Ploiesti
Encyclopedia
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County
and lies in the historical region of Wallachia
in Romania
. The city is located 56 km (34.8 mi) north of Bucharest
.
According to the 2002 Romanian census, there were 232,527 people living within the city of Ploiești, making it the 9th most populous city in Romania.
was opened in 1864, and the railway arrived in 1882. Many schools and hospitals were built around this time.
In the mid-19th century, the Ploieşti region was one of the world's leading oil
extraction and refinery
sites. The city is also remembered as the site of the self-styled Republic of Ploieşti
, a short-lived 1870 revolt against the Romanian monarchy
.
Although badly damaged after the November 1940 earthquake
, the city was a significant source of oil for Nazi Germany
. A target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
, Ploieşti was attacked repeatedly, such as during the HALPRO raid
, and Operation Tidal Wave. Ploieşti was captured by Soviet troops in August 1944.
Following the war, the new Communist
regime nationalised
the oil industry, which had largely been privately owned, and made massive investments in the oil and petroleum industry in a bid to modernise the country and repair the war damage.
, the Ploieşti refineries were bombed in Operation Tidal Wave by the Allies
during the Oil Campaign of World War II
.
The population of Ploieşti went from 56,460, as indicated by the December 1912 census returns, up to 252,715 in January 1992.
Since the fall of Communism, however, the city's population continues to gently fall due both to emigration
and to a declining birth rate. At the 2002 census, the population reduced to 232,527.
Ploieşti city 5844 ha (14,440.8 acre) has become the nucleus of a metropolitan area which count 14 localities, adding around 100,000 new inhabitants to the administrative area.
For 2010, Ploieşti has an estimated population of 227,194, the 9th most populous city in Romania.
, Ploieşti experienced rapid economic growth due to major investments from foreign companies. The city is situated at just 60 km north from Bucharest
, with promising infrastructure projects currently underway. Ploieşti is a strong industrial center, focused especially on the oil production and refining industry. Although oil production in the region is declining steadily, there is still a thriving processing industry through four operating oil refineries, linked by pipeline
s to Bucharest, the Black Sea
port of Constanţa
and the Danube
port of Giurgiu
. Ploieşti is also a textile manufacturing center. Ploieşti concentrates many foreign investments: OMV
-Petrom
, Lukoil
, Shell Gas, Timken
, Yazaki
, Coca Cola, Efes Pilsener, British American Tobacco
, Interbrew
. Many retailers like Carrefour
, Metro
, Selgros
, Kaufland
, Billa, Bricostore
, Praktiker
, Intermarche
, Profi
, Mega Image
found in Ploieşti a continuously growing market. In Ploieşti can also be found two McDonald's
restaurants, and only one KFC
restaurant opened in 2006.
The German retailer Tengelmann
expects to have some 30 stores this year and has set itself a target of 120 stores by 2010, investing €200 million. To facilitate its growth, Tengelmann
built a depot in Ploieşti. With its Interex operation, the French independent retailer Intermarché
intends to become a distribution leader in the Balkans. In Romania the first Interex store was opened in June 2002 in the city of Ploieşti.
Unilever
has a detergent plant in Ploieşti. By transferring their food production to Ploieşti, the company will concentrate their full activity in Romania to the same location. At the beginning of March 2006, Unilever announced they would invest EUR 3 million to build one production center in Romania, and the construction of the new food plant is part of this plan.
At Ploieşti, as a milestone in the development of the petroleum
, hydrocarbon processing
and petrochemical industries
as well as of their related fields, was established in 1950, the Engineering
and Design Institute for Oil Refineries
and Petrochemical Plants
, SC IPIP SA
, a Romania
n company with a large range of capabilities and experience.
