Bucharest
Bucharest is not just the biggest city in Romania but also the country's capital and the centre of its cultural, industrial, and economic life. It may be found in the southeast part of the nation, on the banks of the Dambovița River. It is situated less than 60 kilometres (37.3 miles) to the north of the Danube River and the border with Bulgaria.
1459 is the year that Bucharest was first referenced in written sources. In 1862, it was chosen to be the capital of Romania, and now it serves as the nation's cultural, artistic, and media epicentre. Historical (primarily Eclectic, but also Neoclassical and Art Nouveau architecture), interbellum (Bauhaus, Art Deco, and Romanian Revival architecture), communist period, and contemporary styles are all represented in the architecture of this country. Bucharest was given the nicknames "Little Paris" and "Paris of the East" during the time period in between the two World Wars due to the sophisticated population of the city's upper class and the city's magnificent architecture. Despite the fact that many structures and neighbourhoods in the ancient city centre were severely damaged or completely destroyed as a result of war, earthquakes, or even Nicolae Ceauşescu's programme of systematisation, a significant number of them were able to survive and have since been repaired. In recent years, the city has been going through a period in which it is witnessing a boom in both its economic and cultural sectors. According to the Financial Times, CBRE, TechCrunch, and other sources, it is now one of the most rapidly developing high-tech hubs in all of Europe. A value of almost $35 billion has been obtained by the worldwide startup UiPath, which was established in Bucharest. Since 2019, Bucharest has been the site of Southeast Europe's most comprehensive high technology conference (Romania Blockchain Summit).
The old city centre was included on the World Monuments Watch's list of "endangered" properties in the year 2016. According to the Mastercard Global Index of Urban Destinations, Bucharest was the city in Europe that had the greatest increase in the number of visitors who stayed in the city for at least one night in 2017. According to the same survey, Bucharest has maintained its position as the top location in Europe for having the most potential for future growth throughout the course of the previous two years in a row, 2018 and 2019.
The city boundaries are home to a total population of 1,883,425 people, as per the census completed in 2011. The envisaged metropolitan region of Bucharest would have a population of 2.27 million people with the addition of the satellite towns that would be located surrounding the urban centre. In the year 2020, the official reports on the pandemic were based on the information from 2.5 million individuals. Following Berlin, Madrid, and Rome in terms of population inside city boundaries, Bucharest is the fourth biggest city in the European Union, narrowly edging out Paris in the process.
Bucharest is not only the most successful city in Romania but also the wealthiest capital and city in the area, having surpassed Budapest in terms of economic success a few years ago. According to recent research, Bucharest will overtake Luxembourg City and Groningen as the city in Europe with the highest GDP per capita by the year 2050. This will be followed by Groningen. According to a recent study conducted by Grosvenor, Bucharest will already be the third wealthiest city in Europe by the year 2040.
Large convention centres, educational institutions, cultural venues, historically significant "shopping arcades," and leisure spaces may be found scattered around the city.
Administratively, the city proper is referred to as the "Municipality of Bucharest," and it is on the same administrative level as a national county. The municipality of Bucharest is further split into six sectors, and each sector is managed by a local mayor.