Bucharest 36877 226140824 2008-07-17T00:23:16Z Borsec11 7488623 /* Historical architecture */ {{Infobox Settlement | official_name = Bucharest | native_name = ''Bucureşti'' | nickname = Little Paris, Paris of the East | motto = Patria si Dreptul Meu (My Country and My Right) | image_skyline = Palace of Parliament.jpg | image_caption = The [[Palace of the Parliament]] | image_flag = Bucharest-Flag.png | image_shield = Bucharest-Coat-of-Arms.png | image_map = Bucharest_in_Romania.svg | mapsize = 200px | map_caption = Location of Bucharest within [[Romania]] (in red) | subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]] | subdivision_name = [[Romania]] | subdivision_type1 = [[Administrative divisions of Romania|County]] | subdivision_name1 = Municipality of Bucharest | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = [[Sorin Oprescu]] ([[Independent (politician)|Independent]]) | established_title = Founded | established_date = 1459 (first official record) | established_title2 = | established_date2 = | area_magnitude = | area_total_km2 = 228 | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_metro_km2 = 238 | population_as_of = 2007-July-11<ref>[http://www.insse.ro/cms/rw/resource/populatia_stab_1%20iulie2007.htm Population of Romania as of [[July 11]], [[2007]]]</ref> | population_footnotes = | population_note = | settlement_type = City | population_total = {{increase}} 1,931,838 | population_metro = 2,600,000 | population_density_km2 = 8510 | timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]] | utc_offset = +2 | timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]] | utc_offset_DST = +3 | latd = 44 | latm = 26 | lats = 7 | latNS = N | longd = 26 | longm = 6 | longs = 10 | longEW = E | elevation_m = 60 - 90 | elevation_ft = 197&ndash;295 | postal_code_type = Postal Code | postal_code = 0xxxxx | area_code = +40 x1 | blank_name = [[Romanian car number plates|Car Plates]] | blank_info = B | website = [http://www.pmb.ro/ www.pmb.ro] | footnotes = }} '''Bucharest''' ([[Romanian language|Romanian]]: ''Bucureşti'' {{IPAudio|Ro-Bucureşti.ogg|/bu.kuˈreʃtʲ/}}) is the [[capital city]], industrial, and commercial centre of [[Romania]]. It is Romania's largest city. It is located in the southeast of the country, at {{coor dm|44|25|N|26|06|E|}}, and lies on the banks of the [[Dâmboviţa River]]. It was originally known as Dâmboviţa citadel. By European standards, Bucharest is not an old city, its existence first being referred to by scholars as late as 1459.<ref>[http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=bucharest@36 Bucharest Travel Guide], [[Fodors]]</ref> Since then it has gone through a variety of changes, becoming the state capital of Romania in 1862 and steadily consolidating its position as the centre of the Romanian mass media, culture and arts. Its eclectic architecture is a mix of historical, interbellum, 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 the "Paris of the East" or "Little Paris" (''Micul Paris'').<ref>[http://museum.ici.ro/mbucur/english/micparis.htm Bucharest, the small Paris of the East], on the Museums from Romania web site.</ref> Although many buildings and districts in the historic centre were damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes and [[Nicolae Ceauşescu]]'s program of [[systematization (Romania)|systematization]], many survived. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom.<ref>Bucica, 2000, p.6.</ref> According to January 2006 official estimates, Bucharest proper has a population of 1,930,390.<ref name="bucharest_pop_estimates">{{ro icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.euractiv.ro/uniunea-europeana/articles%7CdisplayArticle/articleID_7397/Populatia-Romaniei-scade-de-la-an-la-an.html| title="Populatia Romaniei scade de la an la an"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> The [[urban area]] extends beyond the limits of Bucharest proper and has a population of 2.1 million people.<ref name="bucharest_pop_urban_metro">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.metropolregion.nuernberg.de/download/Bukarest_ME.pdf| title="Bucharest: Few expectations for urban development", page 29|author=XIX Meeting of METREX Network, Nürnberg, 15-[[18 June]] [[2005]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> Adding the satellite towns around the urban area, the [[metropolitan area]] of Bucharest has a population of 2.6 million people.<ref name="bucharest_pop_urban_metro">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.metropolregion.nuernberg.de/download/Bukarest_ME.pdf| title="Bucharest: Few expectations for urban development", page 29| author=XIX Meeting of METREX Network, Nürnberg, 15-[[18 June]] [[2005]]|format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> Bucharest is the 6th largest city in the [[European Union]] by population within city limits.<ref name="bucharest_pop_estimates">{{ro icon}} {{cite web| url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Largest_cities_of_the_European_Union_by_population_within_city_limits#100_Most_populous_cities| title="Largest cities of the European Union by population within city limits"| accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> Economically, the city is the most prosperous in Romania<ref>PriceWaterhouseCoopers Global [http://www.pwcglobal.com/ro/eng/ins-sol/spec-int/Regional%20Attractiveness%20Index.pdf Regional Attractiveness Report Romania]</ref> and is one of the main industrial centres and transportation hubs of [[Eastern Europe]]. As the most developed city in Romania, Bucharest also has a broad range of educational facilities. The city proper is administratively known as the Municipality of Bucharest (''Municipiul Bucureşti''), and has the same administrative level as a [[counties of Romania|county]], being further subdivided into six [[Sectors of Bucharest|sectors]]. ==Etymology== Tradition connects the founding of Bucharest with the name of Bucur who was either a prince, an outlaw, a fisherman or a shepherd according to different legends. The name of [[Bucur]] (from "bucurie" meaning "joy") is of Thracian-Geto-Dacian origin.<ref>http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/List%C4%83_de_cuvinte_dacice</ref> In Albanian, a language which has historical connections with the Thracian languages, "bukur' signifies 'beautiful'. The official city name in full is '''The Municipality of Bucharest''' ({{lang-ro|Municipiul Bucureşti}}). Bucharest has been known in [[Latin]] as ''Bucaresta'', in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] and [[German language|German]] as ''Bukarest'' and in [[French language|French]], [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Spanish language|Spanish]] as ''Bucarest'' in [[Dutch]] as Boekarest. A native or resident of Bucharest is called ''Bucharester'' ({{lang-ro|Bucureştean}}). ==History== {{main|History of Bucharest}} {| align=right |[[Image:Curtea Veche Bucuresti.jpg|thumb|200px|The remains of [[Curtea Veche]], the royal court in Bucharest during the Middle Ages]] |- |[[Image:Bucuresti punte 1837.jpg|thumb|200px|Bucharest in 1837]] |- |[[Image:CEC palace and royal guard.jpg|thumb|200px|Back view of the CEC Palace and the royal guard]] |- | |} Bucharest's history alternated periods of development and decline from the early settlements of the [[classical antiquity|Antiquity]] and until its consolidation as capital of Romania late in the 19th century. First mentioned as "the [[Citadel]] of Bucureşti" in 1459, it became a residence of the [[Wallachia]]n [[List of rulers of Wallachia|prince]] [[Vlad III the Impaler]]. The Old Princely Court (''[[Curtea Veche]]'') was built by [[Mircea Ciobanul]], and during following rules, Bucharest was established as the summer residence of the court, competing with [[Târgovişte]] for the status of capital after an increase in the importance of southern [[Muntenia]] brought about by the demands of the [[Suzerainty|suzerain]] power, the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Burned down by the Ottomans and briefly discarded by princes at the start of the 17th century, Bucharest was restored and continued to grow in size and prosperity. Its centre was around the street "Uliţa Mare", which starting 1589 was known as [[Lipscani]]. Before the 1700s, it became the most important trade centre of Wallachia and became a permanent location for 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, 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 [[Regulamentul Organic|Russian administration]] between 1828 and the [[Crimean War]], with an interlude during the Bucharest-centered [[1848 Wallachian revolution]], and an [[Austrian Empire|Austrian]] garrison took possession after the Russian departure (remaining in the city until March 1857). Additionally, on [[March 23]], [[1847]], a fire consumed about 2,000 buildings of Bucharest, destroying a third of the city. The social divide between rich and poor was described at the time by [[Ferdinand Lassalle]] as making the city "a savage hotchpotch". In 1861, when [[Wallachia]] and [[Moldavia]] were united to form the [[Danubian Principalities|Principality of Romania]], Bucharest became the new nation's capital; in 1881, it became the political center of the newly-proclaimed [[Kingdom of Romania]]. During the second half of the 19th century, due to its new status, the city's population increased dramatically, and a new period of urban development began. The extravagant architecture and cosmopolitan high culture of this period won Bucharest the nickname of "The Paris of the East" (or "Little Paris", ''Micul Paris''), with [[Calea Victoriei]] as its [[Champs-Élysées]] or [[Fifth Avenue]]. Between [[December 6]], [[1916]] and November 1918, it was occupied by [[German Empire|German]] forces, the legitimate capital being moved to [[Iaşi]]. After [[World War I]], Bucharest became the capital of [[Greater Romania]]. As the capital of an [[Axis Powers|Axis]] country, Bucharest suffered heavy losses during [[World War II]], due to [[Bombing of Bucharest in World War II|Allied bombings]], and, on [[August 23]], [[1944]], saw the [[Romania during World War II#The royal coup|the royal coup]] which brought Romania into the anti-[[Nazi Germany|German]] camp, suffering a short but destructive period of [[History of the Luftwaffe during