Ungheni

Ungheni
Flag Coat of arms
Ungheni Location within Moldova
Coordinates: 47°13′N 27°49′E / 47.217°N 27.817°ECoordinates: 47°13′N 27°49′E / 47.217°N 27.817°E
Country	Moldova
County	Ungheni District
Government
• Mayor	Alexandru Ambros
Area
• Total	16.4 km^2 (6.3 sq mi)
Population (2014 census[1])
• Total	38,400
• Density	2,300/km^2 (6,100/sq mi)
Time zone	EET (UTC+2)
• Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)

Ungheni (Romanian pronunciation: [uŋˈɡenʲ]), with a population of 35,157, is the seventh largest town in Moldova and the seat of Ungheni District since 2003.

There is a bridge across the Prut and a border checkpoint to Romania. There is another border town with the same name in Romania (Ungheni, Iași), on the other side of the Prut River.

History

The first historical mention of Ungheni dates to 20 August 1462. A railway between Ungheni and Chişinău was built in 1875 by Russia in preparation for the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). After World War II, the rail route through Ungheni became the main connection between the USSR and Romania.

Features and attractions

Gustave Eiffel bridge

Eiffel Bridge, Ungheni

In 1876 after the spring flooding of the river Prut the railway bridge that linked Moldova and Romania was almost destroyed. Railway Department invited Gustave Eiffel in Bessarabia (Moldova) to redesign and rebuild the bridge. Nowadays it is still a strategic structure under the supervision of the frontier guard.

Media

• Unghiul
• Expresul de Ungheni
• Euronova TV
• UNGHENI.TV
• Radio Chişinău 93.8 FM
• Vocea Basarabiei 100.1 FM

Natives

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1959	12,595	—
1970	19,558	+55.3%
1979	27,062	+38.4%
1989	37,788	+39.6%
2004	35,311	−6.6%
2012 est.	38,100	+7.9%

• Anatolie Arhire
• Constantin Bejenaru
• I. A. L. Diamond
• Valentina Naforniţă
• Octavian Țicu

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Ungheni is twinned with:

• Auce, Latvia
• Dmitrovsk, Russia
• Konin, Poland
• Reghin, Romania
• Vasylkiv, Ukraine
• Winston-Salem, United States^[2][3]
• Mankato, United States
• Cascais, Portugal

Consulates

• Romania – Consulate

Gallery

• 
  The first historical mention of Ungheni dates to 20 August 1462
• 
  Around 1900
• 
  Ungheni river port
• 
  Mihai Eminescu statue

References

2. Sister Cities Winston-Salem. City of Winston-Salem.
3. Winston-Salem, NC. Interactive City Directory. Sister Cities International, Inc.

• Brezianu, Andrei and Spânu, Vlad (eds.) (2007) "Ungheni" Historical Dictionary of Moldova (2nd ed.) Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Maryland, USA, p. 371, ISBN 978-0-8108-5607-3