level as that of a national county, being further subdivided into six sectors.
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[show]Etymology[edit]
The name of București has an uncertain origin: tradition connects the founding of Bucharest with the name of Bucur who was either a prince, an outlaw, a fisherman, a shepherd, or a hunter, according to different legends[by whom?]. In Romanian the word stem bucur means 'joy', ("happiness")[12] and it is believed to be of Dacian origin.[13]
There are other etymologies given by early scholars, including the one of an Ottoman traveler, Evliya Çelebi, who said that Bucharest was named after a certain "Abu-Kariș", from the tribe of "Bani-Kureiș". In 1781, Franz Sulzer claimed that it was related to bucurie (joy), bucuros (joyful) or a se bucura (to become joyful), while an early 19th-century book published in Vienna assumed its name has been derived from "Bukovie", a beech forest.[14]
The official city name in full is "The Municipality of Bucharest" (Romanian: Municipiul București).
A native or resident of Bucharest is called a "Bucharester" (Romanian: bucureștean).
History[edit]
Main article: History of Bucharest
See also: Timeline of Bucharest history
Bucharest's history alternated periods of development and decline from the early settlements in the Antiquity until its consolidation as the national Capital of Romania late in the 19th century.
First mentioned as the "Citadel of București" in 1459, it became the residence of the famous Wallachian prince Vlad III the Impaler.
The Ottomans appointed Greek administrators to run the town from the 18th century. A revolt led by Tudor Vladimirescu in 1821 ended the rule of the Constantinople-Greeks in Bucharest.
The Old Princely Court (Curtea Veche) was erected by Mircea Ciobanul, and under subsequent rulers, Bucharest was established as the summer residence of the royal court. During the years to come it competed with Târgoviște on the status of Capital city after an increase in the importance of southern Muntenia brought about by the demands of the suzerain power - theOttoman Empire.
Bucharest became finally the permanent location of the Wallachian court after 1698 (starting with the reign of Constantin Brâncoveanu).
Partly destroyed by natural disasters and rebuilt several times during the following 200 years, and hit by Caragea's plague in 1813–1814, the city was wrested from Ottoman control and occupied at several intervals by the Habsburg Monarchy (1716, 1737, 1789) and Imperial Russia (three times between 1768 and 1806). It was placed under Russian administration between 1828 and the Crimean War, with an interlude during the Bucharest-centred 1848 Wallachian revolution. Later on an Austrian garrison took possession after the Russian departure (remaining in the city until March 1857). Additionally, on 23 March 1847, a fire consumed about 2,000 buildings, destroying a third of the city.
In 1862, after Wallachia and Moldavia were united to form the Principality of Romania, Bucharest became the new nation's capital city. In 1881, it became the political centre of the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Romania under King Carol I. During the second half of the 19th century the city's population increased dramatically, and a new period of urban development began. During this period, gas lighting, horse-drawn trams and limited electrification were introduced.[15] The Dâmbovița river was also massively channelled in 1883, thus putting a stop to previously endemic floods.[16] The Fortifications of Bucharest were built. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of this period won Bucharest the nickname of "Little Paris" (Micul Paris) of the east, with Calea Victoriei as its Champs-Élysées.
Between 6 December 1916 and November 1918, the city was occupied by German forces as a result of the Battle of Bucharest, with the official capital temporarily removed to Iași in the Moldova county. After World War I, Bucharest became the capital of Greater Romania. In the interwar years continued its urban development, with the city gaining an average of 30,000 new residents each year. Also, some of the city's main landmarks were built in this period, including Arcul de Triumf and Palatul Telefoanelor.[17] However, the Great Depression took its toll on Bucharest's citizens, culminating in the Grivița Strike of 1933.[18]
In January 1941, the city was the scene of the Legionnaires' rebellion and Bucharest pogrom. As capital of an Axis country and a major transit point for Axis troops en route to the Eastern Front, Bucharest suffered heavy damage during World War II due to Allied bombings. On 23 August 1944 it was the site of the royal coup which brought Romania into the Allied camp, suffering a short period of Nazi Luftwaffe bombings as well as a failed attempt by German troops to regain the city by force.