World War II|Luftwaffe]] bombings in reprisal. On [[November 8]], [[1945]], the king's birthday, the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-backed [[Petru Groza]] government suppressed pro-[[King of Romania|monarchist]] rallies. During [[Nicolae Ceauşescu]]'s leadership (1965-1989), most of the historic part of the city was destroyed and replaced with Communist-style buildings, particularly high-rise apartment blocks. The best example of this is the development called [[Centrul Civic]] (the Civic Centre), including the [[Palace of the Parliament]], where an entire historic quarter was razed to make way for Ceauşescu's megalomaniac constructions. In 1977, a strong [[1977 Bucharest Earthquake|7.4 on the Richter-scale earthquake]] claimed 1,500 lives and destroyed many old buildings. Nevertheless, some historic neighbourhoods did survive to this day. The [[Romanian Revolution of 1989]] began with mass anti-Ceauşescu protests in [[Timişoara]] in December 1989 and continued in Bucharest, leading to the overthrow of the [[Communist Romania|Communist regime]]. Dissatisfied with the post-revolutionary leadership of the [[National Salvation Front]], student leagues and opposition groups organized large-scale protests continued in 1990 (the [[Golaniad]]), which were violently stopped by the miners of [[Valea Jiului]] (the [[Mineriad]]). Several other Mineriads followed, the results of which included a government change. After the year 2000, due to the advent of Romania's [[economic boom]], the city has modernised and is currently undergoing a period of urban renewal. Various residential and commercial developments are underway, particularly in the northern districts, while Bucharest's historic centre is currently undergoing significant restoration.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} {| class=wikitable style="font-size:93%;width:75%;height:16px;border:0px;text-align:left;line-height:120%;" |- | colspan="14" style="text-align:left; background: #F4F4F4" height=24px |'''Treaties signed in Bucharest''' |- |Treaty of [[May 28]], [[1812]], at the end of the [[Russo-Turkish War, 1806-1812|Russo-Turkish War]] |- |Treaty of [[March 3]], [[1886]], at the end of the [[Serbo-Bulgarian War]] |- |Treaty of [[August 10]], [[1913]], at the end of the [[Second Balkan War]] |- |Treaty of [[August 4]], [[1916]], the treaty of alliance between Romania and the [[Triple Entente|Entente]] |- |Treaty of [[May 6]], [[1918]], the treaty between Romania and the [[Central Powers]] |} ==Geography== {{main|Geography of Romania}} [[Image:Km0 romania.jpeg|thumb|left|200px|[[Kilometre Zero (Bucharest)|Kilometre Zero]] Monument]] [[Image:Bucharest SPOT 1064.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Bucharest seen from Spot satellite]] <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Map of Bucharest.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|Map of Bucharest]] --> ===General Information=== Bucharest is situated on the banks of the [[Dâmboviţa River]], which flows into the [[Argeş River]], a tributary of the [[Danube]]. Several lakes &ndash; the most important of which are [[Lake Floreasca]], [[Lake Tei]] and [[Lake Colentina]] &ndash; stretch across the city, along the [[Colentina River]], a tributary of the Dâmboviţa. In addition, in the centre of the capital there is a small artificial lake &ndash; Lake Cişmigiu &ndash; surrounded by the [[Cişmigiu Gardens]]. The Cişmigiu Gardens have a rich history, being frequented by famous poets and writers. Opened in 1847 and based on the plans of German architect [[Carl F.W. Meyer]], the gardens are currently the main recreational facility in the city centre. Besides Cişmigiu, Bucharest contains several other large parks and gardens, including [[Herăstrău Park]] and the [[Botanical Garden of Bucharest|Botanical Garden]]. Herăstrău is a large public park located in the north of the city, and the site of the [[Village Museum]], while the Bucharest's botanical garden is the largest in Romania and contains over 10,000 species of plants, many of them exotic; it was once a pleasure park for the royal family.<ref>[http://www.onlinegallery.ro/gradina_bot_bucurestie.html Botanical Garden], onlinegallery.ro. Accessed [[13 October]] [[2006]].</ref> 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 to a fertile flatland. As with many [[cities]], Bucharest is traditionally considered to have seven hills, in the tradition of the seven hills of [[Rome]]. Bucharest's seven hills are: [[Mihai Vodă]], [[Dealul Mitropoliei]], [[Radu Vodă]], [[Cotroceni]], [[Spirei]], [[Văcăreşti, Bucharest|Văcăreşti]] and [[Sf. Gheorghe Nou]]. [[Image:Cismigiu Gardens2.jpg|thumb|right|300px|The [[Cişmigiu Gardens]]]] The city has a total area of {{convert|226|km2|sqmi|0}}. The altitude varies from {{convert|55.8|m|ft|1}} at the Dâmboviţa bridge in [[Căţelu]], south-eastern Bucharest and {{convert|91.5|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} at the [[Militari]] church. The city has a relatively round shape, with the centre situated approximately in the cross-way of the main north-south/east-west axes at the [[University Square, Bucharest|University Square]]. The milestone for Romanian'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 (Piaţa Sfântul Gheorghe). Bucharest's radius, from University Square to the city limits in all directions, varies from about 10 to 12 km (6.25&ndash;7.5&nbsp;mi). Until recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, new suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surrounding [[Ilfov]] county. Further urban consolidation is expected to take place when the Bucharest metropolitan area is formed in 2006, which will incorporate various communes and cities of Ilfov and surrounding counties. ===Road and rail distances between Bucharest and the other cities=== {| width="60%" |----- | width="15%" | *[[Arad]] (555 km and 604 km) *[[Bacău]] (285 km and 301 km) *[[Baia Mare]] (560 km and 624 km) *[[Braşov]] (161 km and 166 km) *[[Buzău]] (110 km and 128 km) *[[Cluj-Napoca]] (426 km and 497 km) *[[Constanţa]] (225 km and 225 km) *[[Craiova]] (234 km and 209 km) *[[Galaţi]] (250 km)<br>&nbsp; | width="15%" | *[[Giurgiu]] (64 km and 85 km) *[[Iaşi]] (406 km and 406 km) *[[Oradea]] (580 km and 650 km) *[[Ploieşti]] (60 km and 59 km) *[[Piteşti]] (108 km and 108 km) *[[Sibiu]] (277 km and 315 km) *[[Suceava]] (450 km 447 km) *[[Timişoara]] (538 km and 533 km) *[[Tulcea]] (277 km and 334 km) *[[Călăraşi]] (110 km and 120 km) |} ===Road distances between Bucharest and the other european cities=== *[[Athens]] (1398 km) *[[Barcelona]] (2597 km) *[[Beograd]] (620 km) *[[Berlin]] (1646 km) *[[Bruxelles]] (2136 km) *[[Budapest]] (788 km) *[[Chişinau]] (436 km) *[[Kiev]] (888 km) *[[Istanbul]] (681 km) *[[London]] (2502 km) *[[Madrid]] (3190 km) *[[Milano]] (1642 km) *[[Moscow]] (1758 km) *[[Paris]] (2295 km) *[[Sofia]] (373 km) *[[Stockholm]] (2846 km) *[[Wien]] (1022 km) *[[Warsaw]] (1240 km) ==Climate== Bucharest has a [[continental climate]], characterised by hot dry summers and cold winters. Due 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 are often below {{convert|0|C|F|0}}, even though they rarely drop below {{convert|-10|C|F|0}}. In summer, the average temperature is approximately {{convert|23|C|F|0}} (the average for July and August), despite the fact that temperatures sometimes reach {{convert|35|C|F|0}} to {{convert|40|C|F|0}} in mid-summer in the city centre. Although average [[Precipitation (meteorology)|precipitation]] and [[humidity]] during summer is low, there are infrequent yet heavy and often violent storms. During spring and autumn, temperatures vary between {{convert|18|C|F|0}} to {{convert|22|C|F|0}}, and precipitation during this time tends to be higher than in summer, with more frequent yet milder periods of rain. <!--Infobox begins-->{{Infobox Weather |metric_first=yes <!--Entering Yes will display metric first. Leave blank for imperial--> |single_line=yes <!--Entering Yes will display metric and imperial units on same line.--> |location = Bucharest |Jan_Hi_°C = 2 |Jan_REC_Hi_°C = <!--REC temps are optional; use sparely--> |Feb_Hi_°C =3 |Feb_REC_Hi_°C = |Mar_Hi_°C =10 |Mar_REC_Hi_°C = |Apr_Hi_°C =16 |Apr_REC_Hi_°C = |May_Hi_°C =22 |May_REC_Hi_°C = |Jun_Hi_°C =26 |Jun_REC_Hi_°C = |Jul_Hi_°C =27 |Jul_REC_Hi_°C = |Aug_Hi_°C =27 |Aug_REC_Hi_°C = |Sep_Hi_°C =23 |Sep_REC_Hi_°C = |Oct_Hi_°C =17 |Oct_REC_Hi_°C = |Nov_Hi_°C =8 |Nov_REC_Hi_°C = |Dec_Hi_°C =3 |Dec_REC_Hi_°C = |Year_Hi_°C =16 |Year_REC_Hi_°C = |Jan_Lo_°C =-5 |Jan_REC_Lo_°C = |Feb_Lo_°C =-3 |Feb_REC_Lo_°C = |Mar_Lo_°C =0 |Mar_REC_Lo_°C = |Apr_Lo_°C =5 |Apr_REC_Lo_°C = |May_Lo_°C =10 |May_REC_Lo_°C = |Jun_Lo_°C =14 |Jun_REC_Lo_°C = |Jul_Lo_°C =15 |Jul_REC_Lo_°C = |Aug_Lo_°C =15 |Aug_REC_Lo_°C = |Sep_Lo_°C =11 |Sep_REC_Lo_°C = |Oct_Lo_°C =6 |Oct_REC_Lo_°C = |Nov_Lo_°C =0 |Nov_REC_Lo_°C = |Dec_Lo_°C =-2 |Dec_REC_Lo_°C = |Year_Lo_°C =5 |Year_REC_Lo_°C = <!--**** use mm or cm but not both! ****--> |Jan_Precip_cm = |Jan_Precip_mm = 40 |Feb_Precip_cm = |Feb_Precip_mm = 36 |Mar_Precip_cm = |Mar_Precip_mm =38 |Apr_Precip_cm = |Apr_Precip_mm =46 |May_Precip_cm = |May_Precip_mm =70 |Jun_Precip_cm = |Jun_Precip_mm =77 |Jul_Precip_cm = |Jul_Precip_mm =64 |Aug_Precip_cm = |Aug_Precip_mm =58 |Sep_Precip_cm = |Sep_Precip_mm =42 |Oct_Precip_cm = |Oct_Precip_mm =32 |Nov_Precip_cm = |Nov_Precip_mm =49 |Dec_Precip_cm = |Dec_Precip_mm =43 |Year_Precip_cm = |Year_Precip_mm =595 |source =weatherbase.com<ref name=weatherbase >{{cite web | url =http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weatherall.php3?s=002451&refer=&units=metric | title =Weatherbase data for Bucharest | accessmonthday = | accessyear = | publisher = | language = }}</ref> |accessdate = }}<!--Infobox ends--> ==Law and government== ===Administration=== {{seealso|Bucharest metropolitan area}} [[Image:Bucharest City Hall 3.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Bucharest City Hall]] [[Image:Sectoare Bucureşti.png|thumb|right|200px|The six administrative [[sectors of Bucharest]]]] [[Image:Bucuresti Romania by adrianexcelent.