Ploieşti

Ploieşti (/plo'jeʃtʲ/, older spelling: Ploeşti) is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia, Romania. The city is located 56 km (35 miles) north of Bucharest. In 2002, it had a population of 232,527, making it the ninth-largest city in Romania.

1 History
2 Economy and transport
3 Culture and education
4 Gallery
5 Politics
6 Sister cities
7 Ploieşti natives
8 External links
9 Notes

[edit] History

The city was founded in 1596, during the reign of Mihai Viteazul (Michael the Brave).

In the mid-19th century, the Ploieşti region was one of the world's leading oil extraction and refinery sites. The city is also remembered as the site of the self-styled Republic of Ploieşti, a short-lived 1870 revolt against the Romanian Monarchy.

Ploieşti oil storage tanks on fire after being bombed by the United States Army Air Forces in Operation Tidal Wave, August 1943

Although badly damaged after the 1940 earthquake, the city managed to become the main source of oil for Nazi Germany's war effort during World War II, when Romania was Germany's ally. Thanks to its relative remoteness to airfields, Ploiesti was sparred from Allies' attacks until 1943, when the United States Army Air Forces mounted Operation Tidal Wave from North Africa on August 1, bombing the refineries in a massive low altitude strike by 178 B-24 Liberator bombers. Although the raid inflicted heavy damage on the ground, much of the damage was soon fixed. In April 1944, the Allies launched decisive attacks from captured airbases in Italy. Finally, the city was captured by Soviet troops in August 1944.

Following the war, the new Communist regime nationalised the oil industry, which had largely been privately owned, and made massive investments in the oil and petroleum industry in a bid to modernise the country and minimise the war damage.

[edit] Economy and transport

After the Romanian Revolution of 1989, Ploieşti has experienced rapid economic growth due to major investments from foreign companies, including Lukoil, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Interbrew, Timken and British American Tobacco. Although oil production in the region is declining steadily, there is still a thriving processing industry through four operating oil refineries, linked by pipelines to Bucharest, the Black Sea port of Constanţa and the Danube port of Giurgiu. Ploieşti is also a textile manufacturing center.

Ploieşti is an important railway center, linking Bucharest with Transylvania and Moldavia. The city's public transportation system is run by Regia Autonomă de Transport Ploieşti (RATP) and includes an extensive network of buses, trolleybuses and trams/streetcars. Ploieşti's distinct yellow bus fleet is one of the most modern in Southeastern Europe.

[edit] Culture and education

Ploieşti is home to the Oil & Gas University, Ploieşti Philharmonic Orchestra —one of the top rated philharmonic orchestras in Romania— and two formerly-First Division football (soccer) clubs (Astra and Petrolul).

[edit] Gallery

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Ploieşti Central Park	View of Ploieşti Central Park	Ploieşti Downtown1	Ploieşti Downtown3
Ploieşti Downtown4	Ploieşti Downtown5	Ploieşti Downtown7	Ploiesti Downtown8
Petrom building	Petrom building	Ploieşti Downtown11	Ploieşti Downtown12
Ploieşti Downtown13	Ploieşti Downtown14	Central Ploieşti