Voluntari
| Voluntari | ||
|---|---|---|
| Town | ||
| ||
  Voluntari | ||
| Coordinates: 44°29′33″N 26°11′29″E / 44.49250°N 26.19139°ECoordinates: 44°29′33″N 26°11′29″E / 44.49250°N 26.19139°E | ||
| Country |
 Romania | |
| County | Ilfov County | |
| Status | Town | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Florentin Costel Pandele (Social Democratic Party) | |
| Population (2002) | ||
| • Total | 30,016 | |
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | |
| • Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | |
| Website | http://www.primaria-voluntari.ro/ | |
Voluntari (Romanian pronunciation: [volunˈtarʲ]) is a town in Ilfov county, Romania. It is located at a distance of 1 km from the northern border of Bucharest (2 km from the National Road) and is thus frequently viewed as a suburb of Bucharest.
The population is 30,016 inhabitants according to the 2002 census, with an ethnic composition of 97.6% Romanians, 1.7% Romani and 0.7% of other ethnic groups.
The low price of land, the proximity to the city of Bucharest and the easy and reliable access to both the railway network and the road network have allowed a steady development of industrial and commercial facilities, especially in the light industry and import/export commerce. The town's output estimate increased by over 25% between 2001 and 2005. Even with such high development rates, many residents remain unemployed or commute to Bucharest. Voluntari contains a shopping centre known as Jolie Ville Galleria, a Metro Cash and Carry hypermarket as well as the headquarters of Vodafone Romania.
Voluntari literally means "Volunteers", in Romanian, being founded by the volunteer soldiers who fought for Romania in World War I and were given plots to build their home there after the war. The settlement received its city status in 2004.
Local government
The Voluntari Local Council (Consiliul Local Voluntari) has 19 councillors. It is considered to be a very safe Social Democratic town, currently having the following party composition:
| Party | Seats in 2008 | Current Council | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social Democratic Party | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Democratic Liberal Party | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Transport
Voluntari has its own bus network, operated by the local council, consisting of three bus routes: 153, 155 and 167. Additionally, the city is connected to Bucharest by bus routes run by RATB, Bucharest's public transport operator.
Education
Voluntari is the site of the American International School of Bucharest and of Mark Twain International School.[citation needed] It is also the site of the Japanese School in Bucharest.[1]
