Caracal, Romania
Encyclopedia
Caracal is a city in Olt
county, Romania
, situated in the historic region of Oltenia
, on the plains between the lower reaches of the Jiu
and Olt
rivers. The region's plains are well known for their agricultural specialty in cultivating grains and over the centuries, Caracal has been the trading center for the region's agricultural output. Caracal has a population of approximately 34,000 and is the second largest city in the region.
and that it means "Black fortress" (kara, meaning "black", and kal, either from the Arabic qal'at or the Turkish kale, both meaning fortress). Other possibilities for the name include the wild cat
caracal
(its original Turkish name, karakulak, means "black ear"). Another theory links the origin to Roman Emperor
Caracalla
, who supposedly established a fortress in the area.
The end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century saw Caracal experience significant growth and the region become one of the most important agricultural regions in Romania. Caracal was this region's capital and seat of Romanaţi County
. World War II
and the communist regime
brought changes to this region and to the city of Caracal. The communist government, which disestablished Romanaţi County, instituted industrialization plans and Caracal experienced continued economic growth through the establishment of industrial plants in the textile industry sector.
The town underwent major changes after the Nicolae Ceauşescu
regime was overthrown by the December 1989 Revolution
, with many factories collapsing under the pressure of the market economy.
Olt County
Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km²....
county, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, situated in the historic region of Oltenia
Oltenia
Oltenia is a historical province and geographical region of Romania, in western Wallachia. It is situated between the Danube, the Southern Carpathians and the Olt river ....
, on the plains between the lower reaches of the Jiu
Jiu River
Jiu is a river of southern Romania. It is formed near Petroşani by the junction of headwaters Jiul de Vest and Jiul de Est.It flows southward through the Romanian counties Hunedoara, Gorj and Dolj before flowing into the Danube a few kilometers upstream from the Bulgarian city of Oryahovo, 331...
and Olt
Olt River
The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...
rivers. The region's plains are well known for their agricultural specialty in cultivating grains and over the centuries, Caracal has been the trading center for the region's agricultural output. Caracal has a population of approximately 34,000 and is the second largest city in the region.
History
It is possible that the city's name is derived from the Cuman languageCuman language
Cuman was a Kipchak Turkic language spoken by the Cumans and Kipchaks; the language was similar to the today's Crimean Tatar language...
and that it means "Black fortress" (kara, meaning "black", and kal, either from the Arabic qal'at or the Turkish kale, both meaning fortress). Other possibilities for the name include the wild cat
Wild cat
The wildcat is a small cat with several subspecies and a very broad distribution, found throughout most of Africa, Europe, and southwest and central Asia into India, China, and Mongolia. It is a hunter of small mammals, birds, and other creatures of a similar or smaller size. Sometimes included is...
caracal
Caracal
The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...
(its original Turkish name, karakulak, means "black ear"). Another theory links the origin to Roman Emperor
Roman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
Caracalla
Caracalla
Caracalla , was Roman emperor from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he murdered the latter in 211...
, who supposedly established a fortress in the area.
The end of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century saw Caracal experience significant growth and the region become one of the most important agricultural regions in Romania. Caracal was this region's capital and seat of Romanaţi County
Romanați County
Romanaṭi was a county in the Kingdom of Romania, in southern Oltenia. The county seat was Caracal.-Administrative organization:Administratively, Romanaṭi County was divided into five districts :# Plasa Câmpu# Plasa Dunărea...
. World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the communist regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
brought changes to this region and to the city of Caracal. The communist government, which disestablished Romanaţi County, instituted industrialization plans and Caracal experienced continued economic growth through the establishment of industrial plants in the textile industry sector.
The town underwent major changes after the Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
regime was overthrown by the December 1989 Revolution
Romanian Revolution of 1989
The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a series of riots and clashes in December 1989. These were part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several Warsaw Pact countries...
, with many factories collapsing under the pressure of the market economy.
Natives
- Gheorghe ArgeşanuGheorghe ArgesanuGheorghe Argeşanu was a Romanian cavalry general and politician who served as a Prime Minister of Romania for about a week in 1939 .-Biography:...
- Marius BunescuMarius BunescuMarius Bunescu was a Romanian painter, organizer of the National Museum of Art, and director of the Anastase Simu Museum....
- Virgil Carianopol
- Mitrache Cristian
- Dan Diaconescu
- Aurelian Titu Dumitrescu
- Iancu JianuIancu JianuIancu Jianu was a Wallachian Romanian hajduk.-Biography:Born in Caracal, Oltenia, Wallachia, to the Jianu boyar family, as the youngest of four brothers...
- Ion RîmaruIon RîmaruIon Rîmaru was a Romanian serial killer dubbed "The Vampire of Bucharest". He terrorized Bucharest in 1970-1971.-Early life:...
- Marius TucăMarius TucaMarius Tucă is a Romanian journalist and TV host.He distinguished himself in the 1990s as a political analyst and a TV host. He also contributed to the transformation of the Jurnalul Naţional newspaper into the best selling broadsheet in Romania. In 1997–1999, he hosted Milionarii de la miezul...