Brăila

Brăila
Brăila Auld Toun, nicht view
Location o Brăila
Coordinates: 45°16′09.1″N 27°57′26.9″E
Kintra	Romanie
Coonty	Brăila Coonty
Status	Coonty caipital
Govrenment
• Mayor	Aurel Gabriel Simionescu (Social Democratic Pairty)
Area
• Total	77.9 km2 (30.1 sq mi)
Elevation	25 m (82 ft)
Population  (2011 census)
• Total	180,302
• Density	5071/km2 (13,130/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	810xxx
Area code(s)	(+40) 239
Vehicle registration	BR
Website	http://www.primariabraila.ro/

Brăila (Romanie pronunciation: [brəˈila] ( listen); Greek: Μπράιλα; Turkis: İbrail) is a ceety in Muntenie, eastren Romanie, a port on the Danube an the caipital o Brăila Coonty. It is locatit in the close vicinity o Galaţi. The Sud-Est Regional Development Agency is locatit in Brăila.

Accordin tae the 2011 Romanie census thare wur 180,302 fowk livin athin the ceety o Brăila, makkin it the 11t maist populous ceety in Romanie.

History

Brăila in a early 1900s postcard.

A owerview o Brăila in late 19t century or early 20t century.

A dounset at this location on the left bank o the Danube, in Wallachie, wis mentioned wi the name Drinago in a Spainyie Libro de conoscimiento ("Beuk o knawledge", circa 1350) an in several Catalan portolan chairts (Angelino de Dalorto, 1325/1330 an Angelino Dulcert, 1339). This mey hae been an erroneous transcription o Brillago. In Greek documents o roughly that time, the ceety is referred tae as Proilabum or Proilava, a Greek leid adaptation o its Slavic name, Brailov. In German leid sources, it is mentioned as Uebereyl. The oreegin an meanin o the name is unkent.

As a kaza, the toun an its surroondin aurie wis controlled bi Ottoman Turks frae 1538–1540 until 1829 (it wis restored tae Wallachia through the Akkerman Convention); the Ottomans cried it Ibrail or Ibraila.

Brăila wis attackit, plundered, an set fire tae bi the forces o Moldavie Prince Stephen the Great on 2 Februar 1470, durin the retaliation campaign against Wallachie Prince Radu the Fair, who haed alleed hissel wi the Ottomans. It wis briefly ruled bi Michael the Brave, prince o Wallachie (1595–1596).

Durin the 19t century, the port became ane o the three maist important ports on the Danube in Wallachie, the ither twa bein Turnu an Giurgiu. The ceety's greatest period o prosperity wis at the end o the 19t century an in the early 20t century, when it wis a important port for maist o the merchandise comin in an goin oot o Romanie.

Demographics

Historical population of Brăila
Year	Population	%±
1900	58,392	—
1912 census	65,053	11.4%
1930 census	68,347	5%
1948 census	95,514	39.7%
1956 census	102,500	7.3%
1966 census	138,802	35.4%
1977 census	194,633	40.2%
1992 census	234,110	20.2%
2002 census	216,292	−7.6%
2011 census	180,302	−16.6%

As o 2011 census data (est.), Brăila haes a population o 180,302, a decrease frae the figur recordit at the 2002 census. The ethnic makup wis as follaes:

• Romanies: 97.21%
• Lipovans: 1.14%
• Roma: 0.97%
• Greeks: 0.1%
• Ither: 0.3%

Metropolitan aurie

Main airticle: Lawer Danube metropolitan area

Economy

Accessible tae smaw an middlin-sizit oceangoin ships, Brăila haes lairge grain-handlin an warehoosin facilities. It is a important industrial centre an aw, wi metalwirkin, textile, fuid-processin, an ither factories.

Ceetyscape

Brăila haes the follaein auries: Centru (Center), Viziru (1, 2, 3), Călăraşi 4, Ansamblul Buzăului, Radu Negru, Obor, Hipodrom, Lacu Dulce, Dorobanți, 1 Mai, Comorofca, Calea Galați, Gării, Apollo, Siret, Pisc, Brăilița, Vidin-Progresul, Islaz an Chercea.

Landmarks

Maria Filotti Theatre.

Fountain in Brăila.

Streets radiating frae near the port towards Brăila's center are crossed at symmetrical intervals bi concentric streets following the geometric design of the auld Ottoman fortifications.

The auld centre o the ceety haes mony 19t century biggins, some o thaim fully restored. The maist important monuments are the Greek Church, erected at 1865 bi the Greek commonty, the Sfinţii Arhangheli Kirk, umwhile jāmi durin the Ottoman rule (till 1831), the 19t century Sfântul Nicolae Kirk, frae the 19t century an aw, the Maria Filotti Theatre, the Palace o Cultur an its Airt Museum, the History Museum, an the auld Watter Touer. The latter hooses a restaurant an a rotation seestem (360° in ane oor).

Anither important steid is the Public Garden, a pairk situatit abuin the bank o the Danube wi a view ower the river an the Măcin Muntains. Early in 2006 the municipality receivit European Union funds tae renovate the auld centre o the ceety, aimin tae transform Brăila intae a major tourist attraction o Muntenia.

The Kirk o the Holy Airchangels is the auldest in the ceety. Begun in 1667, the umwhile mosque wis transformit intae an Orthodox Kirk in 1808.

Transport

Brăila features ane o the auldest electrical tram lines in Romanie, inauguratit at the end o the 19t century an still in uise. Brăila's bus seestem is operatit bi the toun haw in cooperation wi Braicar Company, wi fower primar bus configurations available servicin maist o the ceety.

Local media

The ceety haes several local newspapers, includin Obiectiv-Vocea Brăilei, Monitorul de Brăila, Ziarul de Brăila an Arcașu'. It haes three telly stations an aw: Mega TV, an the local stations of Antena 1 an Pro TV.

Internaitional relations

Twin touns - sister ceeties

Brăila is twinned wi:

• Pleven in Bulgarie.
• Calais in France.
• Argostoli in Greece.
• Katerini in Greece.
• Bitola in Macedonie.
• Kavadarci in Macedonie.
• Denizli in Turkey.
• Nilüfer in Turkey.