After the establishment of communism in Romania, the city continued growing. New districts were constructed, most of them dominated by tower blocks. During Nicolae Ceaușescu's leadership (1965–1989), much of the historic part of the city was demolished and replaced by "Socialist realism" style development: (1) the Centrul Civic (the Civic Centre); (2) the Palace of the Parliament, where an entire historic quarter was razed to make way for Ceaușescu's megalomaniac plans. On 4 March 1977, an earthquake centered in Vrancea, about 135 km (83.89 mi) away, claimed 1,500 lives and caused further damage to the historic centre.
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 began with massive anti-Ceaușescu protests in Timișoara in December 1989 and continued in Bucharest, leading to the overthrow of the Communist regime. Dissatisfied with the post-revolutionary leadership of the National Salvation Front, some student leagues and opposition groups organized large-scale protests in 1990 (the "Golaniad"), which were violently repressed by the miners of Valea Jiului called in by the authorities (the "Mineriad"). Several other "Mineriads" followed, which finally caused political changes.
After 2000 the city was continuously modernized and is still undergoing urban renewals. Residential and commercial developments are underway, particularly in the northern districts, and Bucharest's old historic centre is being restored nowadays.
Treaties signed in Bucharest[edit]
- Treaty of Bucharest (1812), between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire ending the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)
- Treaty of Bucharest (1886), between Serbia and Bulgaria ending the Serbo-Bulgarian War
- Treaty of Bucharest (1913), between Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece ending of the Second Balkan War
- Treaty of Bucharest (1916), a treaty of alliance between Romania and the Entente Powers
- Treaty of Bucharest (1918), between Romania and the Central Powers
Geography[edit]
General[edit]
Bucharest is situated on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, which flows into the Argeș River, a tributary of the Danube. Several lakes – the most important of which are Lake Herăstrău, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei, and Lake Colentina – stretch across the northern parts of the city, along theColentina River, a tributary of the Dâmbovița. In addition, in the centre of the capital there is a small artificial lake – Lake Cișmigiu – surrounded by theCișmigiu Gardens. The Cișmigiu Gardens have a rich history, being frequented by poets and writers. Opened in 1847 and based on the plans of German architect Carl F.W. Meyer, the gardens are the main recreational facility in the city centre.
Besides Cișmigiu, Bucharest contains other parks and gardens, including the Herăstrău Park and the Botanical Garden. The park is located in the northern part of the city, around Lake Herăstrău, and includes also the site of the Village Museum. The Botanical Garden is the largest of its kind in Romania and contains over 10,000 species of plants (many of them exotic) and used to be once the pleasure park of the royal family.[19]
Bucharest is situated in the south eastern corner of the Romanian Plain, in an area once covered by the Vlăsiei forest, which, after it was cleared, gave way for a fertile flatland. As with many cities, Bucharest is traditionally considered to be built upon seven hills, similar to the seven hills of Rome. Bucharest's seven hills are: Mihai Vodă, Dealul Mitropoliei, Radu Vodă, Cotroceni, Spirei, Văcărești and Sf. Gheorghe Nou.
The city has an area of 226 square kilometres (87 sq mi). The altitude varies from 55.8 metres (183.1 ft) at the Dâmbovița bridge in Cățelu, south-eastern Bucharest and 91.5 m (300.2 ft) at the Militari church. The city has an approximately round shape, with the centre situated in the cross-way of the main north-south/east-west axes at University Square. The milestone for Romania's Kilometre Zero is placed just south of University Square in front of the New St. George Church (Sfântul Gheorghe Nou) at St. George Square (Piața Sfântul Gheorghe). Bucharest's radius, from University Square to the city limits in all directions, varies from about 10 to 12 kilometres (6 to 7 miles).