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The Hero's monument seen from above]] Bucharest has a unique status in Romanian administration, since it is the only municipality that is not part of a [[counties of Romania|county]]. Its population, however, is larger than that of any Romanian county, and hence the power of the Bucharest General City Hall (''Primăria Generală''), which is the city's local government body, is about the same as, if not greater than, that of Romanian county councils. The city government is headed by a [[Mayor of Bucharest|General Mayor]] (''Primar General''), currently (as of 2008) [[Sorin Oprescu]]. Decisions are approved and discussed by the [[General Council of Bucharest|General Council]] (''Consiliu General'') made up of 55 elected councillors. Furthermore, the city is divided into six administrative [[Sectors of Bucharest|sectors]] (''sectoare''), each of which has their own 27-seat sectorial council, town hall and mayor. The powers of local government over a certain area are therefore shared by the Bucharest City Hall and the local sectorial councils with little or no overlapping of authority. The general rule is that the main City Hall is responsible for citywide utilities such as the water system, the transport system and the main boulevards, while sectorial town halls manage the contact between individuals and the local government, secondary streets, parks, schools and cleaning services. The six sectors are numbered from one to six and are disposed radially so that each one has under its administration an area of the city center. They are numbered clockwise and are further divided into districts without any form of administration (''cartiere''): * '''[[Sector 1 (Bucharest)|Sector 1]]''' with population in 2007 of 228,629 including:[[Dorobanţi]], [[Băneasa]], [[Aviaţiei]], [[Pipera]], [[Aviatorilor]], [[Primăverii]], [[Romană]], [[Victoriei]], [[Herăstrău Park]], [[Bucureştii Noi]], [[Dămăroaia]], [[Strǎuleşti]], [[Griviţa]], [[1 Mai]], [[Băneasa Forest]], [[Pajura]], [[Domenii]] and a small part of [[Giuleşti]] - the part with [[Giuleşti Stadium]] * '''[[Sector 2 (Bucharest)|Sector 2]]''' with population in 2007 of 359,107 including:[[Pantelimon, Bucharest|Pantelimon]], [[Colentina, Bucharest|Colentina]], [[Iancului]], [[Tei, Bucharest|Tei]], [[Floreasca, Bucharest|Floreasca]], [[Moşilor]], [[Obor]], [[Vatra Luminoasă]], [[Fundeni, Bucharest|Fundeni]], [[Plumbuita]], [[Ştefan cel Mare, Bucharest|Ştefan cel Mare]], [[Baicului]] * '''[[Sector 3 (Bucharest)|Sector 3]]''' with population in 2007 of 394,812 including:[[Vitan]], [[Dudeşti, Bucharest|Dudeşti]], [[Titan, Bucharest|Titan]], [[Centrul Civic]], [[Dristor]], [[Lipscani]], [[Muncii]], [[Unirii]] * '''[[Sector 4 (Bucharest)|Sector 4]]''' with population in 2007 of 301,172 including:[[Berceni, Bucharest|Berceni]], [[Olteniţei]], [[Giurgiului]], [[Văcăreşti, Bucharest|Văcăreşti]], [[Timpuri Noi, Bucharest|Timpuri Noi]], [[Tineretului]] * '''[[Sector 5 (Bucharest)|Sector 5]]''' with population in 2007 of 287,480 including:[[Rahova]], [[Ferentari]], [[Cotroceni]], [[13 Septembrie]], [[Dealul Spirii, Bucharest|Dealul Spirii]] * '''[[Sector 6 (Bucharest)|Sector 6]]''' with population in 2007 of 360,638 including:[[Giuleşti]], [[Crângaşi]], [[Drumul Taberei]], [[Militari]], [[Grozǎveşti]] (also known as [[Regie]]), [[Ghencea]] Like all other local councils in Romania, the Bucharest sectorial councils, the city's [[General Council of Bucharest|General Council]] and the mayors are elected every four years by the population. Additionally, Bucharest has a prefect, who is appointed by Romania's central government. The prefect is not allowed to be a member of a political party. The prefect's role is to represent the national government at local level, acting as a liaison and facilitating the implementation of National Development Plans and governing programmes at local level. The current prefect of Bucharest (as of 2007) is [[Călin Deaconescu]]. The Municipality of Bucharest, along with the surrounding [[Ilfov county]], forms the [[Bucharest development region]], which is equivalent to [[NUTS-II]] regions in the [[European Union]] and is used by the European Union and the Romanian Government for statistical analysis and regional development. The Bucharest development region is not, however, an administrative entity. ===Justice system=== Bucharest's judicial system is similar to that of the Romanian counties. Each of the six sectors has their own local tribunal, while appeals from these tribunals' verdicts, and more serious cases, are directed to the Bucharest Court of Appeals, the city's municipal court. Bucharest is also home to Romania's supreme court, the [[High Court of Cassation and Justice]], as well as other national courts such as the Constitutional Court of Romania and the National Military Tribunal. Bucharest has its own municipal police force, the Bucharest Police (''Poliţia Bucureşti''), which is responsible for policing of crime within the whole city, and operates a number of special divisions. The Bucharest Police are headquartered on Ştefan cel Mare Blvd in the city centre, and has a number of precincts throughout the city. From 2004 onwards, each sector City Hall also has under its administration a Community Police force (''[[Poliţia Comunitară]]''), dealing with local community issues. Bucharest also houses the General Inspectorates of the [[Jandarmeria Română|Gendarmerie]] and the [[Romanian Police|National Police]]. ===Crime=== {{main|Crime in Bucharest}} [[Image:PalaceJustice1Buc.JPG|thumb|right|300px|The Palace of Justice in Bucharest]] Bucharest's crime rate is rather low in comparison to other East-European capital cities, with the number of total offences declining by 51% between 2000 and 2004.<ref name="crimestats">[http://b.politiaromana.ro/index.php?pag=statistica_2000_2004_ro&limba=romana Bucharest Crime Statistics 2000-2004], Bucharest Directorate-General of Police</ref> In particular, levels of [[violent crime]] remain very low, with 24 murders and 1069 other violent offences taking place in 2004.<ref name="crimestats" /> Although there have been a number of recent police crackdowns on [[organised crime]] gangs, such as the Cămătaru clan, organised 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. Additionally, [[confidence trick]]s are sometimes common, especially in regards to tourists, even though the frequency of these tricks has declined in recent years. Levels of crime are higher in the southern districts of the city, particularly in [[Ferentari]], a socially-disadvantaged area mainly inhabited by people of [[Roma people|Roma ethnicity]]. Although the presence of [[street children]] was a problem in Bucharest in the 1990s, their numbers have declined significantly in recent years, currently lying at or below the average of major European capital cities<ref name="hf">{{PDFlink|[http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/press/16-pdf3.pdf Worldwide Street Children statistics]|20.5&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 21032 bytes -->}}, [[Hilton Foundation]]/[[Council of Europe]]</ref>. The same is true for [[beggar]]s and [[homelessness|homeless people]], many of them from the [[Roma people|Roma]] minority. However, there are still an estimated 1,000 street children in the city,<ref name="hf">[see above]</ref> many of whom engage in petty crime and begging. There has also been speculation that the street children are recruited by professional underground networks for criminal purposes. From 2000 onwards, Bucharest has seen an increase in illegal road races which occur mainly at night in the city's outskirts or on industrial sites. A significant problem in the city remains [[political corruption|institutional corruption]], which is seen as the most important justice-and-law related problem in the city. ==Demographics== {{main|Demographics of Romania}} {| class="wikitable" style="float: right; font-size:93%;width:300px;height:16;border:0px;text-align:left;line-height:120%;margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px" |- | colspan="14" style="text-align:center; background: #F4F4F4" height=24px |'''Historical population of Bucharest''' |- ! Year ! Population |- | 1789 | 30,030 |- | 1831 | {{increase}} 60,587 |- | 1859 | {{increase}} 122,000 |- | 1900 | {{increase}} 282,000 |- | 1918 | {{increase}} 383,000 |- | 1930 | {{increase}} 639,000 |- | [[January 25]], [[1948]] census | {{increase}} 1,041,807<ref name="bucharest_pop_censuses">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf| title="Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 censuses by municipalities and towns"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[February 21]], [[1956]] census | {{increase}} 1,177,661<ref name="bucharest_pop_censuses">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf| title="Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 censuses by municipalities and towns"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[March 15]], [[1966]] census | {{increase}} 1,366,684<ref name="bucharest_pop_censuses">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf| title="Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 censuses by municipalities and towns"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[January 5]], [[1977]] census | {{increase}} 1,807,239<ref name="bucharest_pop_censuses">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf| title="Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 censuses by municipalities and towns"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[July 1]], [[1990]] estimate | {{increase}} 2,127,194<ref name="bucharest_pop_estimates">{{ro icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.bucuresti.insse.ro/main.php?lang=fr&pageid=410| title="Populaţia, pe sexe şi medii, la 1 iulie"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[January 7]], [[1992]] census | {{decrease}} 2,067,545<ref name="bucharest_pop_censuses">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf| title="Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 censuses by municipalities and towns"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[March 18]], [[2002]] census | {{decrease}} 1,926,334<ref name="bucharest_pop_censuses">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf| title="Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 censuses by municipalities and towns"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[July 1]], [[2005]] estimate | {{decrease}} 1,924,959<ref name="bucharest_pop_estimates">{{ro icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.bucuresti.insse.ro/main.php?lang=fr&pageid=410| title="Populaţia, pe sexe şi medii, la 1 iulie"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[January 1]], [[2006]] estimate | {{increase}} 1,930,390<ref name="bucharest_pop_estimates">{{ro icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.euractiv.ro/uniunea-europeana/articles%7CdisplayArticle/articleID_7397/Populatia-Romaniei-scade-de-la-an-la-an.html| title="Populatia Romaniei scade de la an la an"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> |- | [[July 11]], [[2007]] estimate | {{increase}} 2,088,500<ref>http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf</ref> |} The city's population, according to the 2002 census, is 1,926,334 inhabitants,<ref name="bucharest_pop_censuses">{{en icon}} {{cite web| url=http://www.insse.ro/RPL2002INS/vol5/tables/t02.pdf| title="Population at the 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 and 2002 censuses by municipalities and towns"| first=[[Government of Romania]]| last=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INS]]| format=PDF | accessdate=2007-03-07}}</ref> or 8.9% of the total population of Romania. Additionally, there are about 50,000 people who commute to the city every day, mainly from the surrounding [[Ilfov county]]. Bucharest's population experienced two phases of rapid growth, the first in the late 19th century, when the city grew in importance and size, and the second during the [[Communist Romania|Communist period]], when a massive urbanisation campaign was launched and many people [[rural migration|migrated from rural areas]] to the capital. At this time, due to Ceauşescu's ban on abortion and contraception, [[natural increase]] was also significant. Approximately 97% of the population of Bucharest are [[Romanians|ethnic Romanians]], with the second largest ethnic group being the [[Roma people|Roma]], which make up 1.4% of the population. Other significant ethnic groups are [[Hungarians]] (0.3%), [[Jews]] (0.1%), [[Turkish people|Turks]] (0,1%) and [[Germans]] (0,1%). Some other inhabitants of Bucharest are of [[Greeks in Romania|Greek]], [[Armenians in Romania|Armenian]], [[Lipovans|Lipovan]] and [[Italy|Italian]] descent. The Greeks and the Armenians used to play significant roles in the life of the city at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century. One the predominantly Greek neighbourhoods [[Vitan]] - where a [[Jew]]ish population also lived; the latter was more present in [[Văcăreşti, Bucharest|Văcăreşti]] and areas around [[Unirii Square]]. In terms of religion, 96.1% of the population are [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Romanian Orthodox]], 1.2% are [[Romanian Roman-Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], 0.5% are [[Islam in Romania|Muslim]] and 0.4% are [[Romanian Greek-Catholic Uniate Church|Eastern Rite-Catholic]]. Despite this, only 24% of the population, of any religion, attend a place of worship once a week or more.<ref>[http://www.osf.ro/rourbana/07_religiozitate.doc Open Society Institute's Survey into Religiosity in Romania] ([[Microsoft Word]] document)</ref> 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.<ref>{{ro icon}} [http://www.sector3primarie.ro/portal/portal3.nsf/AllById/1.1.2.0/$FILE/Populatia%20si%20fenomene%20demografice%20pe%20sectoare%20administrative%20ale%20Municipiului%20Bucuresti.PDF Populaţia şi fenomene demografice pe sectoare administrative ale Municipiului Bucureşti] (''Population and demographic phenomena by administrative sectors of the Municipality of Bucharest'')</ref> ==Economy== {{main|Economy of Bucharest}} [[Image:Bucharest Charles de Gaulle2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Charles de Gaulle]] [[Charles de Gaulle Plaza|Plaza]] seen from the [[Herăstrău Park]]]] [[Image:Piata Victoriei BRD.JPG|thumb|right|200px|[[BRD - Groupe Société Générale|BRD]] [[BRD Tower|Tower]] in Victoria square]] Bucharest is the most economically-developed and [[Industrialization|industrialised]] city in Romania, producing around 21% of the country's [[Gross domestic product|GDP]] and about one-quarter of its industrial production, while only accounting for 9% of the country's population.<ref>[http://www.erionet.org/JIM%20Romania.htm Joint Inclusion Memorandum of Romania]</ref> Almost one third of national taxes is paid by Bucharest's citizens and companies. In 2005, at purchasing power parity, Bucharest had a per-capita GDP of €16,760, or 74.8% that of the [[European Union]] average and more than twice the [[Romania]]n average.<ref>[http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2008/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2008_MONTH_02/1-12022008-EN-AP.PDF GDP per inhabitant in 2005 ranged from 24% of the EU27 average in Nord-Est in Romania to 303% in Inner London] ([[Eurostat]], [[12 February]] [[2008]])</ref> The city's strong economic growth has revitalised infrastructure and led to the development of many shopping malls and modern residential towers and high-rise office buildings. In September 2005, Bucharest had an unemployment rate of 2.6%, significantly lower than the national unemployment rate of 5.7%.<ref>[http://www.insse.ro/ComuNou_sinteze/a05/sic10r05.pdf Major economic indicators of Romania in the period [[1 January]] [[2005]]-[[30 October]] [[2005]]], National Institute of Statistics of Romania, [[9 December]] [[2005]] {{ro icon}}</ref> Bucharest's economy is mainly centred on [[industry]] and [[Service Sector|services]], with services particularly growing in importance in the last ten years. The city serves as the headquarters of 186,000 firms, including nearly all large Romanian companies.<ref>[http://www.averea.ro/display.php?data=2005-12-16&id=13365 Toti bucurestenii vor avea dosar fiscal din 2006], ''[[Averea]]'', [[15 December]] [[2005]]</ref> An important source for growth since 2000 has been the city's property and construction boom, which has resulted in a significant growth in the construction sector. Bucharest is also Romania's largest centre for [[information technology]] and communications and is home to several software companies operating offshore delivery centers. Bucharest contains Romania's largest stock exchange, the [[Bucharest Stock Exchange]], which was merged in December 2005 with the Bucharest-based electronic stock exchange, [[Rasdaq]]. The city has a number of international [[supermarket]] chains such as [[Carrefour]], [[Cora (hypermarket)|Cora]] and [[METRO AG|METRO]]. At the moment, the city is undergoing a retail boom, with a large number of supermarkets, and hypermarkets, constructed every year. For more information, see [[supermarkets in Romania]]. The biggest modern shopping centres in Bucharest are [[Bucharest Mall]], [[Plaza Romania]], City Mall, [[Jolie Ville Galleria]] and [[Unirea Shopping Center]]. However, there are also a large number of traditional markets; the one at [[Obor]] covers about a dozen city blocks, and numerous large stores that are not officially part of the market effectively add up to a market district almost twice that size. In Bucharest the average salary is £1000 a month which is higher than that of Spain. Also as Romania is experiencing a real construction boom the average price for a central one bedroom flat is around £650 which puts the price of rent on par with [[Paris]].<ref name="telegraph">[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/main.jhtml?xml=/property/2007/04/10/pbucharest10.xml A new star in the East - Telegraph<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Romania is most importantly feeling the benefits of the new wealth due to the economic boom that it has seen for the recent years.<ref name="telegraph" /> ==Transport== [[Image:Titan metro station 2.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Bucharest Metro]] - Titan Station]] [[Image:Bucharest Citaro bus 3.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Transport in Bucharest#Surface transport|Bucharest public bus]]]] <!-- Image with unknown copyright status removed: [[Image:Railway North Station.jpeg|thumb|right|200px|[[Transport in Bucharest]] – Railway North Station]] --> {{main|Transport in Bucharest}} '''Public Transport''' Bucharest's extensive public transport system is the largest in Romania and the third largest in Europe{{Fact|date=February 2007}}<!-- Personally, I find it hard to believe. And, haven't found any reference by quickly googling for it.-->. It is made up of the [[Bucharest Metro]], as well as a surface transport system run by [[RATB]] (Regia Autonomă de Transport Bucureşti), which consists of buses, [[Trams in Bucharest|trams]], [[trolleybus]]es and [[Bucharest Light rail|light rail]]. In addition, there is a private [[Marshrutka#Eastern Europe|minibus system]]. The metro and the surface transport system — used to be run by two separate state-owned corporations but have been merged in early 2007 to form the Bucharest Metropolitan Transport Board. As of 2007, there is a limit of 10,000 taxicab licences <ref>[http://www.sfin.ro/articol_8335/atacul_clonelor_in_taximetria_bucuresteana.html Saptamana Financiara | Anchete | Atacul clonelor in taximetria bucuresteana<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, down from 25,000 in the 1990s, and the even higher demand is supplied by taxis registered in Ilfov county. '''Air''' The city is served by two airports: [[Henri Coandă International Airport]] (formerly Otopeni) and [[Aurel Vlaicu International Airport]] (formerly Băneasa). Henri Coandă is the largest airport in [[Romania]] with 5 million passengers in 2007 and the main hub for the national operator [[TAROM]]. [[Delta Air Lines]] serves Bucharest directly from JFK. It is also connected to several international airports by a wide range of international airlines. The smaller [[Aurel Vlaicu International Airport]] is used for charter flights and [[low-cost]] carriers. '''Railways''' Bucharest is the hub of Romania's national railway network, run by [[Căile Ferate Române]]. The main railway station is [[Gara de Nord]], or North Station, which provides connections to all major cities in Romania as well as international destinations such as [[Belgrade]], [[Budapest]], [[Sofia]], [[Vienna]], [[Prague]], [[Moscow]], [[Istanbul]], [[Chisinau]], and many others European capital and city. The city also has five other railway stations run by CFR, most important are Basarab (in proximity of North Station), Obor, Baneasa, Progresu, which are in the process of being integrated in a commuter railway serving Bucharest and the surrounding [[Ilfov county]].From the Bucharest depart 7 main line. '''Infrastructure''' The city's municipal road network is centred around a series of high-capacity boulevards, which generally radiate out from the city centre to the outskirts. The main axes, which run north-south, east-west and northwest-southeast, as well as one internal and one external ring road, support the bulk of the traffic. The city's roads are usually very crowded during rush hours, due to an increase in car ownership in recent years. Every day, there are more than one million vehicles travelling within the city.