In ploiesti there are four local televisions:Alpha TV,Valea Prahovei TV,WYLL andPrahova TV
Bucharest
–Braşov
, the main path towards the north and west provinces and the Western EU. The Henri Coandă International Airport
is just at 45 km distance, and the ski resorts from Prahova Valley
can be reached in one hour driving. The scarcity of modern motorways and well-built roads surrounding Ploieşti, and Romania
in general makes transport a challenge. Under the scrutiny of the EU, the motorway infrastructure will improve substantially over the next few years.
Ploieşti is the second railway center in the country after Bucharest
, linking Bucharest
with Transylvania
and Moldavia
. The city's public transportation system is run by Regia Autonomă de Transport Public (RATP Ploieşti) and includes an extensive network of buses, trolleybuses and trams/streetcars. Ploieşti's distinct yellow bus fleet is one of the most modern in Southeastern Europe, provides connections to all areas within the city, for a daily average of 150,000 passengers. The municipal roads comprise over 800 streets with a total length of 324 km. East and West ring belts cannot prevent around 5,300 vehicles transiting Ploieşti each day. The municipal vehicle park comprised 216 buses, 32 trams and 25 trolleybuses carrying about 70 millions passengers annually. There are 33 bus lines having a total length of 415,46 km; two trolley-bus lines having a total length of 19,9 km and two tram lines having a total length of 23,8 km.
, Ploieşti Philharmonic Orchestra—one of the top-rated philharmonic orchestras in Romania and two prestigious football clubs
in Liga 1, Astra and Petrolul
.
There are many cultural and architectural monuments, including the Cultural Palace; the Clock Museum, featuring a collection of clocks and watches gathered by Nicolae Simache; the Oil Museum; the Art Museum of Ploieşti, donated by the Quintus family; and the Hagi Prodan Museum, dating to 1785: the property of a merchant named Ivan Hagi Prodan, it contains elements of old Romanian architecture and for a short time after World War I
it hosted the first museum in Ploieşti, "Prahova's Museum".
In August 2011,Ploiesti hosted the Golden Carpathian European Film & Fair and Goran Bregovic
concert.
. According to the Köppen climate classification
, the city falls within the temperate humid continental climate
(Dfa) of the hot summer type.
, is made up of 27 councillors, with the following party composition:
with:
Prahova County
Prahova is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploieşti.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 829,945 and the population density was 176/km². It is Romania's most populated county, having a population density double than the country's mean...
and lies in the historical region of Wallachia
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
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...
. The city is located 56 km (34.8 mi) north of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
According to the 2002 Romanian census, there were 232,527 people living within the city of Ploiești, making it the 9th most populous city in Romania.
History
The town was established in 1596, during the reign of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave). It rapidly flourished as a center for trade and handicraft manufacturing in the 17th and 18th centuries. The road connecting Ploieşti to BraşovBrasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
was opened in 1864, and the railway arrived in 1882. Many schools and hospitals were built around this time.
In the mid-19th century, the Ploieşti region was one of the world's leading oil
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
extraction and refinery
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
sites. The city is also remembered as the site of the self-styled Republic of Ploieşti
Republic of Ploiesti
The Republic of Ploiești was a revolt against the Romanian monarchy in the city of Ploiești, Romania, on August 8, 1870.-Background:Romanian liberal radicals of Ploiești and elsewhere were opposed to the new ruler of the country, Prince Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen , and desired a republic to...
, a short-lived 1870 revolt against the Romanian monarchy
Kingdom of Romania
The Kingdom of Romania was the Romanian state based on a form of parliamentary monarchy between 13 March 1881 and 30 December 1947, specified by the first three Constitutions of Romania...
.
World War II
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
, the city was a significant source of oil for Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. A target of the Oil Campaign of World War II
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
, Ploieşti was attacked repeatedly, such as during the HALPRO raid
Egypt-Libya Campaign
The Egypt–Libya Campaign is the name used by the United States military for the US contribution to the Allied Western Desert Campaign, during World War II. From 1942, U.S. forces assisted the British Commonwealth in fighting Axis forces in Egypt and Libya. The U.S...
, and Operation Tidal Wave. Ploieşti was captured by Soviet troops in August 1944.
