Calafat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Calafat
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The monument commemorating the soldiers who fought in the War of Independence in 1877
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 Calafat
Location in Romania
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| Country |  Romania |
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| County | Dolj | |
| Area | 103.59 km2 (40.00 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 35 m (115 ft) | |
| Population
(2011)
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| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) | |
| Postal code |
205200
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Calafat is a city in Dolj County, southern Romania. It is part of the Oltenia region. The city is located right on the Danube River.
Across the Danube, you'll find the Bulgarian city of Vidin. Calafat and Vidin are connected by a large bridge called the Calafat-Vidin Bridge. This bridge opened in 2013. Before the bridge, people used boats and ferryboats to cross the river.
Calafat also oversees three nearby villages. These are Basarabi, Golenți, and Ciupercenii Vechi.
Contents
History of Calafat
Calafat was started in the 1300s by settlers from Genoa. Genoa was a powerful trading city in Italy. These settlers often hired many workers to repair ships. These workers were called Calafatis. This is how the city got its name.
Calafat and the Crimean War
In January 1854, a big war called the Crimean War was happening. Russian forces were moving along the Danube River. The Ottoman Empire had soldiers in Calafat. Their commander, Ahmed Pasha, made a surprise attack. He attacked a temporary Russian army camp near a place called Cetate, Dolj.
This attack helped the Ottoman forces in Calafat. It slowed down the main Russian attack. On January 28, Russian forces led by General Joseph Carl von Anrep reached Calafat. They started a siege of the city.
The siege lasted until May. The Russian soldiers faced many illnesses. They could not capture the city. So, General Anrep and his forces left.
Calafat was officially declared a "municipiu" in 1997. A municipiu is a type of important city in Romania.
Climate in Calafat
| Climate data for Calafat | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 3 (37) |
5 (41) |
12 (54) |
18 (64) |
23 (73) |
27 (81) |
29 (84) |
29 (84) |
24 (75) |
17 (63) |
10 (50) |
4 (39) |
17 (62) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −1 (30) |
2 (36) |
6 (43) |
12 (54) |
18 (64) |
21 (70) |
23 (73) |
23 (73) |
18 (64) |
12 (54) |
6 (43) |
1 (34) |
12 (53) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −4 (25) |
−3 (27) |
1 (34) |
6 (43) |
11 (52) |
15 (59) |
17 (63) |
16 (61) |
11 (52) |
7 (45) |
3 (37) |
−3 (27) |
6 (44) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 38.1 (1.50) |
43.2 (1.70) |
45.7 (1.80) |
48.3 (1.90) |
58.4 (2.30) |
66.0 (2.60) |
40.6 (1.60) |
33.0 (1.30) |
33.0 (1.30) |
38.1 (1.50) |
50.8 (2.00) |
48.3 (1.90) |
543.5 (21.4) |
| Source: weather.com | |||||||||||||
Population Changes
The number of people living in Calafat has changed over time. Here is a look at the population from different years:
| Historical population | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1900 | 7,113 | — |
| 1912 | 7,608 | +7.0% |
| 1930 | 7,633 | +0.3% |
| 1948 | 8,251 | +8.1% |
| 1956 | 8,069 | −2.2% |
| 1966 | 9,483 | +17.5% |
| 1977 | 15,568 | +64.2% |
| 1992 | 20,445 | +31.3% |
| 2002 | 21,227 | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 16,247 | −23.5% |
| 2021 | 13,807 | −15.0% |
| Source: Census data | ||
Transportation
Calafat is an important place for travel and trade. It is on the Danube River, which is a major waterway. It is also on Pan-European Corridor IV. This is a big road network that goes from Germany all the way to Istanbul and Thessaloniki.
The city is where several main roads meet. These include National Roads DN56, DN56A, and DN55A. It is also on European route E79.
The Calafat-Vidin Bridge
The city of Calafat and its neighbor, Vidin in Bulgaria, are connected by a bridge over the Danube. This bridge is sometimes called the New Europe Bridge. It was built by a Spanish company called FCC.
People started talking about building a bridge here way back in 1925. The amount of road traffic between Vidin and Calafat was growing very fast. Because of this, a new bridge was needed. It was designed to have four lanes for cars, a railway line, a two-meter-wide path for bikes, and a sidewalk for people walking.
The bridge is about 1,971 meters (about 1.2 miles) long. It cost around US$200 million to build. The bridge officially opened on June 14, 2013.
Newspapers
Calafat has a few local newspapers. One of them is called Ziarul De Calafat. You can also find it online. Another newspaper is Calafat Live.
Cities Calafat is Connected To
Calafat has special connections with other cities around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities."
Vidin, Bulgaria
Zaječar, Serbia
Biñan, Philippines
See also
In Spanish: Calafat para niños