<ref>[http://www.videanu.ro/?id=6 Governing programme of Adriean Videanu, General Mayor of Bucharest]</ref> This has resulted in wear and [[pothole]]s appearing on many Bucharest roads, particularly secondary roads, this being identified as one of Bucharest's main infrastructural problems. In recent years, there has been a comprehensive effort on behalf of the City Hall to boost road infrastructure and according to the general development plan, nearly 2000 roads are expected to be repaired by 2008.<ref>[http://www.videanu.ro/program/index.php?pag=program&cap=13-6 Rehabilitation of Urban Roads, Phase II], from the site of the General Mayor of Bucharest, [[Adriean Videanu]]</ref> '''Roads''' Bucharest is also a major intersection of [[Roads in Romania|Romania's national road network]]. It is the origin of most of the country's national roads and motorway, which link the city to all of Romania's major cities as well as to neighbouring countries such as [[Hungary]], [[Bulgaria]] and [[Ukraine]]. Romania's two motorway currently in operation, the [[A1 freeway (Romania)|A1]] to Pitesti and the [[A2 freeway|A2]], in Romanian "Autostrada Soarelui" (the sun motorway) to Dobrogea region and Constanta both start from Bucharest. The planned A3 and A4 freeways will also radiate from the Voluntari region in the city's northern outskirts. '''Water''' Although it is situated on the banks of a river, Bucharest has never functioned as a port city, with other Romanian cities such as [[Constanţa]] and [[Brăila]] acting as the country's main ports. However, the [[Danube-Bucharest Canal]], which is {{convert|73|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long, is currently in construction and is around 60% completed.{{Fact|date=July 2008}} When finished, the canal will link Bucharest to the [[Danube River]] and, via the [[Danube-Black Sea Canal]], to the [[Black Sea]]. This corridor is expected to be a significant component of the city's transport infrastructure and increase sea traffic by a large margin. ==Culture== {{main|Culture of Romania}} {{wide image|University square Bucharest.jpg|800px|<center>[[University Square, Bucharest|University Square]] with the statue of [[Mihai Viteazu]] in the foreground</center>}} Bucharest has a diverse and growing cultural scene, with cultural life exhibited in a number of various fields, including the [[visual arts]], [[performing arts]] and [[Nightlife (activity)|nightlife]]. Unlike other parts of Romania, such as the [[Black Sea]] coast or [[Transylvania]], Bucharest's cultural scene is much more eclectic, without a defined style, and instead incorporates various elements of Romanian and international culture. Bucharest has an eclectic mixture of elements from traditionally Romanian buildings to buildings that are influenced by French architects. It is because of this French influence that Bucharest was once called "the Paris of the East" or "Little Paris." ===Landmarks=== [[Image:Memorialul Renasterii 1.jpg|left|thumb|200px|The [[Memorial of Rebirth]]]] [[Image:CEC Palace Bucharest.jpg|right|thumb|200px|The CEC Palace]] [[Image:Bukarest Triumpf.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Arcul de Triumf]]]] [[Image:National Museum of Contemporary Art Bucharest 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, Romania.]] Bucharest has a number of landmark buildings and monuments. Perhaps the most prominent of these is the [[Palace of the Parliament]], built in the 1980s during the reign of Communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu. Currently the largest building in Europe and the second-largest in the world, the Palace houses the Romanian Parliament (the [[Chamber of Deputies of Romania|Chamber of Deputies]] and [[Senate of Romania|Senate]]), as well as the [[National Museum of Contemporary Art (Romania)|National Museum of Contemporary Art]]. It is also often used as a convention centre. Another well-known landmark of Bucharest is [[Arcul de Triumf]] (The Triumphal Arch), built in 1935 and modeled after the [[Arc de Triomphe]] in [[Paris]]. A newer landmark of the city is the [[Memorial of Rebirth]], a stylized marble pillar unveiled in 2005 to commemorate the victims of the [[Romanian Revolution of 1989]], which overthrew Communism. The abstract monument sparked a great deal of controversy when it was unveiled, being dubbed with names such as "the toothpick and the olive", (''"măslina-n scobitoare"''), as many argued that it does not fit in its surroundings and believed that its choice was based on political reasons.<ref>[http://www.sfin.ro/articol_1992/_memorialul_renasterii___ce_oribilitate_.html „Memorialul Renasterii“, ce oribilitate!] ("The Monument of Rebirth - how horrible!"), ''Săptămâna Financiară'', August 2005 {{ro icon}}</ref> The [[Romanian Athaeneum]] building is considered to be a symbol of Romanian culture and since 2007 is on the list of the Label of European Heritage sights.<ref>[http://nato.mae.ro/index.php?lang=en&id=31&s=23698&arhiva=true Romanian Athenaeum awarded Label of European Heritage], Romania's Permanent Delegation to NATO</ref> Other cultural venues include the National Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History "Grigore Antipa", Museum of the Romanian Peasant (''Muzeul Ţăranului Român''), National History Museum, and the Military Museum. ===Visual arts=== [[Image:The National Museum of Art of Romania.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The [[National Museum of Art]]]] In terms of [[visual arts]], the city contains a number of museums featuring both classical and contemporary Romanian art, as well as selected international works. The [[National Museum of Art of Romania]] is perhaps the best-known of Bucharest museums. It is located in the former royal palace and features extensive collections of medieval and modern Romanian art, including works by renowned sculptor [[Constantin Brâncuşi]], as well as a prominent international collection assembled by the former Romanian royal family. Other, smaller museums, contain more specialised collections of works. The [[Zambaccian Museum]], which is situated in the former home of Armenian-Romanian art collector Krikor H. Zambaccian contains works by many well-known Romanian artists as well as international artists such as [[Paul Cézanne]], [[Eugène Delacroix]], [[Henri Matisse]], [[Camille Pissarro]] and [[Pablo Picasso]]. The [[Gheorghe Tattarescu]] Museum contains portraits of Romanian revolutionaries in exile such as [[Gheorghe Magheru]], [[Ştefan Golescu]], [[Nicolae Bălcescu]] and allegorical compositions with revolutionary (''Romania's rebirth'', 1849) and patriotic (''The [[Danubian Principalities|Principalities' Unification]]'', 1857) themes. The [[Theodor Pallady Museum]] is situated in one of the oldest surviving merchant houses in Bucharest and includes many works by Romanian painter [[Theodor Pallady]] as well as a number of European and Oriental furniture pieces. The [[Museum of Art Collections]] contains the collections of a number of well-known Romanian art aficionados, including Krikor Zambaccian and Theodor Pallady. Despite the extensive classical art galleries and museums in the city, there is also a contemporary arts scene that has become increasingly prominent in recent times. The [[National Museum of Contemporary Art]] (MNAC), situated in a wing of the [[Palace of the Parliament]], was opened in 2004 and contains a widespread collection of Romanian and international contemporary art, in a number of expressive forms. The MNAC also manages the Kalinderu MediaLab, which caters specifically to multimedia and experimental art. There is also a range of smaller, private art galleries throughout the city centre. ===Performing arts=== [[Image:Bucharest National Theatre.jpg|thumb|200px|right|[[I.L. Caragiale National Theatre]]]] [[Performing arts]] are one of the strongest cultural elements of Bucharest, and the city has a number of world-renowned facilities and institutions. The most prominent is the neoclassical [[Romanian Athenaeum]], which was founded in 1852, hosts classical music concerts, the [[George Enescu]] Festival, and is home to the "[[George Enescu]]" Philharmonic. Bucharest is also home to the [[Romanian National Opera]], as well as the [[I.L. Caragiale National Theatre]]. Another well-known theatre in Bucharest is the [[State Jewish Theater (Romania)|State Jewish Theatre]], which has gained increasing prominence in recent years due partly to the fact that it features plays starring world-renowned Romanian-Jewish actress [[Maia Morgenstern]]. There is also a large number of smaller theatres throughout the city that cater to specific genres, such as the Comedy Theatre, the Nottara Theatre, the Bulandra Theatre, the Odeon Theatre, and the [[Constantin Tănase]] Revue Theatre. ===Music and nightlife=== [[Image:Wiki btcn.jpg|thumb|300px|right|[[Tower Center International]]]] [[Image:Bucharest University Square at night.