Buzău | ||
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county seat | ||
Dacia Square at night
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Location of Buzău | ||
Coordinates: 45°10′N 26°49′E / 45.167°N 26.817°ECoordinates: 45°10′N 26°49′E / 45.167°N 26.817°E | ||
Country | Romania | |
County | Buzău County | |
Status | county seat | |
First official record | 1431 | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Constantin Toma (PSD) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 81.3 km2 (31.4 sq mi) | |
Elevation | 95 m (312 ft) | |
Population (2011) | ||
• Total | 115,494 | |
• Density | 1,333/km2 (3,450/sq mi) | |
Demonym(s) | buzoian, buzoiancă (ro) | |
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
• Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
Postal code | 12xxxx | |
Area code(s) | (+40) x38 | |
Vehicle registration | BZ | |
Climate | Cfb | |
Website | http://www.primariabuzau.ro |
The city of Buzău (formerly spelled Buzeu or Buzĕu; Romanian pronunciation: [buˈzəw]; German: Busäu, Hungarian: Bodzavásár, Turkish: Boze) is the county seat of Buzău County, Romania, in the historical region of Muntenia. It lies near the right bank of the Buzău River, between the south-eastern curvature of the Carpathian Mountains and the lowlands of Bărăgan Plain.
During the Middle Ages, Buzău was as an important Wallachian market town and Eastern Orthodox episcopal see. It faced a period of repeated destruction during the 17th and 18th centuries, nowadays symbolized on the city seal by the Phoenix bird. Those destructions are the main reason for which no building older than the 18th century exists in the city. After that, Buzău slowly recovered to become now an important modern city in south-eastern Romania.
The city's landmark building is the Communal Palace, located in the central Dacia Square. The Nicolae Bălcescu Boulevard links it to the Crâng park, Buzău's main recreational area.
Buzău is a railway hub in south-eastern Romania, where railways that link Bucharest to Moldavia and Transylvania to the Black Sea coast meet. DN2, a segment of European route E85 crosses the city. Buzău's proximity to trade routes helped it develop its role as a commerce hub in older days, and as an industrial centre during the 20th century. Most of the city's industry was developed during Romania's communist period and was refactored through the 1990s to a capitalist economical framework.