Brasov

Brașov
City
From top, left to right: Fountain in Council Square, Council House, panoramic view of the Old Town, Hollywood-like sign on Tâmpa, Republic Street, Black Church, aerial view of St. Nicholas Church
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Brașov
Brașov Location of Brașov
Coordinates: 45°40′N 25°37′E / 45.667°N 25.617°E / 45.667; 25.617Coordinates: 45°40′N 25°37′E / 45.667°N 25.617°E / 45.667; 25.617
Country	Romania
County	Brașov
Status	County capital
Founded	1234
Government
• Mayor	George Scripcaru (Ind.)
Area
• City	74 km2 (29 sq mi)
• Metro	1,368.5 km2 (528.4 sq mi)
Elevation	538 m (1,765 ft)
Population (2011 census)
• City	253,200
• Density	853/km2 (2,210/sq mi)
• Metro	369,896
Demonym(s)	brașovean, brașoveancă (ro)
Population by ethnicity
• Romanians	91.3%
• Hungarians	7.1%
• Germans	0.5%
• Roma	0.4%
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code	RO 500xxx
Area code(s)	(+40) 268
Vehicle registration	BV
Website	www.brasovcity.ro

Brașov (Romanian pronunciation: [braˈʃov]; Hungarian: Brassó, also known by other alternative names) is a city in Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County.

According to the last Romanian census, from 2011, there were 253,200 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 7th most populous city in Romania, and the metropolitan area is home to 369,896 residents.

Brașov is located in the central part of the country, about 166 kilometres (103 miles) north of Bucharest and 380 kilometres (236 miles) from the Black Sea. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is part of the Transylvania region.

The city is notable for being the birthplace of the national anthem of Romania and for hosting the Golden Stag International Music Festival.

The city was described in 1235 AD under the name Corona, a Latin word meaning "crown", a name given by the German colonists. According to D. Moldovanu, the name of Braşov came from the name of local river named Bârsa (pronounced and Bărsa). Bărsa was adopted by Slavs and transformed in Barsa and later in Barsov and finally in Brasov According to Binder, the current Romanian and the Hungarian name Brassó (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbrɒʃːoː]) are derived from the Turkic word barasu, meaning "white water" with a Slavic suffix -ov. Other linguists proposed various etymologies including an Old Slavic anthroponym Brasa.

The first attested mention of Brașov is Terra Saxonum de Barasu ("Saxon Land of Baras") in a 1252 document. The German name Kronstadt means "Crown City" and is reflected in the city's coat of arms as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The two names of the city, Kronstadt and Corona, were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages, along with the Medieval Latin Brassovia.