Cahul

Cahul
—  City  —
"B. P. Hasdeu" State University

Seal
Cahul
Location of Cahul within Moldova (in red)
Coordinates:
Country Moldova
County Cahul District
Status Administrative city
Founded 1502 (first official record)
Area
 • Total 33.91 km2 (13.1 sq mi)
Elevation 119 m (390 ft)
Population (January 2011)
 • Total 41,000
 • Density 1,162/km2 (3,009.6/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Website www.cahul-primaria.md

Cahul (Russian: Kagul/Кагул) is a city in southern Moldova. The city is the administrative center of Cahul District; it also administers one village, Cotihana. As of 1 January 2009, it has an estimated population of 39,400.[1]

Contents

Etymology and names

The city of Cahul is believed to have been inhabited for many centuries, although it has had a number of different names over the years - the name Scheia (Old Romanian for "Bulgarian") was recorded in 1502, and the name Frumoasa ("Beautiful" in Romanian) was recorded in 1716. The modern name was given to the settlement after the Battle of Kagul, which was fought nearby.

History

The city's location had made it a frequent battleground for a number of armies, with possession of frequently switching between countries such as Principality of Moldavia, Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire.

The city was a part of the Moldavia before 1812, then Russia from 1812 to 1856, then again Moldavia/Romanian Principalities (1856–1878), then Russia again (1878–1918), then Romania again (1918–1940), then the Soviet Union (1940–1941), then again Romania, the Soviet Union again (1944–1991) and finally Moldova (1991 to the present).

Apart from the battles that have been fought over it, Cahul is also known for its thermal spas and for its folk music.

Climate

Cahul has a humid continental-type climate (Köppen climate classification "Dfb" — summer wetter than winter, European subtype) with four distinct seasons. Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 28 mm (1.1 in) in October to 76 mm (3 in) in June.

Climate data for Cahul, Moldova
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) 0.2
(32.4)
1.8
(35.2)
7.9
(46.2)
15.9
(60.6)
21.6
(70.9)
25.0
(77.0)
26.8
(80.2)
26.5
(79.7)
22.6
(72.7)
15.9
(60.6)
8.5
(47.3)
2.6
(36.7)
14.6
(58.3)
Average low °C (°F) −5.7
(21.7)
−3.7
(25.3)
−0.2
(31.6)
5.6
(42.1)
11.1
(52.0)
14.5
(58.1)
16.0
(60.8)
15.7
(60.3)
11.9
(53.4)
6.6
(43.9)
1.9
(35.4)
−2.7
(27.1)
5.9
(42.6)
Precipitation mm (inches) 36
(1.42)
39
(1.54)
33
(1.3)
41
(1.61)
56
(2.2)
76
(2.99)
66
(2.6)
56
(2.2)
48
(1.89)
28
(1.1)
38
(1.5)
40
(1.57)
557
(21.93)
Avg. precipitation days 12 13 10 10 11 11 10 8 7 7 11 12 122
Source: World Weather Information Service[2]

Demographics

Historical population of Cahul[3]
Year Population
1930 census 10,437
1959 census 16,068
1970 census 26,572
1979 census 32,695
1989 census 42,904
2004 census 35,488
2011 estimate 41,000

According to the last Moldovan census from 2004 there were 35,488 people living within the city of Cahul (making it the sixth largest city in Moldova) and 1,317 people within Cotihana.[3]

Of this population, 60.5% are Moldovans/Romanians, 17.1% Russians, 11.1 % Ukrainians, 6.6% Bulgarians, 3,2% ethnic Gagauz and 1.5% others.

Culture

Cahul is home to a Musical-Drama Theatre, a Historical Museum and other public monuments. Every two years, at the beginning of July, in Cahul takes place an important folk music festival, "Nufărul Alb" ("White Nymphaea").

Media

Tourism

Cahul is also a destination as spa and health resort. The city and surrounding areas are richest with mineral springs enriched with bromine and iodine. The "Nufărul Alb" Balneotherapy and Well-being Centre consists of hospital, hotel and entertaining spots.

Education

Cahul is home to the State University of Cahul, opened in 1999 and named after Romanian writer and philologist Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu. The university is made up of 3 faculties (Philology - History, Law - Public Administration and Business - Computer Science - Mathematics) with around 2,150 students.

Transportation

Rail

The train station serves the city and is operated by Moldovan Railways. It provides direct rail connections to Chişinău.

Road

Cahul is connected by national roads with Chişinău, Giurgiuleşti, Oancea (Romania) and Reni (Ukraine). Cahul is also a border checkpoint to Romania.

Air

The city is served by the Cahul International Airport located 8 km south-east of the city centre. Currently, the airport has no scheduled flights.

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Cahul is twinned with:

Consulates

See also

References and notes

  1. ^ Demographic, 1 January 2009
  2. ^ "Weather Information for Cahul". World Weather Information Service. http://www.worldweather.org/108/c01424.htm. Retrieved 6 January 2008. 
  3. ^ a b 2004 Census - Demographic, national, language and cultural characteristics at National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova

External links