Following the war, the new Communist
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
regime nationalised
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
the oil industry, which had largely been privately owned, and made massive investments in the oil and petroleum industry in a bid to modernise the country and repair the war damage.
The world's first oil refinery opens at Ploieşti, Romania
World's first large refinery opened at Ploieşti, in 1856-1857, with US investment. After being taken over by Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, the Ploieşti refineries were bombed in Operation Tidal Wave by the Allies
Allies
In everyday English usage, allies are people, groups, or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out between them...
during the Oil Campaign of World War II
Oil Campaign of World War II
The Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...
.
Demographics
| Historical population of Ploieşti | |||||||||||||
| Year | Population | %± | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810 | 2,024 | — | |||||||||||
| 1859 census | 26,468 | 1200% | |||||||||||
| 1899 census | 45,107 | 70.4% | |||||||||||
| 1912 census | 56,460 | 25.1% | |||||||||||
| 1930 census | 77,341 | 36.9% | |||||||||||
| 1948 census | 96,229 | 24.4% | |||||||||||
| 1956 census | 114,544 | 19% | |||||||||||
| 1966 census | 146,922 | 28.2% | |||||||||||
| 1977 census | 199,699 | 35.9% | |||||||||||
| 1992 census | 252,715 | 26.5% | |||||||||||
| 2002 census | 232,527 | −7.9% | |||||||||||
| 2009 estimate | 228,378 | −1.7% | |||||||||||
The population of Ploieşti went from 56,460, as indicated by the December 1912 census returns, up to 252,715 in January 1992.
Since the fall of Communism, however, the city's population continues to gently fall due both to emigration
Emigration
Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state is termed migration. There are many reasons why people...
and to a declining birth rate. At the 2002 census, the population reduced to 232,527.
Ploieşti city 5844 ha (14,440.8 acre) has become the nucleus of a metropolitan area which count 14 localities, adding around 100,000 new inhabitants to the administrative area.
For 2010, Ploieşti has an estimated population of 227,194, the 9th most populous city in Romania.
| Census | Ethnic composition | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Population | Romanians Romanians The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania.... |
Hungarians | Germans Germans The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages.... |
Serbs Serbs The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in... |
Jews Jews The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation... |
Roma | Russians Russians The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries.... |
Greeks Greeks The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world.... |
Ukrainians Ukrainians Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens... |
|
| 1930 | 79,149 | 69,139 | 1,591 | 1,307 | |||||||
| 2002 | 232,527 | 225,570 | 237 | 148 | 8 | 65 | 5,873 | 56 | 108 | 15 | |
Economy
After the Romanian Revolution of 1989Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, Ploieşti experienced rapid economic growth due to major investments from foreign companies. The city is situated at just 60 km north from Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, with promising infrastructure projects currently underway. Ploieşti is a strong industrial center, focused especially on the oil production and refining industry. Although oil production in the region is declining steadily, there is still a thriving processing industry through four operating oil refineries, linked by pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
s to Bucharest, the Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
port of Constanţa
Constanta
Constanța is the oldest extant city in Romania, founded around 600 BC. The city is located in the Dobruja region of Romania, on the Black Sea coast. It is the capital of Constanța County and the largest city in the region....
and the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
port of Giurgiu
Giurgiu
Giurgiu is the capital city of Giurgiu County, Romania, in the Greater Wallachia. It is situated amid mud-flats and marshes on the left bank of the Danube facing the Bulgarian city of Rousse on the opposite bank. Three small islands face the city, and a larger one shelters its port, Smarda...
. Ploieşti is also a textile manufacturing center. Ploieşti concentrates many foreign investments: OMV
OMV
OMV is Austria's largest oil-producing, refining and gas station operating company with important activities in other Central European countries...
-Petrom
Petrom
Petrom is a Romanian oil company, the largest corporation in Romania and the largest gas and oil producer in Eastern Europe operating in several countries:*Romania - largest company;*Moldova - 2nd largest company, 31% market share;...