Until recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surroundingIlfov county. Further urban consolidation is expected to take place in the late 2010s, when the "Bucharest Metropolitan Area" plan will become operational, incorporating additional communes and cities from the Ilfov and other neighbouring counties.[20]
Climate[edit]
Bucharest has a transitional climate, with both continental and subtropical influences (Köppen climate classification Cfa/Dfa/Cfb/Dfb). Owing to its position on the Romanian Plain, the city's winters can get windy, even though some of the winds are mitigated due to urbanisation. Winter temperatures often dip below 0 °C (32 °F), sometimes even to −20 °C (−4 °F). In summer, the average temperature is 23 °C (73 °F) (the average for July and August) Temperatures frequently reach 35 to 40 °C (95 to 104 °F) in mid-summer in the city centre. Although average precipitationand humidity during summer are low, there are occasional heavy storms. During spring and autumn, daytime temperatures vary between 17 to 22 °C (63 to 72 °F), and precipitation during this time tends to be higher than in summer, with more frequent yet milder periods of rain.
| [hide]Climate data for Bucharest | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.8 (62.2) | 20.6 (69.1) | 27.4 (81.3) | 31.4 (88.5) | 35.1 (95.2) | 36.4 (97.5) | 39.6 (103.3) | 40.0 (104) | 36.8 (98.2) | 33.6 (92.5) | 24.7 (76.5) | 18.4 (65.1) | 40.0 (104) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 1.5 (34.7) | 4.1 (39.4) | 10.5 (50.9) | 18.0 (64.4) | 23.3 (73.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.5 (83.3) | 24.6 (76.3) | 18.0 (64.4) | 10.0 (50) | 3.8 (38.8) | 16.5 (61.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.4 (27.7) | −0.1 (31.8) | 4.8 (40.6) | 11.3 (52.3) | 16.7 (62.1) | 20.2 (68.4) | 22.0 (71.6) | 21.2 (70.2) | 16.9 (62.4) | 10.8 (51.4) | 5.2 (41.4) | 0.2 (32.4) | 10.6 (51.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −5.5 (22.1) | −3.3 (26.1) | 0.3 (32.5) | 5.6 (42.1) | 10.5 (50.9) | 14.0 (57.2) | 15.6 (60.1) | 15.0 (59) | 11.1 (52) | 5.7 (42.3) | 1.6 (34.9) | −2.6 (27.3) | 5.7 (42.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −23.7 (−10.7) | −23.9 (−11) | −16.6 (2.1) | −2.7 (27.1) | 0.0 (32) | 5.2 (41.4) | 8.7 (47.7) | 5.2 (41.4) | −3.1 (26.4) | −7.3 (18.9) | −18.8 (−1.8) | −19.5 (−3.1) | −23.9 (−11) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 40 (1.57) | 36 (1.42) | 38 (1.5) | 46 (1.81) | 70 (2.76) | 77 (3.03) | 64 (2.52) | 58 (2.28) | 42 (1.65) | 32 (1.26) | 49 (1.93) | 43 (1.69) | 595 (23.43) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 13.7 (5.39) | 11.0 (4.33) | 10.5 (4.13) | 1.5 (0.59) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 8.8 (3.46) | 10.5 (4.13) | 56 (22.03) |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 72 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 71.3 | 84.8 | 139.5 | 186.0 | 244.9 | 267.0 | 288.3 | 282.1 | 225.0 | 176.7 | 87.0 | 62.0 | 2,114.6 |
| Source #1: World Meteorological Organization,[21] NOAA (extremes and snow)[22] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: Hong Kong Observatory (sun only)[23] | |||||||||||||
Law and government[edit]
Administration[edit]
See also: Bucharest metropolitan area
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Bucharest has a unique status in Romanian administration, since it is the only municipal area that is not part of a county. Its population, however, is larger than that of any other Romanian county, hence the power of the Bucharest General Municipality (Primăria Generală), which is the capital's local government body, is the same as any other Romanian County Council.
