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Balș (Romanian pronunciation: [balʃ] ⓘ) is a town in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. The town administers three villages: Corbeni, Româna, and Teiș.
Balș | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Location in Olt County | |
  Balș Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates: 44°21′0″N 24°5′58″E / 44.35000°N 24.09944°E | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Olt |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2024–2028) | Cătălin-Ștefan Rotea[1] (PSD) |
Area | 41.13 km2 (15.88 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 129 m (423 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 16,114 |
| • Density | 391.8/km2 (1,015/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 235100 |
| Area code | (+40) 0249 |
| Vehicle reg. | OT |
| Website | primariabals |
Geography
editThe town is situated on the Wallachian Plain and lies on the banks of the river Olteț. It is located in the northwestern part of the county, on the border with Dolj County, 26 km (16 mi) west of the county seat, Slatina.
Etymology
editThere are three hypotheses about the town's name:
- The locality was named after the Balșița brook.
- The name comes from the Turkish word "Baliş" (honey), as there is a large apiculture area there.
- A boyar named Balș settled here in the 5th or 6th century.
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1864 | 1,700 | — |
| 1884 | 2,500 | +47.1% |
| 1921 | 5,000 | +100.0% |
| 1938 | 5,300 | +6.0% |
| 1948 | 6,128 | +15.6% |
| 1973 | 11,578 | +88.9% |
| 1992 | 24,560 | +112.1% |
| 2002 | 21,195 | −13.7% |
| 2011 | 18,164 | −14.3% |
| 2021 | 16,114 | −11.3% |
| Source: Census data | ||
At the 2002 census, the town had a population of 21,195; there were 20,552 Romanians, 619 Roma, and 27 others. Listed by religion: 21,043 were Eastern Orthodox, 47 Seventh-Day Adventists, 36 Baptists, 19 Pentecostals, 8 Roman-Catholics, 5 Atheists, and 32 from other religions. At the 2021 census, Balș had a population of 16,114; of those, 81.73% were Romanians and 6.32% Roma.[3]
History
edit- 1450 – The estimated date when Balș was established.
- 1564 – First mention of Balș in a document
Natives
edit- Nicușor Bănică (born 1984), footballer
- Eugen Căpățînă (born 1986), rugby player
- Claudia Constantinescu (born 1994), handballer
- Ion Dumitra (born 1976), footballer
- Cornel Feruță (born 1975), diplomat
- Petre Pandrea (1904–1968), social philosopher, memoirist, and political activist
- Cerasela Pătrașcu (born 1992), artistic gymnast
- Daniel Stana (born 1982), footballer
References
edit- ↑ "Results of the 2024 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ↑ "2021 Romanian census". National Institute of Statistics. 1 December 2021.
- ↑ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (in Romanian). INSSE. 31 May 2023.
Church in Balș
Town police headquarters
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