Balș
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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 (2020–2024) | Cătălin-Ștefan Rotea[1] (PSD) |
Area | 41.13 km2 (15.88 sq mi) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 16,114 |
| • Density | 390/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) |
| Vehicle reg. | OT |
| Website | www |
Balș (Romanian pronunciation: [balʃ] ⓘ) is a town in Olt County, Oltenia, Romania. The town administers three villages: Corbeni, Româna, and Teiș.
Geography
[edit]The 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
[edit]There 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 2021 census, Balș had a population of 16,114. At the 2002 census, there were 20,552 Romanians, 619 Romani, and 27 others. Listed by religion: 21,043 were Eastern Orthodox, 47 Seventh-Day Adventists, 36 Baptists, 19 Pentecostalists, 8 Roman-Catholics, 5 Atheists, and 32 other religions.
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 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
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Church in Balș -
Town police headquarters
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