The city government is headed by a General Mayor (Primar General), as of 2008 Sorin Oprescu. Decisions are approved and discussed by the capital's General Council (Consiliu General) made up of 55 elected councilors. Furthermore, the city is divided into six administrative sectors (sectoare), each of which has their own 27-seat sectoral council, town hall and mayor. The powers of the local government over a certain area are therefore shared both by the Bucharest Municipality and the local sectoral councils with little or no overlapping of authority. The general rule is that the main Capital Municipality is responsible for citywide utilities such as the water and sewage system, the overall transport system and the main boulevards, while sectoral town halls manage the contact between individuals and the local government, secondary streets and parks maintenance, schools administration and cleaning services.
The six sectors are numbered from one to six and are disposed radially so that each one has under its administration a certain area of the city centre. They are numbered clockwise and are further divided into sectoral quarters (cartiere) which are not part of the official administrative division:
- Sector 1 (population 227,717): Dorobanți, Băneasa, Aviației, Pipera, Aviatorilor, Primăverii, Romană, Victoriei, Herăstrău Park, Bucureștii Noi, Dămăroaia, Strǎulești, Grivița, 1 Mai, Băneasa Forest, Pajura, Domenii
- Sector 2 (population 357,338): Pantelimon, Colentina, Iancului, Tei, Floreasca, Moșilor, Obor, Vatra Luminoasă, Fundeni, Plumbuita, Ștefan cel Mare, Baicului
- Sector 3 (population 399,231): Vitan, Dudești, Titan, Centrul Civic, Dristor, Lipscani, Muncii, Unirii
- Sector 4 (population 300,331): Berceni, Olteniței, Giurgiului, Progresul, Văcărești, Timpuri Noi, Tineretului
- Sector 5 (population 288,690): Rahova, Ferentari, Giurgiului, Cotroceni, 13 Septembrie, Dealul Spirii
- Sector 6 (population 371,060): Giulești, Crângași, Drumul Taberei, Militari, Grozǎvești (also known as Regie), Ghencea
Like all other local councils in Romania, the Bucharest sectoral councils, the capital's General Council and the mayors are elected every four years by the population. Additionally, Bucharest has a prefect, who is appointed by Romania's national government. The prefect is not allowed to be a member of a political party and his role is to represent the national government at the municipal level. The prefect is acting as a liaison official facilitating the implementation of National Development Plans and governing programs at local level. The prefect of Bucharest (as of 2012) is Georgeta Gavrilă.
The Municipality of Bucharest, along with the surrounding Ilfov County and several other neighbouring counties are part of the Bucharest development region project, which is equivalent to NUTS-II regions in the European Union and is used both by the Union and the Romanian Government for statistical analysis and regional development planning. The Bucharest development region is not, however, an administrative entity yet.
Justice system[edit]
Bucharest's judicial system is similar to that of the Romanian counties. Each of the six sectors has its own local first instance court (judecătorie), while appeals from these courts' verdicts, and more serious cases, are directed to the Bucharest Tribunal, the city's municipal court. The Bucharest Court of Appeal judges appeals against decisions taken by tribunals in Bucharest and in five surrounding counties (Teleorman, Ialomița, Giurgiu, Călărași and Ilfov). Bucharest is also home to Romania's supreme court, the High Court of Cassation and Justice, as well as to theConstitutional Court of Romania.
Bucharest has a municipal police force, the Bucharest Police (Poliția București), which is responsible for policing of crime within the whole city, and operates a number of divisions. The Bucharest Police are headquartered on ștefan cel Mare Blvd. in the city centre, and at precincts throughout the city. From 2004 onwards, each Sector City Hall also has under its administration a Community Police force (Poliția Comunitară), dealing with local community issues. Bucharest also houses the General Inspectorates of the Gendarmerie and the National Police.
Crime[edit]
Main article: Crime in Bucharest
Bucharest's crime rate is rather low in comparison to other European capital cities, with the number of total offenses declining by 51% between 2000 and 2004.[24] The violent crime rate in Bucharest remains very low, with 11 murders and 983 other violent offenses taking place in 2007.[25] Although in the 2000s, there were a number of police crackdowns on organized crime gangs, such as the Cămătaru clan, organized crime generally has little impact on public life. Petty crime, however, is more common, particularly in the form of pickpocketing, which occurs mainly on the city's public transport network. Confidence tricks were common in the 1990s, especially in regards to tourists, but the frequency of these incidents has since declined. Levels of crime are higher in the southern districts of the city, particularly in Ferentari, a socially disadvantaged area.
