The Bucharest Region - Geography and history
The area of the Bucharest Region is 1 821 km2, representing 0.008% of the total area of Romania, being the smallest region. It is located in the south-south-east part of Romania, in the central part of the South Region and it is neighboured by Prahova County (in the north), Ialomita (in the east-north-east), Calarasi (in the east-south-east), Giurgiu (in the south-south-west) and Dâmbovita (in the west-north-west).
The Bucharest Region comprises only two administrative-territorial units: the Bucharest Municipality (the capital city of Romania) and Ilfov county which surrounds the Bucharest Municipality as a belt.
As of 31 December 2000, the administrative organisation of the region was the following: two towns and one municipality, 37 communes and 102 villages.
The first documentary mention about Ilfov county dates back from 1482 - in a document of Basarab the Young. With this document, some villages and privileges were donated to the Snagov Monastery. Since then, it developed changing its borders several times. In all ancient administrative forms, Bucharest city, placed in the central part of Ilfov county, was integrated in its territory. As a consequence of the Law 5 dated 08.09.1950 when the old counties were abolished, the territory of the former Ilfov county was integrated (together with parts of the neighbouring counties) in the Bucharest region, which covered an area of 20 480 km2 in 1964. In 1968 the the counties were re-established, and among them was the Ilfov county, which later went under the administration of the Bucharest Municipality, as an independent sector, called the Ilfov Agricultural Sector. Since 1996, the Ilfov Agricultural Sector became Ilfov county, being the smallest county among the other 41 in Romania. On its area of 1 583 km2 live 275 482 persons, of which 7% in the two towns.
The geography, exclusively a plain, belongs to the Vlasia Plain (covers portions of the Snagov and Movilita Plains, and entirely the Bucharest Plain).
The climate of the territory of the Bucharest Region keeps the general features of the Walachian Plain climate. Due to his middle position, the climatic elements are typical for the eastern part, on one hand, and forthe western part on the other hand, interfering themselves, so it results a transitional climate. Summer is characterised by clear weather, dry and warm, because of the air masses continentalisation. In winter, the domination of the cold continental air masses from east or north determins the lowering of the air temperature between -10°C and -20°C. Also, still in the cold season, the region is subject to the north-eastern wind.
The hydrographical network comprises the Ialomita, Arges with Dâmbovita, Colentina, Pasarea, Vlasia, and Mostistea rivers. In the region there are three kinds of naturally formed lakes: meadows, smooth waters (the Snagov and Caldarusani Llakes), and ponds (the Colentina lakes: Mogosoaia, Straulesti, Baneasa, Herastrau, Floreasca, Tei, Fundeni, Pantelimon, etc.).
According to the tradition they say that the name of Bucharest comes from a person named Bucur who was, depending on the legend source, a Romanian ruler, an outlaw, a fisherman or shepherd. This name is common for this area and has Trachian or Gaetho-Dacian origin.
Vlad Tepes (also known under the name of Dracula), who ruled between 1456 and 1462 and for a short period in 1476, settled his mansion house in Bucharest in defense against the Ottoman threat. The documents dating from the period between 1459 and 1625 mentioned the existence of 41 settlements in the area where Bucharest lies now, mainly across the Colentina and the Dâmbovita rivers banks. Bucharest was also the residence of Mircea the Shepherd (from 1558 to 1559).
Since the 15th century until the end of the feudal period, Bucharest continuously developed its economy, despite the various disasters and depredations of the foreign invaders.
Here, on 22 January 1862 the creation of the first unitary government of Romania took place, led by Barbu Catargiu, and on 24 January 1862, the first Parliament of Romania was opened. At the same time, the Prince Alexandru Ioan Cuza proclaimed "For ever the Unification of the Principalities", and the city of Bucharest was proclaimed the capital city of modern Romania.
Natural resources
The internal natural resources are few, there are some oil ores, natural gases in the Mio-Pliocene formations in the Peris, Moara Vlasiei, Pasarea, Bragadiru, Jilava areas. Sand and ballast excavations are being operated in the big river's runaways, especially in the Arges-Sabar Meadow (at Bragadiru and Jilava).
Bucharest has no natural resources as compared to the quantities existing in the largest regions, but it is still able to get all it needs thanks to its very developed structure and its good transportation system. The forests and other lands covered with forestry vegetation (the Bucharest municipality together with Ilfov county) occupy 14.2% the region's the total area.
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