Ploieşti

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Ploieşti

County

Prahova County

Status

County capital

Mayor

Emil Calotă, Social Democratic Party, since 2000

Population (2002)

232,452

Geographical coordinates

44°56′24″N, 26°1′48″E

Web site

http://www.ploiesti.ro/

Ploieşti (/plo'jeʃtʲ/, older spelling: Ploeşti) is the capital city of Prahova County and is situated in the historical region of Wallachia, Romania. The city is located 56 km (35 miles) north of Bucharest and has a population of 232,452 (according to the 2002 census), making it the ninth-largest city in Romania.

1 History
2 Economy and transport
3 Culture and education
4 Gallery
5 Politics
6 Sister cities
7 Ploieşti natives
8 External links

[edit] History

The city was founded in 1596, during the reign of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave).

In the mid-19th century, the Ploieşti region became one of the most important oil extraction and refinery sites in the world. The city is also remembered as the site of the Republic of Ploieşti, a short-lived 1870 revolt against the Romanian Monarchy.

Ploieşti oil storage tanks on fire after being bombarded by the United States Army Air Forces in Operation Tidal Wave, August 1943

The city was badly damaged by an earthquake in 1940, but managed to become the main source of oil for Nazi Germany during World War II, when Romania was allied to Germany. Because of its distance from Allied airfields, it escaped being attacked until Allied advances put it in range in 1943: The United States Army Air Forces mounted Operation Tidal Wave on August 1, attacking the refineries with a force of 177 B-24 Liberator bombers. Although this did inflict heavy damage on the ground, it came at a high cost to the attacking force and much of the damage was soon repaired. The Allies were finally able to mount sustained attacks from April 1944 by using captured airbases in Italy, and the city 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 and repair the war damage.

[edit] Economy and transport

After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Ploieşti has experienced rapid economic growth due to major investments from foreign companies, including Lukoil, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Interbrew and British American Tobacco. Ploieşti is also a developed textile manufacturing center. Although oil production in the region is constantly declining, there is still a flourishing processing industry that includes four oil refineries linked by pipelines to Bucharest, the Black Sea port of Constanţa and the Danube port of Giurgiu.

Ploieşti is an important railway center linking Bucharest with Transylvania and Moldavia. The public transport system of Ploieşti is run by Regia Autonomă de Transport Ploieşti (RATP), and includes an extensive network of buses, trolleybuses and trams. Ploieşti's distinctive yellow bus fleet is one of the most modern in Southeastern Europe.

[edit] Culture and education

Ploieşti is home to the Oil & Gas University, Ploieşti Philharmonic Orchestra —one of the top rated philharmonic orchestras in Romania— and two formerly-First Division football (soccer) clubs (Astra and Petrolul).

[edit] Gallery

Ploiesti Central Park	View of Ploieşti Central Park	Ploiesti Downtown1	Ploiesti Downtown3
Ploiesti Downtown4	Ploiesti Downtown5	Ploiesti Downtown7	Ploiesti Downtown8
Ploiesti Downtown9	Ploiesti Downtown10	Ploiesti Downtown11	Ploiesti Downtown12
Ploiesti Downtown13	Ploiesti Downtown14	Central Ploieşti