Although the presence of street children was a problem in Bucharest in the 1990s, their numbers have declined in recent years, now lying at or below the average of major European capital cities.[26] A documentary called Children Underground depicted the life of Romanian street kids in 2001. There are still an estimated 1,000 street children in the city,[26] some of whom engage in petty crime and begging.
Quality of life[edit]
As stated by the Mercer international surveys for quality of life in cities around the world, Bucharest occupied the 94th place in 2001[27] and slipped lower, to the 108th place in 2009 and the 107th place in 2010. Compared to it, Vienna occupied No. 1 worldwide in 2011 and 2009.[28] Budapest ranked 73rd (2010) and Sofia 114th (2010).[29] Mercer Human Resource Consulting issues yearly a global ranking of the world's most livable cities based on 39 key quality-of-life issues. Among them: political stability, currency-exchange regulations, political and media censorship, school quality, housing, the environment, public safety. Mercer collects data worldwide, in 215 cities. The difficult situation of the quality of life in Bucharest is confirmed also by a vast urbanism study, done by the Ion Mincu University of Architecture and Urbanism.[30]
Demographics[edit]
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1595 | 10,000 | — |
| 1650 | 20,000 | +100.0% |
| 1789 | 30,030 | +50.2% |
| 1831 | 60,587 | +101.8% |
| 1851 | 60,000 | −1.0% |
| 1859 | 121,734 | +102.9% |
| 1877 | 177,646 | +45.9% |
| 1889 | 282,071 | +58.8% |
| 1912 | 341,321 | +21.0% |
| 1930 | 639,040 | +87.2% |
| 1948 | 1,025,180 | +60.4% |
| 1956 | 1,177,661 | +14.9% |
| 1966 | 1,366,684 | +16.1% |
| 1977 | 1,807,239 | +32.2% |
| 1992 | 2,064,474 | +14.2% |
| 2002 | 1,926,334 | −6.7% |
| 2011 | 1,883,425 | −2.2% |
| 1851 data: Chambers's Encyclopaedia[31] Other data:[32][33][34] | ||
As per 2011 census, 1,883,425 inhabitants live within the city limits, a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census.[4]
The city's population, according to the 2002 census, was 1,926,334 inhabitants,[2] or 8.9% of the total population of Romania. A significant number of people commute to the city every day, mostly from the surrounding Ilfov county, however official statistics regarding their numbers do not exist.[35]
Bucharest's population experienced two phases of rapid growth, the first beginning in the late 19th century when the city was consolidated as the national capital and lasting until the Second World War, and the second during the Ceaușescu years (1965–1989), when a massive urbanization campaign was launched and many people migrated from rural areas to the capital. At this time, due to Ceaușescu's decision to ban abortion and contraception, natural increase was also significant.
Approximately 96.6% of the population of Bucharest are Romanians.[36] Other significant ethnic groups are Roma Gypsies, Hungarians, Jews, Turks, Chinese and Germans. A relatively small number of Bucharesters are of Greek, North American, French, Armenian, Lippovan and Italian descent. One of the predominantly Greek neighborhoods was Vitan – where a Jewish population also lived; the latter was more present in Văcărești and areas around Unirii Square.
In terms of religious affiliation, 96.1% of the population are Romanian Orthodox, 1.2% are Roman Catholic, 0.5% are Muslim and 0.4% are Romanian Greek Catholic. Despite this, only 18% of the population, of any religion, attend a place of worship once a week or more.[37] The life expectancy of residents of Bucharest in 2003–2005 was 74.14 years, around 2 years higher than the Romanian average. Female life expectancy was 77.41 years, in comparison to 70.57 years for males.[38]
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