, Lukoil
LUKoil
Lukoil/LUKoil ; ) is Russia's second largest oil company and its second largest producer of oil. In 2009, the company produced 97.615 million tons of oil; ....
, Shell Gas, Timken
Timken
Timken may refer to:* Timken, Kansas, a small town in the United States* Timken 1111, 4-8-4 steam locomotive built in 1930* Timken Company, a manufacturer of industrial parts* Timken High School, in Canton, Ohio, United States...
, Yazaki
Yazaki
is a worldwide supplier of automotive equipment, gas meters and air-conditioning equipment. The main business is automotive equipment like electrical wiring harnesses, components like connectors, terminals, fuses and boxes and electronic devices such as instrument clusters.The Yazaki Group employs...
, Coca Cola, Efes Pilsener, British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco p.l.c. is a global tobacco company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s second largest quoted tobacco company by global market share , with a leading position in more than 50 countries and a presence in more than 180 countries...
, Interbrew
Interbrew
Interbrew was a large Belgium-based brewing company which owned many internationally known beers, as well as some smaller local beers. In 2004 Interbrew merged with Brazilian brewer AmBev to form InBev, which is the now largest brewer in the world by volume, with a 13% global market share now...
. Many retailers like Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
, Metro
Metro Cash and Carry
-Romania:METRO Cash and Carry was one of the first international food and non-food retail chains to enter the Romanian market, opening its first store in 1996 in Bucharest, near Henri Coandă International Airport....
, Selgros
Selgros
Selgros is the second largest Cash & Carry company in Europe. It is owned by Rewe Group and Otto Group .-Fegro/Selgros in Europe:-Selgros in Romania:...
, Kaufland
Kaufland
Kaufland is a German hypermarket chain part of the same group as Lidl and Handelshof. It opened its first store in 1984 in Neckarsulm and quickly expanded to become a leader in what was formerly East Germany...
, Billa, Bricostore
Bricostore
Bricostore is a French hypermarket chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods.-Bricostore in Europe:-Competitors:* Praktiker* Baumax* Mr. Bricolage* Hornbach* OBI* Leroy Merlin-External links:* * *...
, Praktiker
Praktiker
Praktiker is a German hypermarket chain offering home improvement and do-it-yourself goods. It is based in Kirkel, Saarland, and opened its first store in 1978. Initially owned by ASKO, the chain became a division of Metro AG after the merger of ASKO with Metro Cash & Carry in 1995...
, Intermarche
Intermarché
Intermarché is the brand of a general commercial French supermarket, part of the large retail group 'Les Mousquetaires' founded in 1969 under the name EX Offices, by Jean-Pierre Le Roch...
, Profi
Profi
Profi is a discount supermarket This chain sells cheap own-brand products as well as the big brand names at reduced prices. Part of the company is owned by Louis Delhaize Group.Profi supermarkets can be found in:- External links :* *...
, Mega Image
Mega Image
Mega Image is a Romanian supermarket chain owned by Delhaize Group which operates stores under the name Mega Image, Shop'n Go, and Red Market.Mega Image supermarkets can be found in Bucharest, Constanţa, Ploieşti and all the big cities in the country....
found in Ploieşti a continuously growing market. In Ploieşti can also be found two McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurants, and only one KFC
KFC
KFC, founded and also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States. KFC has been a brand and operating segment, termed a concept of Yum! Brands since 1997 when that company was spun off from PepsiCo as Tricon Global...
restaurant opened in 2006.
