Cahul

Cahul, Moldova
City
Independence Square
Coat of arms
Cahul, Moldova Location of Cahul within Moldova
Coordinates: 45°55′0″N 28°11′01″E / 45.91667°N 28.18361°E / 45.91667; 28.18361Coordinates: 45°55′0″N 28°11′01″E / 45.91667°N 28.18361°E / 45.91667; 28.18361
Country	Moldova
County	Cahul District
Status	Administrative city
Founded	1502 (first official record)
Government
• Mayor	Nicolae Dandiș (Independent)
Area
• Total	33.91 km2 (13.09 sq mi)
Elevation	119 m (390 ft)
Population (1 January 2013 (est.))
• Total	41,100
• Density	1,212,4/km2 (31,400/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Website	www.primariacahul.md

Cahul (Romanian pronunciation: [kaˈhul]; also known by other alternative names) is a city in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 1 January 2009, it has an estimated population of 39,400.

The city of Cahul (Russian: Kagul/Кагул, Bulgarian: Кахул) is believed to have been inhabited for many centuries, although it has had a number of different names over the years – the name Scheia (Old Romanian for "Bulgarian") was recorded in 1502, and the name Frumoasa ("Beautiful" in Romanian) was recorded in 1716. The modern name was given to the settlement after the Battle of Kagul, which was fought nearby.

The city's location had made it a frequent battleground for a number of armies, with possession of frequently switching between countries such as Principality of Moldavia, Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire.

The city was a part of the Moldavia before 1812, then Russia from 1812 to 1856, then again Moldavia/Romanian Principalities (1856–1878), then Russia again (1878–1918), then Romania again (1918–1940), then the Soviet Union (1940–1941), then again Romania, the Soviet Union again (1944–1991) and finally Moldova (1991 to the present).

Apart from the battles that have been fought over it, Cahul is also known for its thermal spas and for its folk music.

Cahul has a humid continental-type climate (Köppen climate classification "Dfb" – summer wetter than winter, European subtype) with four distinct seasons. Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 28 mm (1.1 in) in October to 76 mm (3 in) in June.