Editing Bucharest (section)

== Geography ==
=== General ===
[[File:Bucuresti de sus.jpg|thumb|right|Bucharest is [[Romania]]'s capital and largest city.]]

The city is situated on the banks of the [[Dâmbovița River]], which flows into the Argeș River, a tributary of the Danube. [[List of lakes in Bucharest|Several lakes]]{{spaced ndash}}the most important of which are Lake Herăstrău, Lake Floreasca, Lake Tei, and Lake Colentina{{spaced ndash}}stretch across the northern parts of the city, along the [[Colentina (river)|Colentina River]], a tributary of the Dâmbovița. In addition, in the centre of the capital is a small artificial lake{{spaced ndash}}Lake Cișmigiu{{spaced ndash}}surrounded by the [[Cișmigiu Gardens]]. These gardens have a rich history, having been frequented by poets and writers. Opened in 1847 and based on the plans of German architect Carl F.W. Meyer, the gardens are the main recreational facility in the city centre.
[[File:Parcul Herastrau park lake Bucharest Bucuresti Romania 2.JPG|thumb|right|[[King Michael I Park]]]]
[[File:Lacul Vacaresti - Delta Vacaresti - Vara.jpg|thumb|right|[[Văcărești Nature Park]]]]
[[File:Parcul_Carol_-_toamna.jpg|thumb|right|[[Carol Park]]]]
[[File:2017_Cismigiu,_Bucuresti_(3).jpg|thumb|right|[[Cișmigiu Gardens]]]]
[[File:Tineretului_lake.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tineretului Park]]]]
[[File:2018_Parcul_IOR_Mai.jpg|thumb|right|Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park (also known as IOR Park or Titan Park)]]
Bucharest parks and gardens also include [[King Michael I Park|Herăstrău Park]], [[Tineretului Park]] and the [[Botanical Garden of Bucharest|Botanical Garden]]. Herăstrău Park is located in the northern part of the city, around Lake Herăstrău, and includes the site the [[Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum|Village Museum]]. [[Grigore Antipa National Museum of Natural History|Grigore Antipa Museum]] is also near in the Victoriei Square. One of its best known locations are [[Hard Rock Cafe]] Bucharest and [[Berăria H]] (one of the largest beer halls in Europe). Tineretului Park was created in 1965 and designed as the main recreational space for southern Bucharest. It contains a Mini Town which is a play area for kids. The Botanical Garden, located in the [[Cotroceni]] neighbourhood a bit west of the city centre, is the largest of its kind in Romania and contains over 10,000 species of plants (many of them exotic); it originated as the pleasure park of the royal family.<ref>[http://www.onlinegallery.ro/gradina_bot_bucurestie.html Botanical Garden] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060929164505/http://onlinegallery.ro/gradina_bot_bucurestie.html |date=29 September 2006 }}, onlinegallery.ro. Retrieved 13 October 2006.</ref> Besides them, there are many other smaller parks that should be visited, some of them being still large. Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park, Kiseleff Park, [[Carol Park]], Izvor Park, [[Grădina Icoanei]], Circului Park and Moghioroș Park are a few of them. Other large parks in Bucharest are: National Park, Tei Park, Eroilor Park and Crângași Park with [[Lacul Morii|Morii Lake]].

