Bucharest

Bucharest (pop. c. 2,064,500), capital of Romania, on the Dîmbovita River. A medieval fortress, it became the residence of the princes of Walachia in 1459 and the capital when the new Romania was formed in 1861. It produces pharmaceutical and electrical goods, machinery, and automobiles. Bucharest was the site of violence during the 1989 overthrow of the communist government of Nicolae Ceausescu.

See also: Romania.