BUCHAREST (bifichar-est), the capi tal of the former principality of Wal lachia and of the present kingdom of Ru mania, stands 265 feet above sea-level, in the fertile but treeless plain of the small, sluggish Dambovitza. By rail it is 716 miles S. E. of Vienna, 40 N. of Giurgevo on the Danube, and 179 N. W. of Varna on the Black Sea. A strange meeting point of East and West, the town still has many narrow and crooked streets, though the latter are now mostly paved and lighted with gas am' electricity. An elaborate system of fortification was undertaken in There are some handsome hotels; and the metal-plated cupolas of the innu merable churches give to the place a picturesque aspect. The royal palace was rebuilt in 1885; and the Catholic Cathedral is a fine edifice of 1875-1884. The number of cafes and gambling tables is excessive; altogether, Bucharest has the unenviable reputa tion of being the most dissolute capital in Europe, with all the vices but few of the refinements of Paris. There is, how ever, a university, founded in 1864. The Corso, or public promenade, is a minia ture Hyde Park. Bucharest is the entrepot for the trade between Austria and the Balkan Peninsula, the chief articles of commerce being textile fab. rics, petroleum, grain, hides, metal, coal, timber, and cattle. Its manufactures in clude refined petroleum, vegetable oils, flour, soap, candles, etc., and the work
men are chiefly Hungarians and Ger mans. Besides the university there are a number of other educational institu tions, museums, hospitals, and other charitable institutions. Bucharest has been several times besieged; and be tween 1793 and 1812 suffered twice from earthquakes, twice from inundations, once from fire, and twice from pesti lence. Here in 1812 a treaty was con cluded between Turkey and Russia, by which the former ceded Bessarabia and part of Moldavia; in 1886 the treaty between Servia and Bulgaria was made here; in 1913 the division of the cap tured parts of Turkey (see BALKAN WARS) was arranged in Bucharest; and to 1918 the treaty between Rumania and the Central Powers, terminating the war between these countries, was made here. During the WORLD WAR (q. v.) Bucharest, in common with the rest of Rumania, suffered much as the result of the invasion by the Central Powers. It was captured early in December, 1916, and it was only two years later, on Dec. 3, 1918, that the King of Rumania was able to re-establish his government, which during the invasion had been moved to Jassy, in the capital of the country. Pop. about 350,000.