History:
Constanta is in a region of Romania called Dobrogea, which is the land
between the Danube River to the west and Black Sea to the east. The history of the city goes back to 657 BC when it was the Greek controlled town of Tomis. When Romania became a Province of the Roman Empire in 106 AD the Romans later renamed the city after emperor Constantine who fortified and developed the city from 320 – 350AD. The city was later destroyed in the 8th century by invading Slavs and Avars and then fell under Byzantine control. In 1418 the Turks had there turn at the region until the mid 1800s when the national state of Romania was created in 1862. Constanta was taken by Romania in 1877 after the Romanian War of Independence.

Educational System
Constanta has over 500 schools including secondary and primary institutions. Some classes are bi-lingual for the minority student population. Constanta has many private and state universities.

Port of Constanta
The Port of Constanta is the main Romanian port and the largest port in the Black Sea. It has a geostrategical position being located on the route of two Pan-European Transport Corridors: river Corridor VII (Danube) and rail-road Corridor IV. In the southern part of Constanta Port there is a river-maritime sector, which allows the accommodation of maritime vessels and river vessels as well. The two satellite ports, Midia and Mangalia, are located close to the port of Constanta and perform a vital function in the overall port framework.

Population
Constanta’s population of 310,471 people is predominately Romanian however there are also other nationalities including Turks, Gypsies, Russians, Ukrainians, Bulgarians, Armenians, Tartars, Greeks, and Germans. Constanta also has a diverse religious community with Orthodox, Roman-Catholic, Greco-Catholic, Protestant, and Muslim.

Local Public Administration
Constanta’s City Council has 27 members and is elected every four years.
Mayor Radu Stefan Mazare was reelected in June of 2004 to another four year term.

Constanta Days Festival – May 18 – 21
Constanta Days began in May of 2002 and is an annual event celebrating the City of Constanta. The festival includes concerts, exhibitions, contests, and lots of food. This years program will be released in early May.