Botoșani

Botoșani
County capital

Botoșani City Hall

Coat of arms

Location of Botoșani
Coordinates: 47°44′55″N 26°40′10″E / 47.74861°N 26.66944°E / 47.74861; 26.66944Coordinates: 47°44′55″N 26°40′10″E / 47.74861°N 26.66944°E / 47.74861; 26.66944
Country  Romania
County Botoșani County
Status County capital
First mention 1493
Government
  Mayor Ovidiu Portariuc[1] (Social Democratic Party)
Area
  Total 40.7 km2 (15.7 sq mi)
Elevation 170 m (560 ft)
Population (2011 census)[2]
  Total 106,847
  Density 2,625/km2 (6,800/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
  Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal code 710xxx
Area code(s) (+40) 231
Vehicle registration BT
Website http://www.primariabt.ro

Botoșani [Romanian pronunciation: [botoˈʃanʲ]] (Hungarian: Botosány, Polish: Botoszany, German: Botoschan) is the capital city of Botoșani County, in northern Moldavia, Romania. Today, it is best known as the birthplace of many celebrated Romanians, including Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga and Grigore Antipa.

Origin of the name

The name of the city probably has its origin in the name of a boyar family called Botaș, whose name can be found in old records from the time of Prince Stephen the Great (late 15th century) as one of the most important families of Moldavia, records which trace it back to the 11th century.

History

Botoșani is first mentioned in 1439, in which one chronicle says that "the Mongols came and pillaged all the way to Botușani".[3] The town is then mentioned only during the conflicts between Moldavia and Poland: several battles were fought near the town, in 1500, 1505 and 1509.[3] During the reign of Petru Rareș, the town was set ablaze by the Poles.[3] It was during his reign then that we know that the town had a hill fort.[3]

In the 15th century, it was still not a fully-fledged town, but archeological evidence shows that it was a pre-urban settlement.[3] During the second part of the 14th century, some Transylvanian colonists (most likely German or Hungarian) settled in Botoșani.[3] Additionally, a large community of Armenian traders settled in the 14th or 15th centuries.[4]

Being placed at the junction of several commercial roads (including the "Moldavian Road", which linked Iași to Hotin) the city was initially a market town; in 1579 it already had "the biggest and the oldest fair of Moldavia".[4]

The presence of a large Jewish community began in the city during the 17th century.

During World War II, Botoșani was captured on 7 April 1944 by Soviet troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in the course of the Uman–Botoșani Offensive.

Some of the most famous Romanian cultural representatives such as Mihai Eminescu, Romania's national poet, and Nicolae Iorga, the famous Romanian historian, were born in Botoșani. Contemporary poet Maria Baciu also hails from Botoșani.

It is also the location of A.T. Laurian National College, one of Romania's oldest (founded 1859) and most prestigious pre-university educational institutions.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1900 32,193    
1912 32,574+1.2%
1930 32,355−0.7%
1948 29,145−9.9%
1956 29,569+1.5%
1966 35,220+19.1%
1977 63,204+79.5%
1992 126,145+99.6%
2002 115,344−8.6%
2011 106,847−7.4%
Source: Census data

Historically Jewish people constituted a large part of the population, as much as 15,502 (53%) in 1942.[5] As of 2011 census data, Botoșani has a population of 106,847,[2] a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census, making it the 19th largest city in Romania. The ethnic makeup was as follows:

Culture

Boasting a rich cultural life, the city of Botoșani has long produced major personalities in the science and culture. Botoșani natives like Mihai Eminescu, Nicolae Iorga and Octav Onicescu have become major figures in diverse disciplines, and many have distinct claims to relevance not just within Romania, but on a worldwide level.

Cultural institutions

The bell tower of Monastery Popăuți, built in the 15th century by Stephen the Great

.

A series of historic churches built by the Lords of Moldavia :

Botoșani boasts many other constructions of special architectural value, among them: the Antipa House, from the end of the 19th century; the Bolfosu House, from the beginning of the 19th century; the Silion House, dating from 1900; and the City Hall, built at the end of the 18th century in an eclectic style with German influences.

Climate

Climate data for Botoșani
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 17
(62)
22
(71)
25
(77)
27
(81)
31
(87)
34
(93)
37
(98)
38
(100)
34
(94)
28
(83)
18
(65)
18
(65)
38
(100)
Average high °C (°F) 1
(33)
2
(35)
7
(45)
14
(57)
20
(68)
23
(73)
24
(76)
24
(76)
21
(70)
14
(58)
7
(44)
3
(37)
13.3
(56)
Average low °C (°F) −6
(22)
−5
(23)
0
(32)
5
(41)
10
(50)
13
(56)
15
(59)
14
(57)
11
(51)
5
(41)
0
(32)
−3
(26)
4.9
(40.8)
Record low °C (°F) −27
(−17)
−27
(−17)
−17
(1)
−4
(25)
−1
(30)
4
(39)
4
(39)
6
(43)
−3
(27)
−8
(18)
−22
(−7)
−21
(−6)
−27
(−17)
Average precipitation days 14 13 13 15 14 14 13 10 10 9 13 15 153
Average rainy days 4 4 7 14 14 14 13 10 10 9 9 7 115
Average snowy days 12 10 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 9 46
Source: weatherbase.com[6]

Transportation

Air

Botoșani is served by Suceava "Ștefan cel Mare" Airport (SCV), located 30.5 km (19.0 mi) west of the city centre.

Sport

FC Botoșani is the football team that represents Botoșani.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Botoșani is twinned with:

Natives

Notes

  1. "Ovidiu Portariuc (USL) este câștigătorul alegerilor pentru Primăria Botoșani" (in Romanian). administratie.ro. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Population at 20 October 2011" (in Romanian). INSSE. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rădvan, p.469
  4. 1 2 Rădvan, p.470
  5. Lavi, Theodore. "Botoşani". JewishGen, Inc. Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in Romania, Volume 1 (Romania).
  6. www.weatherbase.com. Accesat la 16 octombrie 2011

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Botoșani.
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