BUCHAREST, the capital of Rumania, and chief town of the department of Ilfov had a population (1930) of 631,288, includ ing a large number of Jews, in whose hands commerce and finance largely rests. With its outlying parts, Bucharest covers more than 20 square miles. It lies in a slight hollow, traversed from north-west to south-east by a small river, the Dimbovita, most of the city ly ing on the left bank. A range of low hills extends to the west and south-west ; on all other sides there are flat plains, only recently drained. The city is thus very exposed, and the extremes of cli mate are severe ; great summer heats being followed by exceed ingly cold winds in autumn and winter. Bucharest is not an old town. According to one tradition, it was founded by a shepherd named Bucur, commemorated in the name of a church, the Bi serica Bucur. Another tradition connects it with the word bucurie, Rumanian for "pleasure," and with a victory gained by Prince Mircea of Walachia (c. 1383-1419) over the Turks. More likely it was first built as a fortress, on the site of the Daco-Roman Thy anus, to command the passes into Transylvania. It was burnt by the Turks in 1595; but in the next century was already the seat of the Metropolitan of Walachia, and in 1698 was chosen for his capital by Constantine Brancovan, Hospodar of Walachia. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, during which it was frequently dis puted by the Turks, Russians and Austrians, it was Phanariot Greek and Jewish rather than Rumanian. It then began to seek the implications in its name. It was already notorious for its gaiety and luxury, although still small and in many respects primi tive. The houses were mostly of wood, paving very rough and lighting scanty ; fires were frequent, earthquakes not uncommon. The plague visited it in 1718, 1738, 1793 and 1813, in which year 70,00o persons died in six weeks. It was occupied by Russian troops in 1828, 1848 and 1853-54 and by Austrians in In 1861 it was made the capital of the new Rumania (see Rv MANIA : History) and with the accession of Prince Charles, in 1866, a gradual reform began. The river was enclosed within em bankments ; sewerage and pure water were supplied, gas and elec tric light installed, and electric or horse tramways laid down in the principal streets, which were paved with granite or wood. The wooden houses gave way to edifices of brick, overlaid with white or tinted plaster and ornamented with figures or foliage in terra cotta. In the poorer quarters on the outskirts, the one-storied Walachian peasant cottage survived; but slums, in the strict sense, there were none. In the war of 1916-18 some damage was done by the German occupation; but the city was thoroughly cleansed. After the war, the population increased immensely; there was much overcrowding, new industrial quarters sprang up, and Bucharest had to adapt itself rather hurriedly to be the capital of a large country.
The main street of Bucharest is the Calea Victorei, named in honour of the Rumanian success at Plevna (2877). Starting from the Baneasa racecourse, outside and north of the city (the favour ite fashionable drive), this thoroughfare, here called the Chaussee Soea, traverses a public garden, the Kisilev park, laid out in imi tation of the Parisian Champs Elysees, passes under an Arc de Triomphe and, leaving on its left the ethnographical and natural history museums, enters the city. The boulevards, known as Inde pendentei, Elisabetei, Universitei, Caroli I. and Protopesco, run in a practically straight line east and west. Starting in the Cotroceni and botanic gardens, they cross the river, leave on the left the pleasant Cisimigiu garden, cross the Calea Victorei, and proceed past the university and City Hall. Of the four sectors formed by these two intersecting thoroughfares, the outer portions of those in the north-west and south-west are largely occupied by the railway stations, arsenal and barracks ; the north-east-north is resi dential, but the Obor, or popular market, lies on its extremity. The south-east is the business quarter, containing the Lipscani, or prin cipal merchants' quarter, named after the annual Leipzig fair whence goods were formerly obtained. The wealthy portion of the town is the centre. The fortifications, which surround the town at a mean distance of four miles were constructed in 1885-96 from plans drafted by the Belgian engineer General Brialmont in 1883. Their perimeter is about 48 miles. They were considered the strongest in Europe, but it proved impossible to hold them against the Germans in 1916.
Bucharest contains a great number of churches, usually small, in the Byzantine style. The metropolitan church, which stands on an eminence south of the city, was built 1656-65. It has the form of a Greek cross, and is surrounded by a cloister, with four main entrances, each surmounted by a turret. The churches of Spiridion the New (1768), the Doamna Balasa (1751), with its rich carving and frescoes, and the ancient Biserica Bucur are also noteworthy. There is a Roman Catholic cathedral, synagogues, and Protestant, Armenian and Lipovan churches.
Bucharest is a great educational centre. Besides the ordinary ecclesiastical seminaries, lyceums, gymnasia and elementary schools, it possesses schools of commerce, science and art insti tutes, and training colleges, for engineers and veterinary surgeons; while the university, founded in 1864, has faculties of theology, philosophy, literature, law, science, medicine and pharmacy. Students pay no fees except for board. The national library, containing many precious Oriental documents, and the meeting hall of the Rumanian senate, are both included in the university buildings. Other libraries are those of the Nifon seminary, of the Charles University Foundation (Fundatiunea universitara Carol), which endows research, and rewards literary or scientific merit ; the central library, and the library of the academy, which also contains a museum of natural history and antiquities. There are numerous philanthropic institutions. There are nine theatres, one, the national, State-conducted. Minor places of amusement abound; as also do clubs—political, social and sporting—hotels and restaurants. A feature of Bucharest are Russian coach and sledge-drivers of the Lipovan sect. The suburbs are still national and picturesque ; the centre extremely elegant.
Bucharest is the winter residence of the royal family, the meet ing-place of parliament and the seat of an appeal court (Curtea de Apel), of the supreme court (Curtea de Casatie), of the ministries, the national bank, the bank of Rumania, many lesser credit establishments and a chamber of commerce. The railway lines which meet on the western limit of the city give access to all parts. Bucharest has a very large transit trade in petroleum, tim ber and agricultural produce; above all, in wheat and maize. Its industries include petroleum-refining, extraction of vegetable oils, cabinet-making, brandy-distilling, tanning, and the manufacture of machinery, wire, nails, metal-ware, cement, soap, candles, paste, starch, paper, cardboard, pearl buttons, textiles, leather goods, ropes, glucose, army supplies, preserved meat and vegetables, and confectionery. An important fair is held for seven days in each year.