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Revista Haemus nr. 30-32 - Libraria pentru toti

Revista Haemus nr. 30-32 - Libraria pentru toti

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QYTETE / ORAŞE<br />

Bucharest<br />

Bucharest, the most popullous and most important town of Romania, the<br />

principal political, administrative, economic, financial, banking,<br />

educational, scientific and cultural centre of the country. Located in S-SE<br />

Romania, at an altitude of 60-90 m, on the Dâmbovita and Colentina rivers,<br />

at 44°25'50" Latitude North and 26°06'50" Longitude East, at about the<br />

same latitude as Belgrade, Geneva, Bordeaux, Minneapolis, and the same<br />

longitude as Helisinki and Johannesburg. The town has an area of 228 sq.<br />

km. and a population of 2,021,000 (on 01.01.1998), accounting for 9% of<br />

the total population and for 15% of the urban one. In terms of population<br />

size, Bucharest ranks third in the region after Athens and Istambul.<br />

The climate is one of extremes, with hot summers (July average<br />

temperature, 23° C / 73° F) and cold winters (January average, -3° C / 27°<br />

F). Rainfall is low, averaging 585 mm (23 in) annually, and comes mainly<br />

in summer.<br />

The city has grown rapidly, doubling its size since World War II. The<br />

earliest city lay on rising ground on the left bank of the Dimbovita. This<br />

rural town was replaced beginning in the 1860s by an elegant capital with<br />

French-inspired architecture that caused it to be known as the Paris of the<br />

Balkans.<br />

The Communist planners extended the wide boulevards begin in the 19th<br />

century. They also laid out squares and erected massive buildings-many of<br />

them markedly Soviet in style--including the Communist party headquarters<br />

and the giant building which housed the government printing and publishing<br />

works. Among the post-World War II buildings are many huge, utilitarian<br />

apartment blocks of no particular aesthetic distinction. A number of historic<br />

churches and synagogues were razed by order of Romania's authoritarian<br />

president Nicolae Ceausescu to make way for these building projects.<br />

Under Communist rule many small factories were nationalized and merged<br />

into large state-run enterprises. Since 1950 many new industries have been<br />

established, including clothing, mechanical engineering, and the<br />

manufacture of farm equipment. Bucharest also has many food processing<br />

factories.<br />

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