Bucharest, Romania

Bucharest  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 on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than 70 km (43.5 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 6thlargest 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.