CONSTANTA

city, capital of Constanta judet (county), southeastern Romania, on the Black Sea. Situated about 125 miles (200 km) east of Bucharest, it is the country's principal seaport. Since 1960 a coastal conurbation stretching from Navodari to Mangalia, including the principal Black Sea resort, Mamaia (5 miles north), has been administered from Constanta. The first record of a settlement is at the ancient city of Tomis, founded in the 7th century BC by Greek settlers from Miletus in Anatolia. The Romans annexed the regionknown to them as Scythia Minorin the 1st century BC; and in the 4th century AD Tomis was reconstructed by Constantine the Great and renamed Constantiana. It was the place of exile of the Roman poet Ovid in AD 917. Between the 6th century and the Turkish conquest in the early 15th century, the entire region was subject to invasions by the Goths, Huns, Avars, Gepidae, and others; under the Turks, Constanta (called Kstence, or Kstendje) declined to a village of 2,000. Its modern development as an industrial and trading centre dates from the return of the region to Romania in 1878. Constanta is a centre of art and culture, with several museums and theatres. The archaeological museum has an important collection, and among Roman remains is a large mosaic tile floor. The port and dock facilities are modern and are connected by pipeline from the oil fields around Ploiesti. A busy Black Sea port, Constanta has regular services to Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and other nearby countries and to ports on the Mediterranean. Industrial products include pulp and paper and prefabricated concrete. It is also a food-processing centre. Pop. (1992 prelim.) 350,476. judet (county), southeastern Romania, bounded by Bulgaria on the south. The Black Sea lies to the east, and the northward-draining Danube River delimits the county's western border. Constanta judet, consisting mostly of lowlands, contains several lakes. Constanta (q.v.) city, Romania's principal seaport, is the county seat. Agricultural activities include livestock raising and cereal and vineyard cultivation. Manufactured products of Constanta and other towns in the county include machinery, metal products, building materials, textiles, and paper. Archaeological museums, containing artifacts from the Neolithic period and from Greek and Roman occupations, are located in Eforie Sud and Mangalia. Mangalia was built on the ruins of an ancient Greek city that was founded in the 6th century BC. A 15th-century Turkish mosque and an ancient tomb (4th century AD) are situated in Mangalia. Three churches, built one on top of another, and underground passages with 10th-century Cyrillic inscriptions were discovered in Murfatlar. The town also has a horticultural and viticultural research station. A Byzantine city (10th century) was excavated on an island in the Danube River near Ostrov. Adamclisi town is known for the Tropaeum Trajani monument that was built by the Romans after their victory over Scythia Minor (2nd century AD). Eforie Nord resort, one of several Black Sea resorts in the county, is situated on a red granite and limestone cliff and has an outdoor theatre. A marine biological station (1926) is located in Agigea. Highway and railway connections extend from Constanta city in various directions, and an airport is located in Mihail Kogalniceanu. Area 2,724 square miles (7,055 square km). Pop. (1992 prelim.) 748,000.