The German retailer Tengelmann
Tengelmann
Tengelmann:* Tengelmann Group , a holding company based in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany; named after Emil Tengelmann** Kaiser's Tengelmann, GmbH - Family name :* Ernst Tengelmann , a German entrepreneur...
expects to have some 30 stores this year and has set itself a target of 120 stores by 2010, investing €200 million. To facilitate its growth, Tengelmann
Tengelmann
Tengelmann:* Tengelmann Group , a holding company based in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany; named after Emil Tengelmann** Kaiser's Tengelmann, GmbH - Family name :* Ernst Tengelmann , a German entrepreneur...
built a depot in Ploieşti. With its Interex operation, the French independent retailer Intermarché
Intermarché
Intermarché is the brand of a general commercial French supermarket, part of the large retail group 'Les Mousquetaires' founded in 1969 under the name EX Offices, by Jean-Pierre Le Roch...
intends to become a distribution leader in the Balkans. In Romania the first Interex store was opened in June 2002 in the city of Ploieşti.
Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
has a detergent plant in Ploieşti. By transferring their food production to Ploieşti, the company will concentrate their full activity in Romania to the same location. At the beginning of March 2006, Unilever announced they would invest EUR 3 million to build one production center in Romania, and the construction of the new food plant is part of this plan.
At Ploieşti, as a milestone in the development of the petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, hydrocarbon processing
Hydrocarbon
In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
and petrochemical industries
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
as well as of their related fields, was established in 1950, the Engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
and Design Institute for Oil Refineries
Oil refinery
An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial process plant where crude oil is processed and refined into more useful petroleum products, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt base, heating oil, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas...
and Petrochemical Plants
Petrochemical
Petrochemicals are chemical products derived from petroleum. Some chemical compounds made from petroleum are also obtained from other fossil fuels, such as coal or natural gas, or renewable sources such as corn or sugar cane....
, SC IPIP SA
IPIP SA
S.C. IPIP S.A. the Engineering and Design Institute for Oil Refineries and Petrochemical Plants is a Romanian company which was established in 1950, at Ploiești, as a milestone in the development of the petroleum, hydrocarbon processing and petrochemical industries as well as of their related...
, a 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...
n company with a large range of capabilities and experience.
In ploiesti there are four local televisions:Alpha TV,Valea Prahovei TV,WYLL andPrahova TV
Transportation
Ploieşti is situated on the future highwayHighway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
–Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, the main path towards the north and west provinces and the Western EU. The Henri Coandă International Airport
Henri Coanda International Airport
Henri Coandă International Airport is Romania's busiest international airport, located northwest of the city of Bucharest, within Otopeni city limits. One of two airports serving the Romanian capital, the other being Băneasa, it is named after Romanian flight pioneer Henri Coandă, builder of...
is just at 45 km distance, and the ski resorts from Prahova Valley
Prahova Valley
Prahova Valley is the valley where the Prahova river makes its way between the Bucegi and the Baiu Mountains, in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. It is a tourist region, situated about 100 km north of the capital city of Bucharest.Geographically, the Prahova river separates the Eastern...
can be reached in one hour driving. The scarcity of modern motorways and well-built roads surrounding Ploieşti, and 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...
in general makes transport a challenge. Under the scrutiny of the EU, the motorway infrastructure will improve substantially over the next few years.
Ploieşti is the second railway center in the country after Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, linking Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
with Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
and Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
. The city's public transportation system is run by Regia Autonomă de Transport Public (RATP Ploieşti) and includes an extensive network of buses, trolleybuses and trams/streetcars. Ploieşti's distinct yellow bus fleet is one of the most modern in Southeastern Europe, provides connections to all areas within the city, for a daily average of 150,000 passengers. The municipal roads comprise over 800 streets with a total length of 324 km. East and West ring belts cannot prevent around 5,300 vehicles transiting Ploieşti each day. The municipal vehicle park comprised 216 buses, 32 trams and 25 trolleybuses carrying about 70 millions passengers annually. There are 33 bus lines having a total length of 415,46 km; two trolley-bus lines having a total length of 19,9 km and two tram lines having a total length of 23,8 km.
Culture and education
Ploieşti is home to the Oil & Gas UniversityOil & Gas University of Ploiesti
-External links:* ....