[[Lake Văcărești]] is located in the southern part of the city. Over 190 hectares, including 90 hectares of water, host 97 species of birds, half of them protected by law, and at least seven species of mammals.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-mediu-20841205-fotogalerie-cum-afectata-fauna-din-delta-vacaresti-incendii-distrugeri-dureaza-atat-mult-protejarea-zonei.htm|title=Fotogalerie – Cum e afectata fauna din Delta Vacaresti de incendii si distrugeri si de ce dureaza atat de mult protejarea zonei|website=[[HotNews]]|access-date=20 May 2016|date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512043647/http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-mediu-20841205-fotogalerie-cum-afectata-fauna-din-delta-vacaresti-incendii-distrugeri-dureaza-atat-mult-protejarea-zonei.htm|archive-date=12 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> The lake is surrounded by buildings of flats and is an odd result of human intervention and nature taking its course. The area was a small village that Ceaușescu attempted to convert into a lake. After demolishing the houses and building the concrete basin, the plan was abandoned following the 1989 revolution.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://adevarul.ro/news/bucuresti/delta-vacaresti-privita-etajul-17-s-a-transformat-lacul-ceausescu-parcul-natural-urban-astazi-1_53942e620d133766a865a7b1/index.html|title=Delta Văcăreşti, privită de la etajul 17. Cum s-a transformat lacul lui Ceauşescu în parcul natural urban de astăzi|website=adevarul.ro|date=8 June 2014 |access-date=20 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501235910/http://adevarul.ro/news/bucuresti/delta-vacaresti-privita-etajul-17-s-a-transformat-lacul-ceausescu-parcul-natural-urban-astazi-1_53942e620d133766a865a7b1/index.html|archive-date=1 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> For nearly two decades, the area shifted from being an abandoned green space where children could play and sunbathe, to being contested by previous owners of the land there, to being closed for redevelopment into a sports centre. The redevelopment deal failed,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://parcnaturalvacaresti.ro/delta-dintre-blocuri/|title=Delta dintre blocuri {{!}} Parcul Natural Văcărești {{!}} "delta" dintre blocuri|website=parcnaturalvacaresti.ro|access-date=20 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508135303/http://parcnaturalvacaresti.ro/delta-dintre-blocuri/|archive-date=8 May 2016}}</ref> and over the following years, the green space grew into a unique habitat. In May 2016, the lake was declared a national park, the [[Văcărești Nature Park]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://parcnaturalvacaresti.ro/parcul-natural-vacaresti-a-fost-aprobat-oficial/|title=Parcul Natural Văcărești a fost aprobat oficial {{!}} Parcul Natural Văcărești {{!}} "delta" dintre blocuri|website=parcnaturalvacaresti.ro|access-date=20 May 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624022322/http://parcnaturalvacaresti.ro/parcul-natural-vacaresti-a-fost-aprobat-oficial/|archive-date=24 June 2016}}</ref> Dubbed the 'Delta of Bucharest', the area is protected.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mediafax.ro/social/cgmb-a-avizat-declararea-lacului-vacaresti-arie-naturala-protejata-14356050 |title=CGMB a avizat declararea lacului Văcăreşti arie naturală protejată |work=Mediafax |author=Andrei Dumitrescu |date=28 May 2015 |access-date=19 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610134223/http://www.mediafax.ro/social/cgmb-a-avizat-declararea-lacului-vacaresti-arie-naturala-protejata-14356050 |archive-date=10 June 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Bucharest is situated in the center of the Romanian Plain, in an area once covered by the Vlăsiei Forest, which after it was cleared, gave way for a fertile flatland. As with many cities, Bucharest is traditionally considered to be built upon seven hills, similar to the seven hills of Rome. Bucharest's seven hills are: Mihai Vodă, [[Dealul Mitropoliei]], Radu Vodă, [[Cotroceni]], [[Dealul Spirii]], [[Văcărești, Bucharest|Văcărești]], and Sfântu Gheorghe Nou.

The city has an area of {{convert|226|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}. The altitude varies from {{convert|55.8|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} at the Dâmbovița bridge in Cățelu, southeastern Bucharest and {{convert|91.5|m|ft|1|abbr=on}} at the [[Militari]] church. The city has a roughly round shape, with the centre situated in the cross-way of the main north–south/east-west axes at [[University Square, Bucharest|University Square]]. The milestone for Romania's [[Kilometre Zero (Bucharest)|Kilometre Zero]] is placed just south of University Square in front of the New St. George Church (Sfântul Gheorghe Nou) at St. George Square (Piața Sfântul Gheorghe). Bucharest's radius, from University Square to the city limits in all directions, varies from  {{convert|10|to|12|km|0|abbr=on}}.

Until recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surrounding [[Ilfov County]]. This [[Counties of Romania|county]], which has experienced rapid demographic growth in the 21st century, being the fastest growing Romanian county between 2011 and 2021, had a population of 542,686 people at the [[2021 Romanian census]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.economica.net/recensamant-2022-singurele-judete-in-care-a-crescut-populatia-rezidenta-in-2021-fata-de-nivelul-din-2011-sunt-ilfov-bistrita-nasaud-si-suceava_637632.html | title=Recensământ 2022: Singurele judeţe în care a crescut populaţia rezidentă în 2021 faţă de nivelul din 2011 sunt Ilfov, Bistriţa-Năsăud şi Suceava | date=30 December 2022 }}</ref> In the 21st century, many of Ilfov county's villages and communes developed into high-income [[commuter town]]s, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest.