Voluntari | ||
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Town | ||
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Location of Voluntari | ||
Coordinates: 44°29′33″N 26°11′29″E / 44.49250°N 26.19139°ECoordinates: 44°29′33″N 26°11′29″E / 44.49250°N 26.19139°E | ||
Country | Romania | |
County | Ilfov County | |
Status | Town | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Florentin Costel Pandele (Social Democratic Party) | |
Population (2011) | ||
• Total | 42,944 | |
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
• Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
Website | http://www.primaria-voluntari.ro/ |
Voluntari (Romanian pronunciation: [volunˈtarʲ]) is a town in Ilfov county, Romania. It is located at a distance of 1 km from the northern border of Bucharest (2 km from the National Road) and is thus frequently viewed as a suburb of Bucharest.
The population is 42,944 inhabitants according to the 2011 census, with an ethnic composition, among those for whom data are available, of 94.8% Romanians, 1.3% Romani, 0.9% Chinese, 0.5% Turks and 2.5% of other ethnic groups.
The low price of land, the proximity to the city of Bucharest and the easy and reliable access to both the railway network and the road network have allowed a steady development of industrial and commercial facilities, especially in the light industry and import/export commerce. The town's output estimate increased by over 25% between 2001 and 2005. Even with such high development rates, many residents remain unemployed or commute to Bucharest. Voluntari contains a shopping centre known as Jolie Ville Galleria, a Metro Cash and Carry hypermarket as well as the headquarters of Vodafone Romania.
Voluntari literally means "Volunteers", in Romanian, being founded by the volunteer soldiers who fought for Romania in World War I and were given plots to build their home there after the war. The settlement received its city status in 2004.
The Voluntari Local Council (Consiliul Local Voluntari) has 19 councillors. It is considered to be a very safe Social Democratic town, currently having the following party composition: