Drochia

Place in Drochia District, Moldova From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Drochia (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdroki.ja]) is a city in the northern part of Moldova. It is the administrative center of the eponymous district. The city is located 174.4 km (108.4 mi) north of the national capital, Chișinău, and 67 km (42 mi) north-east of the Romanian city of Iași. The average elevation of Drochia is 226 meters. The population at the 2004 census was 16,606.

CountryMoldova
Established1777
Elevation
741 ft (226 m)
Quick facts Country, District ...
Drochia
Drochia
Flag of Drochia
Coat of arms of Drochia
Drochia is located in Moldova
Drochia
Drochia
Location in Moldova
Coordinates: 48°2′N 27°45′E
CountryMoldova
DistrictDrochia District
Established1777
Government
  MayorCereteu Nina (PN), since 2015
Elevation
741 ft (226 m)
Population
  Total
13,150
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
MD-52xx
Area code+373 252 xx x xx
ClimateDfb
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The name of the city comes from a local type of bird, called dropie (English: great bustard).

History

Drochia is first mentioned by chroniclers in 1777. By 1830 it was a small settlement encompassing 25 families. A document dating from 1847 notes that a small grape-processing plant, the town's first industrial enterprise, had been built. Two mills situated on a local stream were built in 1875.

More intensive industrial development emerged after the railway first came through at the end of the 19th century. At the 1930 census, the locality (then a village) was known as Drochia-Gară (literally Drochia Station), and had a population of only 595. It was part of Plasa Bădiceni of the Soroca County.

Drochia received the status of a city in 1973.

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, 12,939 inhabitants lived in Drochia, a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 13,150 inhabitants were registered.[2][3]

Ethnic composition of Drochia (2024)
  1. Moldovans[a] (85.6%)
  2. Romanians (4.70%)
  3. Ukrainians (6.70%)
  4. Russians (2.30%)
  5. Others (0.70%)
Linguistic composition of Drochia (2024)
  1. Moldovan[b] (59.2%)
  2. Romanian (24.4%)
  3. Russian (13.0%)
  4. Ukrainian (3.10%)
  5. Other (0.30%)
More information Year, Pop. ...
Historical population
YearPop.±%
1930 595    
1959 6,638+1015.6%
1970 11,161+68.1%
1979 15,280+36.9%
1989 21,298+39.4%
2004 16,606−22.0%
2014 13,150−20.8%
2024 12,939−1.6%
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  1. There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.
  2. In March 2023, the Parliament of Moldova passed a law updating all legislative texts and the constitution to refer to the national language as Romanian, effectively rendering the term "Moldovan" obsolete.[4][5]

Historical demographics

Ethnic composition (1930 Census)
Romanians181
Ruthenians and Ukrainians77
Russians209
Jews112
Poles5
Armenians7
Serbians, Croatians, Slovenes1
others3
Total595
Linguistic composition (1930 Census)
Romanian198
Russian210
Yiddish102
Ukrainian80
Polish4
other1
Total595

Media

Journalists interviewing Octavian Armașu during the inauguration of a biogas plant outside the city, 2012

Mayors of Drochia

  • Anatol Pleșca 1991–1999
  • Valeriu Ceban 1999–2007
  • Grigore Melnic 2007 – 2011
  • Igor Grozavu 2011 – 2015
  • Nina Cereteu 2015 - 2023
  • Nina Cereteu 2023 - present

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Drochia is twinned with:

Notable people

References

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