Brașov
Brașov (Romanian pronunciation: [braˈʃov]; also known by other alternative names) is a city in Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County.
According to the last Romanian census, from 2011, there were 253,200 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 7th most populous city in Romania, and the metropolitan area is home to 369,896 residents.
Brașov is located in the central part of the country, about 166 kilometres (103 miles) north of Bucharest and 380 km (236 mi) from the Black Sea. It is surrounded by the Southern Carpathians and is part of the Transylvania region.
The city is notable for being the birthplace of the national anthem of Romania and for hosting the Golden Stag International Music Festival.
Etymology
The city was described in 1235 AD under the name Corona, a Latin word meaning "crown", a name given by the German colonists. According to Binder, the current Romanian and the Hungarian name Brassó (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbrɒʃːoː]) are derived from the Turkic word barasu, meaning "white water" with a Slavic suffix -ov. Other linguists proposed various etymologies including an Old Slavic anthroponym Brasa.
Brașov County
Brașov (Romanian pronunciation: [braˈʃov]) is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Brașov. The county incorporates within its boundaries most of the Medieval "lands" (țări) Burzenland and Făgăraș.
Name
In Hungarian, it is known as Brassó megye, and in German as Kreis Kronstadt. During Austro-Hungarian administration, from 1876 to 1918, there was a county with similar name (see: Brassó County).
Demographics
In October 20, 2011, it had a population of 549,217 and the population density was 100/km².
Traditionally the Romanian population was concentrated in the West and South-West of the County, the Hungarians are in the East part of the county, and the Germans were in the North and around Brașov city.
Geography
The county has a total area of 5,363 km².
The South side comprises the Carpathian Mountains (Southern Carpathians and Eastern Carpathians) with Făgăraș Mountains, Bucegi Mountains, Piatra Mare Mountains, Piatra Craiului Mountains and the Postăvarul Massif. In the east side there is the Brașov Depression, and in the west side there is the Olt River valley. Between them there are the Perșani Mountains. The North and West side of the county is crossed by the Olt River.
