Constanţa

Constanța
Left to right: Constanța Casino, Museum of National History, Greek Church, The Genoese Lighthouse, Carol I Mosque, The house with Lions
Flag Coat of arms
Aerial view of the city (2002)
Constanța Location in Romania
Coordinates: 44°10′N 28°38′E / 44.167°N 28.633°E / 44.167; 28.633Coordinates: 44°10′N 28°38′E / 44.167°N 28.633°E / 44.167; 28.633
Country	Romania
County	Constanța
Founded	7th century BC as Tomis
Government
• Mayor	Decebal Făgădău (Social Democratic Party)
Area
• City	124.89 km2 (48.22 sq mi)
• Metro	1,013.5 km2 (391.3 sq mi)
Elevation	25 m (82 ft)
Population (2011 census)
• City	283,872
• Density	2,273/km2 (5,890/sq mi)
• Metro	425,916
• Ethnic groups	Romanians, Tatars, Turks, Roma, Lipovans, Macedonians, Greeks, Armenians
Demonym(s)	constănțean, constănțeancă (ro)
Postal code	900xxx
Area code(s)	(+40) 41
Vehicle registration	CT
Languages	Romanian
Website	www.primaria-constanta.ro
Sister cities: Sulmona, Turku, Yokohama, Brest, Istanbul, Rotterdam, Odessa, Boulogne-sur-Mer, Dobrich, Thessaloniki, Mobile, Trapani, Sidon, Lattakia, Heraklion, İzmir, Alexandria, Santos, Havana, Shanghai, Perugia, Novorossiysk.

Constanța (Romanian pronunciation: [konˈstant͡sa]), historically known as Tomis (Greek: Κωνστάντζα or Κωνστάντια, Konstantia, Bulgarian: Кюстенджа or Констанца, Turkish: Köstence), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Romania. It was 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.

As of the 2011 census, Constanța has a population of 283,872, making it the fifth most populous city in Romania. The Constanța metropolitan area includes 14 localities within 30 km (19 mi) of the city, and, with 425,916 inhabitants, it is the second largest metropolitan area in Romania.

The Port of Constanța has an area of 39.26 km² (15.16 sq mi) and a length of about 30 km (19 mi). It is the largest port on the Black Sea, and one of the largest ports in Europe.

According to Jordanes (after Cassiodorus), the foundation of the city was ascribed to Tomyris the queen of the Massagetae (The origin and deeds of the Goths):

In 29 BC the Romans captured the region from the Odryses, and annexed it as far as the Danube, under the name of Limes Scythicus ("Scythian Frontier").