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Bucharest, the most important city of Romania, is
the principal political, administrative, economic, financial, banking,
educational, scientific and cultural centre of the country. Situated
in S-SE Romania (on the Dâmbovita and Colentina rivers), at
an altitude of 60-90 m, Bucharest is located at 44°25'50"
latitude North and 26°06'50" longitude East. This is at
about the same latitude as Belgrade, Geneva, Bordeaux, Minneapolis,
and at the same longitude as Helisinki and Johannesburg. The city
has an area of 228 sq. km. and a population of 2,021,000 (on 01.01.1998),
accounting for 9% of the total population and for 15% of the urban
one
The climate is one of extremes, with hot summers (July
average temperature, 23° C / 73° F) and cold winters (January
average, -3° C / 27° F). Rainfall is low, 585 mm annually,
and occurs mainly in summer.
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Early morning in one of the industrial zones which,
typical of a post-communist city, reach right into the centre.
This photograph was taken from the hotel which the students
stayed in. |
| Hanului Manuc. A commercial trading inn dating
from the last century in old Bucharest. Now restored and being
used as a hotel. |
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One of the few remaining traders’ courts in the
Lipscani area of Bucharest. |
The town was first mentioned in a document in 1459 as the residence
of the ruler of Wallachia, Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler, known also
as Dracula), but this settlement has an older history, going back to
the 14th century. The foundation of Bucharest is traditionally ascribed
to a peasant named Bucur, but no document of the city exists before
the late Middle Ages. Between the 17th - 19th centuries it was the capital
of Wallachia (begining in 1698) and in 1862 it became the capital of
Romania. The population increased from 122,000 (1859), 639,000 (1930)
to 1,452,000 (1966).
| Long overdue renovation work in the Lipscani area
of Bucharest. The building dates from the turn of the century. |
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