Năvodari

Năvodari (historical names: Carachioi; Caracoium, Turkish: Kara Koyum) is a town in Constanţa County, Dobruja, Romania, with a population of 32,400.

The name of the town means "trawlers" in Romanian, indicating that it was originally a fishing village.

The settlement was mentioned for the first time in 1421 under the name Kara Koyum ("Black Sheep"), to be renamed later on Karaköy or Carachioi ("The Black Village"). In 1927, the village was again renamed to Năvodari and in 1932 it became a commune.

The town developed during the communist regime as part of the industrialization program. Here, in the 1970s, a phosphates factory was built that polluted the Black Sea and Taşaul Lake with toxic dumps. In the 1990s, the pollution was greatly reduced as the factory was modernized.

The town replaced an ancient fishmongers' village some years ago. Today it is an important chemical and industrial town containing a chemical fertilizer factory, a factory for producing sugar, a car repairs factory and a Petromidia factory specialized in petrochemical products.

The modern incarnation of Năvodari was re-dedicated on 29 June 1979; however, the modernization has begun in 1975. The town has developed in industrial, social and cultural fields; in the center of the town there is a children's town, built between 1969 and 1972, vacation accommodations, and sports facilities where 12,000 visitors can be accommodated.

Some 5 kilometres from the town itself, there is a summer camp (the largest one in Romania), built under the communist regime for school children. Due to its interesting programmes, good accommodation and acceptable prices, it was extremely popular among teachers and parents. In the early 2000s, it was opened for the public at large as a cheap seaside resort.

The Mamaia Sat village is administered by the township Năvodari.

[edit] Notable citizens

Adrian Lungu, Romania's most capped rugby union player, was born in Năvodari.
Laurenţiu Duţă, one of the most prolific music writers in Romania, member of the 3rei Sud Est band

	Constanţa County
Municipalities	Constanţa (county seat) \| Mangalia \| Medgidia
Towns	Basarabi \| Băneasa \| Cernavodă \| Eforie \| Hârşova \| Năvodari \| Negru Vodă \| Ovidiu \| Techirghiol
Communes	23 August \| Adamclisi \| Albeşti \| Aliman \| Amzacea \| Bărăganu \| Castelu \| Cerchezu \| Chirnogeni \| Ciobanu \| Ciocârlia \| Cobadin \| Cogealac \| Comana \| Corbu \| Costineşti \| Crucea \| Cumpăna \| Cuza Vodă \| Deleni \| Dobromir \| Dumbrăveni \| Fântânele \| Gârliciu \| Ghindăreşti \| Grădina \| Horia \| Independenţa \| Ion Corvin \| Istria \| Limanu \| Lipniţa \| Lumina \| Mereni \| Mihai Viteazu \| Mihail Kogălniceanu \| Mircea Vodă \| Nicolae Bălcescu \| Oltina \| Ostrov \| Pantelimon \| Pecineaga \| Peştera \| Poarta Albă \| Rasova \| Saligny \| Saraiu \| Săcele \| Seimeni \| Siliştea \| Târguşor \| Topalu \| Topraisar \| Tortoman \| Tuzla \| Valu lui Traian \| Vulturu