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Bucharest skyline at night]] Bucharest is home to Romania's largest recording labels, and is often the residence of Romanian musicians. The city's music scene is quite [[Eclecticism in music|eclectic]]. Many Romanian rock bands of the 1970s and 1980s, such as [[IRIS (Romanian band)|Iris]] and [[Holograf]], continue to be popular, particularly with the middle-aged, while since the 1990s there has been growth in the [[boy bands|boy band]] and [[hip hop music|hip hop]] genres. The eclectic pop-rock band [[Taxi (band)|Taxi]] have been gaining international respect, as has [[Spitalul de Urgenţă]]'s raucous updating of traditional Romanian music. While many [[discothèque|discos]] play [[manele]], a Turkish-influenced type of music that is particularly popular in Bucharest's working class districts, the city has an increasing [[jazz]] and [[blues]] scene, and, to an extent, [[eurodance]]/[[trance music|trance]] and [[heavy metal music|heavy metal]]/[[punk music|punk]]. The city's nightlife, particularly its [[nightclub|club]] scene grew significantly in the 1990s, and continues to increase. The city does not have a central nightlife strip, with many entertainment venues dispersed throughout the city centre, with a cluster in the historical centre. One of the city's best known clubs is the [[Lăptăria Enache]] and the La Motoare, located above (on the rooftop of) the National Theatre, as well as {{Fact|date=February 2007}} Fire Club and Club A. Most clubs and bars are located around the center of the city, from the [[Piaţa Unirii]] to [[Piaţa Romană]]. Also, a large concentration of rock clubs can be found in the [[Lipscani]] area, the old part of the city, in the vicinity of Piata Unirii. Another popular venue, especially among students from the Politehnica University campus, is Club Maxx, located on Splaiul Independentei No. 290. The city also hosts some of the best electronic/house music clubs in Europe such as Bamboo and Krystal Club. During the summer, Zoom Beach Club is an outdoor club on the shore of a lake and has two separate dance floors. The Office is one of the most exclusive clubs in Bucharest and has a long tradition in clubbing. One of the best cocktail clubs is Deja Vu situated on Balcescu Boulevard Near the Italian church. Other clubs are: Gaia, Fratelli, Glamour, Tipsy, Cotton Club, Pat, Studio Martin and Embryo. ===Traditional culture=== [[Image:National History Museum of Romania.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The [[National Museum of Romanian History]]]] Bucharest's culture has, especially since the early 1990s, become more modern and worldly in comparison to other Romanian cities. Traditional Romanian culture, however, continues to have an influence in domains such as theatre and music. Additionally, Bucharest has two internationally-renowned [[ethnography|ethnographic]] museums, the [[Museum of the Romanian Peasant]] and the open-air [[Village Museum]]. The Village Museum, in [[Herăstrău Park]], contains 272 authentic buildings and peasant farms from all over Romania. The Museum of the Romanian Peasant was declared the European Museum of the Year in 1996, and displays a rich collection of textiles (especially costumes), icons, ceramics, and other artifacts of Romanian peasant life. The [[Museum of Romanian History]] is another important museum in Bucharest, containing a collection of artefacts detailing Romanian history and culture from the prehistoric times, [[Dacia]]n era, medieval times and the modern era. ===Cultural events and festivals=== [[Image:George Enescu Festival.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[George Enescu]] Festival]] [[Image:21-casa-poporului-noaptea-alba.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Unirii Boulevard during the ''White Night of Bucharest'' Festival]] There are a number of cultural festivals in Bucharest throughout the year, in various domains, even though most festivals take place in the summer months of June, July and August. The National Opera organises the International Opera Festival every year in May and June, which includes ensembles and orchestras from all over the world. The Romanian Athaeneum Society hosts the [[George Enescu]] Classical Music Festival at various locations throughout the city in September every year. Additionally, the Museum of the Romanian Peasant and the Village Museum organise a number of events throughout the year showcasing Romanian folk arts and crafts. In the 2000s, due to the growing prominence of the Chinese community in Bucharest, several Chinese cultural events have taken place. The first officially-organised Chinese festival was the [[Lunar New Year|Chinese New Year's Eve]] Festival of February 2005 which took place in Nichita Stănescu Park and was organised by the Bucharest City Hall.<ref>[http://www.daily-news.ro/article_detail.php?idarticle=5737 Chinese New Year's Eve celebrated in Bucharest], ''[[Bucharest Daily News]]'', [[7 February]] [[2005]]</ref> In 2005, Bucharest was the first city in [[Southeastern Europe]] to host the international [[CowParade]], which resulted in dozens of decorated cow sculptures being placed at various points across the city. Since 2005 Bucharest has its own contemporary art [[biennale]], the [[Bucharest Biennale]]. The current (2006) issue (curated by Zsolt Pétranyi) will go on until the end of June, the next edition will be in 2008. The 2000s also saw an increasing visibility of Bucharest [[gay culture]], with the opening of the Queen's Club, the first [[LGBT]] club in the city, in 2001, and the launch of the annual [[GayFest|Bucharest GayFest]] in 2004. The city's first [[gay pride parade]] was held as part of the 2005 GayFest. ==Architecture== [[Image:Bucuresti Alba Iulia circle.jpg|thumb|center|700px|<center>The Alba Iulia circle]] Bucharest's architecture is highly [[Eclecticism|eclectic]] due to the many influences on the city throughout its history. The city centre is a mixture of medieval, neoclassical and [[art nouveau]] buildings, as well as 'neo-Romanian' buildings dating from the beginning of the 20th century and a remarkable collection of modern buildings from the 30s and 40s. Very present as well the mostly-utilitarian Communist-era architecture. The city is lately invaded by contemporary structures such as skyscrapers and office buildings, mainly constructed after 2000. ===Historical architecture=== [[Image:AteneulRoman.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The [[Romanian Athenaeum]]]] [[Image:Cotroceni Palace Bucharest.jpg|thumb|right|200px|The [[Museum of the Romanian Peasant]]]] [[Image:Cretzulescu palace.JPG|thumb|left|200px|The [[Creţulescu Palace]]]] [[Image:Cercul Militar.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Cercul Militar Naţional]] [[Image:Bucharest-Hotel-Union.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Bucharest was known as "the little Paris"]] [[Image:The bank tower.jpg|thumb|left|210px|Through the city]] Of the city's [[Middle Ages|medieval]] architecture, most of what survived into modern times was destroyed by the Communists and replaced by high-rise apartment blocks. Still, some historical precincts remain, the most notable of which is the [[Lipscani]] area. This precinct contains buildings such as [[Manuc's Inn]] and the ruins of the [[Curtea Veche]] (the Old Court of the King), and during the [[Middle Ages]] was the heart of Bucharest's commercial world. From the 1970s onwards, the area went through urban decline, and many historical buildings fell into disrepair. In 2005, the Lipscani area was entirely pedestrianised and is currently undergoing restoration. The city centre has also retained architecture from the late 19th century and early 20th century, particularly the [[interwar period]], which is often seen as the "golden age" of Bucharest architecture. During this time, the city grew significantly in size and sought to emulate other large European capitals such as [[Paris]]. Much of the architecture of the time belongs to a remarkably strong Modern (rationalist) Architecture current, led by Horia Creanga and [[Marcel Iancu]], which managed to literally change the face of the city. Two notable buildings from this time are the [[Creţulescu Palace]], currently housing cultural institutions including [[UNESCO]]'s European Centre for Higher Education, and the [[Cotroceni Palace]], the current residence of the [[President of Romania|Romanian President]]. Many large-scale constructions such as [[Gara de Nord]], the main railway station, and the [[National Bank of Romania]]'s headquarters, date from these times. In the 2000s, a wide variety of historic buildings in the city centre underwent restoration. In some residential areas of the city, particularly the high-income northern suburbs, there are many [[fin-de-siecle|turn-of-the-century]] villas, most of which were restored after 2000. ===Communist architecture=== [[Image:Blocuri Titan.jpg|thumb|left|200px|[[Titan, Bucharest]] Most of the apartment buildings were built in the 1970s and 1980s]] [[Image:Lujerului, Militari.jpg|thumb|left|200px||[[Militari, Bucharest]], apartment buildings from the Communist era.]] [[Image:Unirii Boulevard.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Unirii Boulevard]] A major part of Bucharest's architecture is made up of buildings constructed during the [[Communist Romania|Communist era]] replacing the historical architecture with "more efficient" high density apartment blocks - [[Ceauşima|one-fifth of the city]] was demolished only for constructing the third largest building in the world: [[Casa Poporului]] - [[Palace of the Parliament]]. In Nicolae Ceauşescu's project of [[Systematization (Romania)|systematization]] many new buildings were built in previously-historical areas, [[Ceauşima|which were razed]] and then built upon from scratch. One of the best examples of this type of architecture is [[Centrul Civic]], a development that replaced a major part of Bucharest's historic city centre with giant utilitarian buildings, mainly with [[marble]] or [[travertine]] façades, inspired by [[North Korea]]n architecture. Communist-era architecture can also be found in Bucharest's residential districts, mainly in ''blocuri'', which are high-density apartment blocks that house the majority of the city's population. Since [[Romanian Revolution of 1989|the fall of Communism in 1989]], several Communist-era buildings have been refurbished, modernised and used for other purposes. Perhaps the best example of this is the conversion of several agro-alimentary complexes into shopping malls and commercial centres. These giant circular halls, which were most often known as [[hunger circus]]es due to the food shortages experienced in the 1980s, were constructed during the Ceauşescu era to act as produce markets and [[refectory|refectories]], although most were left unfinished at the time of the Revolution. Modern shopping malls like [[Bucharest Mall]], [[Plaza Romania]] and [[City Mall]] emerged on pre-existent structures of former hunger circuses. Another example is the modernisation and conversion of a large utilitarian construction in [[Centrul Civic]] into a [[Marriott International|Marriott Hotel]]. This process was accelerated after 2000, when the city underwent a property boom, and many Communist-era buildings in the city centre became prime real estate due to their location. In recent years, many Communist-era apartment blocks have also been refurbished to improve the city's urban appearance. ===Contemporary architecture=== [[Image:New and old building Bucharest.jpg|thumb|left|200px|The headquarters of the Romanian Architects Association, built on the ruins of the Direcţia V [[Securitate]]]] [[Image:Bucharest modern building 1.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Bucharest Financial Plaza]]]] The newest contribution to Bucharest's architecture took place after the fall of Communism, and particularly after 2000, when the city went through a period of urban renewal &ndash; and architectural revitalization &ndash; on the back of Romania's economic boom. Buildings from this time are mostly made out of glass and [[steel]], and often have more than fifteen storeys. Examples include shopping malls (particularly the [[Bucharest Mall]], a conversion and extension of an abandoned building), office buildings, bank headquarters, the [[Bucharest World Trade Center]] and the [[Chamber of Commerce]], which lies on the banks of the [[Dâmboviţa river|Dâmboviţa]]. As of 2005, there is a significant number of office buildings in construction, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the city. Additionally, there has been a trend in recent years to add modern wings and [[façade]]s to historic buildings, the most prominent example of which is the Bucharest Architects' Association Building, which is a modern glass-and-steel construction built inside a historic stone façade. Aside from buildings used for business and institutions, various new residential developments are currently underway, many of which consist of modern high-rise buildings with a glass exterior, surrounded by American-style residential communities. These developments are increasingly prominent in the northern suburbs of the city, which are less densely-populated and are home to middle- and upper-class Bucharesters due to the process of [[gentrification]]. <br clear="all"> ==Gallery== <center><gallery> Image:The University.JPG|[[University of Bucharest]]. Image:The University of Bucharest Library.jpg|The [[University of Bucharest]] Library Image:Over unirii square 2.jpg| The [[Unirii Square]] fountain Image:Cantacuzino-Enescu 1.jpg|[[George Enescu]] Museum - The [[Cantacuzino]] Palace Image:Unirii by night.jpg|Bucharest avenue Image:Cotroceni Palace Bucharest.jpg|The [[Cotroceni Palace]] Image:Elegant Fountains.jpg|In Front of the [[Palace of the Parliament]] Image:Modern architecture Bucharest.jpg|Modern architecture on the banks of [[Dâmboviţa River]] Image:Bancorex building bgiu.jpg|Bucharest Financial Plaza Tower Image:Herastrau Park.jpg|[[Herăstrău Park]] Image:Nicolae Balcesco Boulevard by night.jpg|Nicolae Balcesco Boulevard by night Image:Cismigiu Gardens.jpg|The [[Cişmigiu Gardens]] Image:Old Bucharest.jpg|The old city center of Bucharest Image:Stravopoleos street.jpg|[[Stavropoleos]] street, with the CEC Palace in the background Image:Stavopoleos exterior cristi.jpg|[[Stavropoleos]] Church, built in 1724 Image:Ion Heliade Radulescu.jpg|Statue of [[Ion Heliade Rădulescu]] in [[University Square, Bucharest|University Square]] Image:Bucharest The Palace of the Parliament.jpg|The [[Palace of the Parliament]] from above Image:Revolution Square Bucharest.jpg|Statue of [[Iuliu Maniu]] in [[Revolution Square, Bucharest|Revolution Square]] Image:Howard Johnson Hotel Bucharest.jpg|[[Howard Johnson Hotel Bucharest|Howard Johnson Hotel]] Image:Hotel Intercontinental Boekarest.jpg|[[InterContinental]] Hotel Image:Vitan2.jpg|[[Bancpost|Bancpost Tower]] Image:Rosetti1.jpg|[[Millennium Tower|Millennium Bussiness Center]] Image:Vitan1.jpg|The Romanian Chamber of Commerce <!-- Deleted image removed: Image:Amzei1.jpg|Cathedral Plaza --> Image:BUCmuzeultaranului2.jpg|Museum of the Romanian Peasant Image:Hanul Manuc Courtyard 4.jpg|Manuc's Inn Image:Opera2Bucuresti.JPG|Romanian National Opera Image:Casa Scanteii.jpg|The House of the Free Press Image:Intrare Catedrala Patriarhiei.JPG|Romanian Patriarchal Cathedral Image:Radu Voda intrarea principala.JPG|Radu Vodă Orthodox Monastery Image:Cladirea ASE Bucuresti.jpg|Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies Image:Politehnica rectorat.jpg|Polytechnic University of Bucharest </gallery></center> ==Media== [[Image:Casa Scanteii 02 bgiu.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Casa Presei Libere]], the headquarters of various Bucharest media outlets]] Bucharest is the most important centre for Romanian mass media, since it is the headquarters of all the national television networks as well as national newspapers and radio stations. The largest daily newspapers in Bucharest include ''[[Evenimentul Zilei]]'', ''[[Jurnalul Naţional]]'', ''[[Cotidianul]]'', ''[[România Liberă]]'', ''[[Adevărul]]'', ''[[Gardianul]]'' and ''[[Gândul]]''. During the rush hours, [[tabloid]] newspapers ''[[Libertatea]]'' and ''[[Ziarul]]'' are very popular for commuters. A significant number of newspapers and media publications are based in [[Casa Presei Libere]] (The House of the Free Press) a landmark of northern Bucharest, originally named Casa Scânteii after the Communist-era official newspaper ''[[Scînteia]]''. Casa Presei Libere is not the only Bucharest landmark that grew out of the media and communications industry. [[Palatul Telefoanelor]] ("the telephone palace") was the first major modernist building on Calea Victoriei in the city's center, and the massive, unfinished communist-era [[Casa Radio]] looms over a park a block away from the Opera. English-language media became available in Bucharest in the 1990s, and has become increasingly prominent since 2000. There are two daily English-language newspapers, ''[[Bucharest Daily News]]'' and ''[[Nine O' Clock]]'', as well as numerous other magazines. A number of publications in other languages are also available, such as the Hungarian-language daily ''[[Új Magyar Szó]]''. ''[[Observator Cultural]]'' covers the city's arts, and the free weekly ''[[Şapte Seri]]'' ("Seven Evenings") and ''B24FUN'' lists entertainments of all sorts. The city is also home to the intellectual journal ''[[Dilema]]'' and the satire magazine ''[[Academia Caţavencu]]'', as well as the usual array of commercial magazines one would find in any European capital. <!-- expand, list TV stations, what are the leading newspapers? magazines? radio stations? alternatives?, English-language media --> Bucharest was the host city of the fourth edition of the [[Junior Eurovision Song Contest]] 2006. ==Sports== [[Football (soccer)]] is the most widely-followed sport in Bucharest, with the city having various club teams that are known throughout Europe. Four football teams of Bucharest participate in [[Liga 1]] (League 1), formerly Divizia A, the top division in the Romanian football league: {| class="wikitable" width=100% style="font-size:93%" ! Club ! Founded ! Stadium ! Notes |- | [[FC Sportul Studenţesc Bucureşti|FC Sportul Studenţesc]] | 1916 | [[Regie Stadium]] | * Oldest established local team * Playing in the [[Liga II|2nd League]] from 2006 to present |- | [[FC Rapid Bucureşti|FC Rapid]] | 1923 | [[Giuleşti Stadium]] | * The first Romanian team in a European cup final ([[Mitropa Cup]], 1940, was not played because of [[WWII]]) * The only team to win 6 times in a row the [[Romanian Cup]] (1936-1942) * Won the Romanian Championship 3 times, the Romanian Cup 13 times, and the Romanian SuperCup 4 times. |- | [[FC Progresul Bucureşti|Progresul Bucuresti]] | 1944 | [[Cotroceni Stadium]] | * Playing in the [[Liga II|2nd League]] from 2007 to present |- | [[FC Steaua Bucureşti|FC Steaua]] | 1947 | [[Ghencea Stadium]] | * Winner of the 1986 [[UEFA Champions League|European Champion Clubs Cup]] and [[European Super Cup]] * Won the Romanian Championship 23 times, the Romanian Cup 20 times, and the Romanian SuperCup 5 times. |- | [[FC Dinamo Bucureşti|FC Dinamo]] | 1948 | [[Dinamo Stadium (Bucharest)|Dinamo Stadium]] | * The first Romanian team to participate in [[UEFA Champions League|European Champion Clubs Cup]] (1956) * The first Romanian team to reach the semifinals of the [[UEFA Champions League|European Champion Clubs Cup]] (1983-1984 season) * Won the Romanian Championship 18 times, and the Romanian Cup 12 times |} [[Image:National Stadium, Bucharest.JPG|thumb|left|200px|[[Lia Manoliu Stadium|The National Stadium]], Bucharest (Dinamo vs Manchester)]] The [[Lia Manoliu Stadium]] is the largest stadium in Romania (capacity: 60,120). Also there are sport centers, like Dinamo Sports Park and the National Sports Center. There are also a number of sport clubs for [[ice hockey]], [[rugby union]], [[basketball]], [[team handball|handball]], [[water polo]] and [[volleyball]]. The majority of Romanian track and field athletes, boxers, and a great number of gymnasts are affiliated with clubs in Bucharest. The Athletics and many Gymnastics National Championships are held in Bucharest, one main reason being the city's extensive sporting infrastructure. Every autumn, Bucharest hosts [[Banca Comercială Română|BCR]] [[Open Romania]] international tennis tournament, which is included in the [[Association of Tennis Professionals|ATP Tour]]. Also, the Romanian [[Davis Cup]] Team usually plays its matches in Bucharest, either outdoors at the [[BNR Arena]] or indoor at the [[Sala Polivalentă]]. Ice hockey games are held at the Mihai Flamaropol hall, which holds 8,000 spectators. For the [[2007 FIA GT Championship season|2007]] season, Bucharest will host a round of the [[FIA GT Championship]] at the new [[Bucharest Ring]], on [[May 20]]. It is now known as the Bucharest City Challenge<ref>http://www.fiagt.com/newsitem.php?key=1129/</ref> ==Portrayal in film and fiction== *The American novel ''[[The Historian]]'' by Elizabeth Kostova focuses on Romanian history and the story of Dracula, following one of the main characters who travels to Bucharest and Romania during the 1930s. * The British writer [[Olivia Manning]] set part of her ''[[Fortunes of War]]'' novel series in Bucharest during [[World War II]]. * The American-produced Romanian-language documentary ''[[Children Underground]]'' (2001) <ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264476/ Children Underground (2001)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> portrays the lives of homeless children in Bucharest. * The James Bond video game "''[[Agent Under Fire]]''" features two driving levels through the city of Bucharest. * The Romanian-language film ''[[Filantropica]]'' ("Philanthropy", 2002) <ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314067/ Filantropica (2002)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> gives a satiric portrayal of the city and of many strata of its life. * The English-language film ''The Wild Dogs'' (2002) <ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290930/ The Wild Dogs (2002)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> gives a more uniformly bleak portrait of the city. * The English-dubbed film ''Entre chiens et loups'' (2002) <ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0290594/ Entre chiens et loups (2002)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> features various parts of the city, suburbs & night-spots as a backdrop to a French action movie. * [[Wesley Snipes]] starred in ''7 Seconds'' (2005), an action flick filmed entirely on location in Bucharest.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417395/ 7 Seconds (2005) (V)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The film features the city's varied architecture. * Historic Communist Bucharest was depicted in [[Jack Chick]]'s first comic book, "Operation Bucharest", first published in 1974. It is loosely based on a Baptist Ministry called "Couriers For Christ" based there. * The film adaptation of the novel ''[[Blood and Chocolate (film)|Blood and Chocolate]]'' was set in Bucharest. * The French film 'Ils' (2006) was set in Bucharest, based on real events.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0465203/ Ils (2006)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> *The 1991 vampire film ''[[Subspecies (film series)|Subspecies]]'', which was produced by [[Full Moon Features]], was the first American film to be filmed in Bucharest.<ref>{{cite video|people=[[Ted Nicolaou]] (writer/director)|year=1991|title=Behind the scenes: Making of Subspecies|medium=DVD|publisher=[[Full Moon Features]]}}</ref> * An episode of [[MacGyver]] ("Humanity"; Season 6, airdate [[September 24]], [[1990]]) took place in Bucharest. * Blood and Chocolate a film based on the book by Annette Curtis Clause starring Hugo Dancy and is set in Bucharest. ==Sister cities== {{Refimprovesect|date=June 2008}} Bucharest has 14 [[Town twinning|sister cities]], including Istanbul, Budapest, London, Moscow, Sofia and the 8 below: {| class="wikitable" "text-align:left;font-size:100%;"| |- ! style="background: #811541; color: #FFFFFF" height="17" width="120" | Country ! style="background: #810001; color: #FFFFFF" ! width="100" | City ! style="background: #811541; color: #FFFFFF" ! width="40" | Date |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|Canada}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Montreal]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! |{{Fact|date=February 2008}} |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|China}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Beijing]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | 2005 |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|Cyprus}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Nicosia]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | 2004 |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|Greece}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Athens]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | 1993 |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|Jordan}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Amman]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | 1999 |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|Republic of Moldova}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Chişinău]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|Turkey}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Ankara]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|United States}} |! style="background: #FFFFCF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | 1994 |- |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | {{flag|Syria}} |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | '''[[Damascus]]''' |! style="background: #FFFFEF; color: #000000" ! | |} ==See also== * [[List of Bucharesters]] (important personalities born in Bucharest) * [[List of buildings in Bucharest]] (important buildings in Bucharest) * [[Coat of arms of Bucharest]] {{portal|Bucharest}} ==Notes== {{reflist|2}} ==References== *[http://82.76.75.160:59764/cgi-bin/guestimage.html Webcam Live in Bucharest] *[http://www1.pmb.ro/pmb/index_en.htm Modern history of Bucharest], City Hall of Bucharest *[http://www.inyourpocket.com/romania/bucharest/en/category?cid=2830&chid=15 Public transport in Bucharest], InYourPocket Bucharest, 2005 *Şerban Cantacuzino, ''Două Oraşe Distincte''. Revista Secolul XX 4/6 (1997): 11–40 *Ernie Schoffham, Luminiţa MacHedon, Şerban Cantacuzino, ''Romanian Modernism: The Architecture of Bucharest, 1920-1940'' *[http://www.romaniatourism.com/spec.html Romania: Arts & Architecture], Romanian Tourist Office *Tatiana Murzin, [http://www.aboutromania.com/education.html Romanian Education], 2005 *[http://portal.edu.ro Romanian Education Portal], Site for the Ministry of Education containing lists of all educational establishments. *[http://www.fodors.com/miniguides/mgresults.cfm?destination=bucharest@36 Overview of Bucharest], Fodor's Travel Guide *[http://museum.ici.ro/mbucur/english/micparis.htm Bucharest, the small Paris of the East], on the Museums from Romania web site. *Bucica, Cristina. {{PDFlink|[http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/kokkalis/GSW5/bucica.pdf Legitimating Power in Capital Cities: Bucharest - Continuity Through Radical Change?]|39.0&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]]<!-- application/pdf, 39982 bytes -->}}, 2000. ==External links== {{external}} {{sisterlinks}} {{Geolinks-cityscale|44.4167|26.1}} ===Official sites=== * [http://www1.pmb.ro/pmb/index_en.htm Bucharest: Official administration site] * [http://www.prefecturabucuresti.ro/ The Bucharest Prefecture] * [http://www.ratb.ro/ RATB (Public Transport Company) official website] * [http://www.metrorex.ro/ Metrorex (Underground Transport Company) official website] * [http://www.otp-airport.ro/ Bucharest Airport Henri Coanda] * [http://www.baneasa-airport.ro/ Bucharest Airport Aurel Vlaicu] * [http://www.cfr.ro/ (National Railway Company) official website] * [http://www.infofer.ro/ (Railway Passenger Transport) official website] * [http://www.autogari.ro/ (Romania Bus Passenger) official website] * [http://www.bucuresti.ro/ City of Bucharest] ===City guides=== * {{wikitravel}} * [http://www.bucuresti.com.ro/www/index.html/harta Bucharest Interactive map] ===Other=== * [http://www.maerlant.be/cesiexhibit/index.htm Bucharest between the World Wars: A modernity with fringes], exhibition by the Centre of Excellence in Image Studies (CESI), of the University of Bucharest. * [http://www.show.ro/bucuresti/prima.htm Bucureştii - un oraş fară istorie ... ??!! / Bucurestiul - inainte de ...] ("Bucharest - a city without history ... ??!! / Bucharest - before ..."). Extensive collection of historical photos and drawings. * [http://www.thediplomat.ro/features_0906_1.htm Article on Building in Bucharest: The city where anything goes], From 'The Diplomat - Bucharest' magazine *[http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1282/is_10_57/ai_n15658075/print A red's white elephant] 2005 National Review article by Anthony Daniels *[http://travel.webshots.com/album/559616732Svayiq] Views from Bucharest *[http://public-transport.net/bus/Trolley.htm Bucharest trolleybus] <br> {{Template group |title = Bucharest in the European Union |list = {{European capitals}} {{Capital cities of the European Union}} }} {{RoJudCapitals}} {{Bucharest sectors}} {{Host Cities of the Francophonie Summits}} [[Category:Bucharest| ]] [[Category:Capitals in Europe]] [[Category:Cities of Romania served by tramway systems]] [[Category:Municipalities of Romania]] {{Link FA|ca}} [[af:Boekarest]] [[am:ቡካረስት]] [[ar:بوخارست]] [[roa-rup:Bucureshci]] [[frp:Bucarèst]] [[ast:Bucarest]] [[az:Buxarest]] [[bn:বুখারেস্ট]] [[be-x-old:Бухарэст]] [[bo:པུ་ཁ་རེ་སིད]] [[bs:Bukurešt]] [[br:Bukarest]] [[bg:Букурещ]] [[ca:Bucarest]] [[cv:Бухарест]] [[cs:Bukurešť]] [[co:Bucarest]] [[da:Bukarest]] [[de:Bukarest]] [[et:Bukarest]] [[el:Βουκουρέστι]] [[es:Bucarest]] [[eo:Bukareŝto]] [[eu:Bukarest]] [[fa:بخارست]] [[fo:Bukarest]] [[fr:Bucarest]] [[fy:Bûkarest]] [[ga:Búcairist]] [[gv:Bucharest]] [[gd:Bucharest]] [[gl:Bucarest - Bucureşti]] [[ko:부쿠레슈티]] [[hy:Բուխարեստ]] [[hi:बुखारेस्ट]] [[hr:Bukurešt]] [[io:Bucarest]] [[id:Bukares]] [[ia:Bucarest]] [[is:Búkarest]] [[it:Bucarest]] [[he:בוקרשט]] [[ka:ბუქარესტი]] [[csb:Bùkareszt]] [[sw:Bukarest]] [[ht:Boukarès]] [[lad:Bukureshti]] [[la:Bucaresta]] [[lv:Bukareste]] [[lb:Bukarest]] [[lt:Bukareštas]] [[lij:Bucarest]] [[ln:Bukaresti]] [[hu:Bukarest]] [[mk:Букурешт]] [[ml:ബുച്ചാറെസ്റ്റ്]] [[ms:Bucharest]] [[nl:Boekarest]] [[ja:ブカレスト]] [[no:Bucureşti]] [[nn:Bucureşti]] [[nov:Bukareshti]] [[oc:Bucarèst]] [[pms:Bùcarest]] [[pl:Bukareszt]] [[pt:Bucareste]] [[crh:Bükreş]] [[ro:Bucureşti]] [[rmy:Bukureshti]] [[rm:Bucaresta]] [[qu:Bukuresti]] [[ru:Бухарест]] [[sq:Bukureshti]] [[scn:Bucarest]] [[simple:Bucharest]] [[sk:Bukurešť]] [[sl:Bukarešta]] [[sr:Букурешт]] [[sh:Bukurešt]] [[fi:Bukarest]] [[sv:Bukarest]] [[tl:Bucharest]] [[ta:புக்கரெஸ்ட்]] [[tet:Bukareste]] [[vi:Bucharest]] [[tg:Бухарест]] [[tr:Bükreş]] [[uk:Бухарест]] [[vec:Bùcarest]] [[vo:Bucureşti]] [[yi:בוקארעשט]] [[zh:布加勒斯特]]