, Ploieşti Philharmonic Orchestra—one of the top-rated philharmonic orchestras in Romania and two prestigious football clubs
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
in Liga 1, Astra and Petrolul
Petrolul Ploiesti
Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploiești is a Romanian professional football club based in Ploiești, Prahova County, currently playing in the Liga I.-History:...
.
There are many cultural and architectural monuments, including the Cultural Palace; the Clock Museum, featuring a collection of clocks and watches gathered by Nicolae Simache; the Oil Museum; the Art Museum of Ploieşti, donated by the Quintus family; and the Hagi Prodan Museum, dating to 1785: the property of a merchant named Ivan Hagi Prodan, it contains elements of old Romanian architecture and for a short time after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
it hosted the first museum in Ploieşti, "Prahova's Museum".
In August 2011,Ploiesti hosted the Golden Carpathian European Film & Fair and Goran Bregovic
Goran Bregovic
Goran Bregović is one of the most internationally known modern musicians and composers of the Balkans. He currently splits his time between Paris and Belgrade, where he settled down during the Yugoslav Wars.Bregović has composed for such varied artists as Iggy Pop and Cesária Évora...
concert.
Climate
The climate is similar to that of the nation's capital, BucharestBucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. According to the Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, the city falls within the temperate humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Dfa) of the hot summer type.
Politics
The Ploieşti Municipal Council, elected in the 2008 local electionsRomanian local election, 2008
Local elections were held in Romania on June 1, 2008, with a runoff for mayors on June 15, 2008.On June 1 where elected:* all the villages, communes, cities, and municipal cluncils , and the Sectors Local Councils of Bucharest...
, is made up of 27 councillors, with the following party composition:
| Party | Seats | Current Council | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Liberal Party Democratic Liberal Party (Romania) The Democratic Liberal Party is a populist, centre-right party in Romania. It was formed on 15 December 2007, when the Democratic Party merged with the Liberal Democratic Party. From 2004 to 2007, the Democratic Party was part of the governing Justice and Truth Alliance... |
10 | |||||||||||
| Social Democratic Party Social Democratic Party (Romania) The Social Democratic Party is the major social-democratic political party in Romania. It was formed in 1992, after the post-communist National Salvation Front broke apart. It adopted its present name after a merger with a minor social-democratic party in 2001. Since its formation, it has always... |
8 | |||||||||||
| National Liberal Party National Liberal Party (Romania) The National Liberal Party , abbreviated to PNL, is a centre-right liberal party in Romania. It is the third-largest party in the Romanian Parliament, with 53 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 22 in the Senate: behind the centre-right Democratic Liberal Party and the centre-left Social... |
4 | |||||||||||
| New Generation Party | 3 | |||||||||||
| National Democratic Christian Party National Democratic Christian Party The National Democratic Christian Party is a small Romanian political party. It is not represented in parliament. In the 2008 elections, it won only 316 votes for the Chamber of Deputies and 1365 votes for the Senate. It is mainly a local party working in Prahova County and in the county capital... |
2 |
Twin towns - sister cities
Ploieşti is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
| Berat Berat Berat is a town located in south-central Albania. As of 2009, the town has an estimated population of around 71,000 people. It is the capital of both the District of Berat and the larger County of Berat... in Albania Albania Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea... Dnipropetrovsk Dnipropetrovsk Dnipropetrovsk or Dnepropetrovsk formerly Yekaterinoslav is Ukraine's third largest city with one million inhabitants. It is located southeast of Ukraine's capital Kiev on the Dnieper River, in the south-central region of the country... in Ukraine Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia... Harbin Harbin Harbin ; Manchu language: , Harbin; Russian: Харби́н Kharbin ), is the capital and largest city of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, lying on the southern bank of the Songhua River... in China People's Republic of China China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres... |
