Focșani

Coordinates: 45°42′0″N 27°10′47″E / 45.70000°N 27.17972°E / 45.70000; 27.17972
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Focșani
Aerial view of Union Square
Municipal Theatre
Former administrative palace
St. John the Baptist Church
Coat of arms
Location in Vrancea County
Location in Vrancea County
Focșani is located in Romania
Focșani
Focșani
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°42′0″N 27°10′47″E / 45.70000°N 27.17972°E / 45.70000; 27.17972
CountryRomania
CountyVrancea
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2024) Cristi-Valentin Misăilă[1] (PSD)
Area
48.1 km2 (18.6 sq mi)
Elevation
46 m (151 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[2]
66,648
 • Density1,400/km2 (3,600/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
620003–620177
Vehicle reg.VN
Websitewww.focsani.info

Focșani (Romanian:

romanized: Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. As of 2022
, it has a population of 66,719.

Geography

Focșani lies at the foot of the Curvature Carpathians, at a point of convergence for tectonic geologic faults, which raises the risk of earthquakes in the vicinity. Though Vrancea County is one of the most popular wine-producing regions in Romania, Odobești being just to the northwest, in Romania, Focșani itself is not considered a wine-producing center. The wine sold as Weisse von Fokshan in Germany and some other European countries is generally a Fetească Albă de Odobești wine, and practically a second-rated wine which does not comply to the European Union rules of naming the regions of origin of wines.

The vicinity is rich in minerals such as iron, copper, coal, and petroleum.[3]

The city administers two villages, Mândrești-Moldova and Mândrești-Munteni.

Focșani lies within the strategically important Focșani Gate. In the 19th century, the Focșani–Nămoloasa–Galați line was built to defend this area more properly.[4]

Seismic hazard

The territory of Vrancea County corresponds to the most seismically active zone of Romania.

The earthquakes with the

Richter scale have been recorded in 1738, 1802, 1838, 1940, 1977 and 1986
.

History

The Union of the Principalities, Theodor Aman, 1857

As a town on the Moldavian-Wallachian border, Focșani developed into an important trade center halfway between the Russian Empire and the Balkans. A congress between Imperial Russian and Ottoman diplomats took place near the city in 1772. Near the town, the Ottomans suffered a severe defeat at the hands of the allied forces of the Habsburg monarchy under Prince Frederick Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and Imperial Russia under Alexander Suvorov in 1789 (see Battle of Focșani).

In the 1850s (after the

Romanian Principality
was founded as a unified state. Focșani's role in the forming of the modern Romanian state is immortalized in the Union Square Obelisk.

On 30–31 December 1881, following the impact of

Eretz Israel was held at Focșani. It was attended by 51 delegates, representing 32 organizations, two press editors, three newspaper reporters and important guests. This 1881 Congress, the first ever held, 16 years before the World Zionist Organization's First Zionist (held in Basel
), had a major influence on the Romanian Jews, and its proceedings also became known outside the borders of Romania.

In 1917, during the

Romanian Campaign of World War I, Focșani and Galați were part of a line of fortifications known as the Siret Line. The Armistice of Focșani was signed in the city on 9 December 1917, between the Kingdom of Romania and the Central Powers
.

In 1944, during

Romania during World War II
), this never materialized.

Focșani Municipal Theatre [ro]
The former Administrative Palace from Focșani

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1859 13,164—    
1899 23,601+79.3%
1912 25,066+6.2%
1930 32,481+29.6%
1948 27,960−13.9%
1956 28,244+1.0%
1966 35,094+24.3%
1977 56,252+60.3%
1992 101,335+80.1%
2002 103,219+1.9%
2011 79,315−23.2%
2021 66,648−16.0%
Source: Census data

As of 2011 census data, Focșani has a population of 73,868,[6] a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census, making it the 27th largest city in Romania.

According to the census from 2002, there were 101,854 people living within the city of Focșani.[7] The ethnic makeup was as follows:

Coat of arms

Coat of arms in the interwar period

Focșani's location on the

union
, with the motto "Unirea face puterea" ("Unity makes strength").

Natives

International relations

Focșani is

twinned with:[8]

References

  1. ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  3. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Focshani" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 10 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 587.
  4. ^ Mîndrescu, Mircea; Melcher, Gregory; Petersen, Phillip (2019). "The Focșani Gate – a key terrain for European security" (PDF). New Strategy Center, Centre for the Study of the New Generation Warfare. pp. 1–20.
  5. .
  6. ^ "2011 Census" (in Romanian). INSSE at vranceamedia.ro. February 2, 2012. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2012.
  7. ^ "Ethno-demographic Structure of Romania". The Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  8. ^ "Cooperare internațională". focsani.info (in Romanian). Focșani. Retrieved 2019-10-26.

External links