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Chişinău (Russian Кишинёв, Kishinyov, also Kishinev; Moldovan Cyrillic Кишинэу), estimated population 920,000 (2002), is the capital of Moldova.
Geography
The city is located on the right bank of the river Bāc, a tributary of the Nistru (Dniestr), and is divided into five administrative districts. Its total area is approximately 565 sq. kilometers (338 sq. miles). Chişinău is a major industrial and services centre; its main industries include consumer and electrical goods, building materials, machinery, plastics, rubber, and textiles. The main service fields are banking and shopping/commerce. Transport: there are two bus terminals, with another one under construction, an international airport (Kishinev International Airport), and an international railway terminal.
History Founded in 1436 as a monastery town, the city was captured in the 16th century by Turkey. At the beginning of the 19th century it was a small village of 7,000 inhabitants. In 1812, it was occupied by Russia, who made it the center of Bessarabia. Population grew to 92,000 in 1862 and 125 787 in 1900, of which 43% were Jews.
The town played an important part in the war between Russia and Turkey in 1877–78, as the chief centre of the Russian invasion.
Romania held the city from 1918 to 1940, when it was seized by the USSR.
Education The city is home to 36 universities and the Academy of Sciences of Moldova.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city has become a relatively lively and well-appointed capital, with a much higher standard of living than most rural areas.
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