CONSTANTA, a seaport on the Black Sea, and capital of the department of Constanta, Rumania; 149m. east by south from Bucharest by rail. Pop. (193o) 58,258. Constanta was founded as Constantiana by Constantine the Great (A.D. 33 7) in honour of his sister Constantia. Tomi, where Ovid spent eight years of exile, is near by. The bulk of the town was re built after its cession to Rumania in 1878. It was severely damaged in the World War, but afterwards recovered very rap idly, especially owing to the absence of competition from Odessa. It has latterly developed as a bathing station, and there are mineral springs in the neighbourhood. There are hotels, a casino, broad streets and numerous mosques, churches and synagogues for the mixed population; it has a small local industry, but Con stanta's principal importance is as Rumania's chief outlet to the Black sea, and it does a large transit trade, the main exports being oil and cereals, and imports coal, coke, machinery, iron goods and textiles. A pipe line runs to the Rumanian oil-fields and the con struction of a second line was projected in 1928; there are 37 oil storage tanks, and a special basin for vessels loading with petroleum. The harbour is protected by two breakwaters; it requires constant dredging, but has a depth of loft. beside the quays, and 24ft. in the eastern portion. There are nearly 3m. of quays, with coal and timber wharfs, warehouses and grain ele vators, and the railway alongside. The harbour accommodates 3o large steamers, with further space on the western side. There are steamship services to Constantinople-Peiraeeus-Naples, Constanti nople and Alexandria, and two runs monthly are made to Jaffa and Haifa.