Motru (ˈmotru) is a city in Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, Gorj County

Gorj County

Gorj is a county of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 387,308 and its population density was 69/km².* Romanians – over 98%* Rromas, others.- Geography :...

.

Motru is situated on the river

Motru River

The Motru River is a tributary of the Jiu River in the Southwest of Romania. The hydrological basin of the Motru has an area of 1874 km²...

 of the same in western Oltenia

Oltenia

Oltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river ....

. The county capital Târgu Jiu

Târgu Jiu

Târgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...

 is located about 35 km northeast. The city administers eight villages: Dealu Pomilor, Horăşti, Însurăţei, Leurda, Lupoiţa, Ploştina, Roşiuţa and Râpa.

History

Motru was on administrative decision in 1966 on the territory of the former municipality Ploştina, which, together with seven other villages, part of the new city. Reason for the decision to create a city was the development of several coal deposits.

The region is at least since the time of the Roman Empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

, inhabited, in the district Leurda in 1964 found some silver coins from the time of Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211). The oldest documented settlement in the territory of present-day town Ploština

Plostina

Ploştina may refer to several villages in Romania:* Ploştina, a village in Lopătari Commune, Buzău County* Ploştina, a village in Melineşti Commune, Dolj County* Ploştina, a village in the town of Motru, Gorj County...

 (1385 is mentioned).

The Dacian town Amutria

Amutria

Amutria was a Dacian town close to the Danube and included in the Roman road network, after the conquest of Dacia....

 is mentioned in ancient sources like Ptolemy

Ptolemy

Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...

's Geographia (c. 150 AD) and Tabula Peutingeriana

Tabula Peutingeriana

The Tabula Peutingeriana is an itinerarium showing the cursus publicus, the road network in the Roman Empire. The original map of which this is a unique copy was last revised in the fourth or early fifth century. It covers Europe, parts of Asia and North Africa...

 (2nd century AD), and potentially placed here. The name is homonymous with the ancient name of Motru river.
After the Roman

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

 conquest of Dacia

Dacia

In ancient geography, especially in Roman sources, Dacia was the land inhabited by the Dacians or Getae as they were known by the Greeks—the branch of the Thracians north of the Haemus range...

, Amutria was part of an important road network, between Drubetis and Pelendava

Pelendava

Pelendava was a Dacian town, today's Craiova, Romania.- See also :* Dacian davae* List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia* Dacia* Roman Dacia- External links :...

.

Present

In today's incorporated villages were partially free farmers, others were in the monastery Tismana

Tismana

Tismana is a town in Gorj County, Romania. It administers ten villages: Celei, Costeni, Gornoviţa, Isvarna, Pocruia, Racoţi, Sohodol, Topeşti, Vâlcele and Vânăta....

 submissive.

2000 Motru the municipality (Municipul) - ie a greater city - nominated .

The main city is the mining industry, while also playing - especially in the incorporated villages - Agriculture and livestock play an important role.
Population

In the 2002 census in the city were 22 967 people, including 22 718 Romanians

Romanians

The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....

, 91 Hungarians, 129 Roma and 15 Germans.

Transportation

Motru has a rail connection on a route leading from Strehaia

Strehaia

Strehaia is a town in Mehedinţi County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated 25 km west of Filiaşi, on the Motru River valley. Forests in the vicinity are home to the largest Herman's Tortoise colonies in Oltenia....

, which was put into operation in 1962. Several times a day commuter trains travel to Craiova

Craiova

Craiova , Romania's 6th largest city and capital of Dolj County, is situated near the east bank of the river Jiu in central Oltenia. It is a longstanding political center, and is located at approximately equal distances from the Southern Carpathians and the River Danube . Craiova is the chief...

. In addition, there are bus connections in the district capital of Targu Jiu. Motru is on the National Road 67 from Drobeta Turnu Severin to Ramnicu Valcea.