Constanta

Tomis was founded in the 6th century BC as a Greek colony as were nearby the colonies of Histria, Orgame, and Kallatis in the same era. The site had the advantage of a fine harbour, the Carasu valley offering an inland shortcut from the sea to the Danube, and fertile land nearby. The peninsula on which it was sited has high cliffs protecting Tomis from cold winds and from attack. Most of the ancient city is covered by the modern-day Constanța, making archaeology difficult. In the 5th century BC it was under the influence of the Delian League, passing in this period from oligarchy to democracy. The war for the emporion of Tomis took place in the middle of the 3rd century BC. In 29 BC the Romans captured the region from the Odrysian kingdom and annexed it as far as the Danube. …

Constanța is the administrative center of the county with the same name and the largest city in the Southeastern development region of Romania. The city is located on the Black Sea coast, with a beach length of 13 kilometres (8 miles).

As of 1878, Constanța was called a "poor Turkish fishing village." As of 1920, it was called "flourishing", and was known for exporting oil and cereals. Constanța is one of Romania's main industrial, commercial and tourist centers. During the first half of 2008, some 3,144 new companies were established in Constanța and its neighbouring localities, a number surpassed in Romania only in Bucharest and Cluj County. The Port of Constanța is the largest on the Black Sea and the fourth largest in Europe. The city also boasts a comparably large shipyard. Constanța has been promoted as a seaside resort since the time of Carol I of Romania, the development of naval industry has had a detrimental effect on the city's beaches.

The Emperor Augustus exiled the Roman poet Ovid to what was then Tomis in 8 AD. In 1887, the sculptor Ettore Ferrari designed a statue of Ovid which gave its name to this square in the old town. In 1916, during the occupation of Dobruja by the Central Powers, it was taken down by Bulgarian troops, and was later reinstated by the Germans. The statue is in front of National History and Archaeology Museum is housed in the old City Hall. The Genoese Lighthouse is 26 feet (7.9 m) high. Commissioned by King Carol I in 1910 and designed by architects Daniel Renard and Petre Antonescu right on the seashore, the derelict Constanța Casino features sumptuous Art Nouveau architecture. Once a huge attraction for European tourists, the casino lost its customers after the collapse of Communism. In 2021 renovation of the building finally began. The Constanța Aquarium is nearby. …

The opening, in 1895, of the railway to Bucharest, which crosses the Danube River at the bridge at Cernavodă, brought Constanța considerable transit trade in grain and petroleum, which are largely exported; coal and coke head the list of imports, followed by machinery, iron goods, cotton and woollen fabrics. The Port of Constanța includes the North Port and the South Port, and is the fourth largest in Europe. It is protected by breakwaters, with a lighthouse at the entrance. The port is sheltered from the northerly winds, but southerly winds can prove dangerous at times. The Black Sea squadron of the Romanian fleet is stationed here. A large canal (the Danube-Black Sea Canal) connects the Danube River to the Black Sea at Constanța. The city is served by Mihail Kogălniceanu International Airport. …

As of 2021, 263,688 inhabitants live within the city limits, a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2011 census. After Bucharest, the capital city, Romania has a number of major cities that are roughly equal in size: Constanța, Iași, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara. The metropolitan area of Constanța has a permanent population of 425,916 inhabitants (2011), i.e. 61% of the total population of the county, and a minimum average of 120,000 per day, tourists or seasonal workers, transient people during the high tourist season.