Hînceşti Hîncesti Hînceşti is a city in Moldova, also written without diacritics as "Hincesti" or "Hancesti" .Hînceşti is situated on the Cogalnic River, southwest of the Moldovan capital, Chişinău... in Moldova Moldova Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part... Lefkada Lefkada Lefkada, or Leucas or Leucadia , is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea on the west coast of Greece, connected to the mainland by a long causeway and floating bridge. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Lefkada . It is situated on the northern part of the island,... in Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe.... Maracaibo Maracaibo Maracaibo is a city and municipality located in northwestern Venezuela off the western coast of the Lake Maracaibo. It is the second-largest city in the country after the national capital Caracas and the capital of Zulia state... in Venezuela Venezuela Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south... |
Oral Oral, Kazakhstan Oral , Uralsk in Russian, formerly known as Yaitsk , is a city in northwestern Kazakhstan, at the confluence of the Ural and Chogan Rivers close to the Russian border. As it is located on the western side of the Ural river, it is considered geographically in Europe. It has a population of 350,000... in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe... Osijek Osijek Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county... in Croatia Croatia Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ... Radom Radom Radom is a city in central Poland with 223,397 inhabitants . It is located on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Radom Voivodeship ; 100 km south of Poland's capital, Warsaw.It is home to the biennial Radom Air Show, the largest and... in Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... |
Notable people
- Sports: Octavian BeluOctavian BeluOctavian Ioan Atanase Bellu is the current head of the Romanian national women's artistic gymnastics team. He was the main coach with interruptions, between 1990 and 2005 and returned as head of the national team in 2010...
, Leonard DorofteiLeonard DorofteiLeonard Dorin Doroftei is a Romanian-Canadian former boxer, the WBA Lightweight World Champion from 5 January 2002 to 24 October 2003.-Amateur highlights:...
, Adrian DiaconuAdrian DiaconuAdrian Diaconu is a Romanian professional boxer, living and fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, Canada...
, Iulian Ilie - Architecture: Toma N. Socolescu (1848–1897), Ion N. Socolescu (1856–1924), Toma T. SocolescuToma T. SocolescuToma T. Socolescu, was a major Romanian architect. Romanian architecture pillar from the early 20th century until World War II, he will be particularly active in his region : the Prahova County, and especially the City of Ploiești...
(1883–1960). - Politics: Take IonescuTake IonescuTake or Tache Ionescu was a Romanian centrist politician, journalist, lawyer and diplomat, who also enjoyed reputation as a short story author. Starting his political career as a radical member of the National Liberal Party , he joined the Conservative Party in 1891, and became noted as a social...
, Ştefan Gheorghiu (trade unionist), Corneliu MănescuCorneliu ManescuCorneliu Mănescu was a Romanian diplomat born in Ploieşti. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania from 1961 to 1972 and as President of the United Nations General Assembly from 1967 to 1968....
, Remus OprişRemus OprisRemus Opriş is a Romanian politician and psychiatrist, a prominent member of the Christian-Democratic National Peasants' Party and former Minister-Delegate for Local Administration in the 1996-1998 Victor Ciorbea cabinet... - Academia: Liviu LibrescuLiviu LibrescuLiviu Librescu was a Romanian-Israeli-American scientist and academic professor whose major research fields were aeroelasticity and aerodynamics...
, Nicolae Simache - Literature: Ion Luca CaragialeIon Luca CaragialeIon Luca Caragiale was a Wallachian-born Romanian playwright, short story writer, poet, theater manager, political commentator and journalist...
, Nichita StănescuNichita StanescuNichita Stănescu was a Romanian poet and essayist. He is the most acclaimed contemporary Romanian language poet, loved by the public and generally held in esteem by literary critics.-Biography:... - Science: Carol Nicolae Debie
- Musician: Leonida Constantin Brezeanu
External links
- Website of the town hall of Ploieşti Interactive map of Ploieşti RepublicaPloieşti.net is a site specializing in architectural history of the City of Ploieşti. It contains numerous photographs of the city taken between the beginning of the twentieth and 1945.
- Tramway in Ploieşti Map of Ploiești with route planning, points of interest, public transport Ploieşti Community