Chiajna

Chiajna
Church in Chiajna
Location in Ilfov County
Chiajna
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 44°27′36″N 25°58′30″E / 44.460°N 25.975°E / 44.460; 25.975
CountryRomania
CountyIlfov
Government
 • Mayor (2024–2028)Mircea Minea (PSD)
Area
16.10 km2 (6.22 sq mi)
Elevation
94 m (308 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[1]
43,584
 • Density2,707/km2 (7,011/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+02:00 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+03:00 (EEST)
Postal code
077040
Area code(+40) 02 1
Vehicle reg.IF
Websitewww.primariachiajna.ro

Chiajna (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈkjaʒna]) is a commune in the south-west of Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, immediately west of the capital, Bucharest. It is composed of three villages: Chiajna, Dudu, and Roșu.

The mayor of Chiajna is currently Mircea Minea (Social Democratic Party).

Etymology

Chiajna is a Romanian female name, being a feminine version of "cneaz" (Knyaz).[2]

In one version Chiajna was named after the wife of Cernica Știrbey, a Wallachian vornic who owned the area where people from Cernavodă settled and founded the village.

Another story says that Lady Chiajna (c. 1525–1588, Istanbul) was the daughter of Petru Rareș, the voievod of Moldavia, an illegitimate child of Ștefan cel Mare. Lady Chiajna was the wife of Wallachian prince Mircea V Ciobanul. In Romanian literature (e.g., the novella Doamna Chiajna, published in 1860 by author Alexandru Odobescu), she is a famous and frightening female character, similar to Lady Macbeth.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
20028,009—    
201114,259+78.0%
202143,584+205.7%
Source: Census data

Chiajna is one of the fastest growing localities in Romania. Its population increased from 14,259 people at the 2011 census to 43,584 people according to the 2021 census.[3]

Natives

Features of the commune

The commune is home to the Lady Chiajna Technological High School,[4] which has a Tourism and Public Alimentation specialization and a Sports specialization.

The commune is host to the football team Concordia Chiajna. The team is in Liga II, and plays its home matches on Stadionul Concordia. The Concordia Chiajna basketball team was founded in 1957 and dissolved in 2013.

Since the 2010s, Chiajna has been the site of new residential developments collectively known as "Militari Residence", which have become notorious for their poor urban planning and construction practices.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ "2021 Romanian census". National Institute of Statistics. 1 December 2021.
  2. ^ Anca Bercaru, "Nume feminine de origine laică în antroponimia românească" Archived 2009-08-24 at the Wayback Machine, Romanoslavica (University of Bucharest), XLII, p. 177
  3. ^ "Populația Comunei Chiajna, Jud. Ilfov - 2023 | Populatia.ro". 22 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Liceul Tehnologic "Doamna Chiajna"". www.liceuldoamnachiajna.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  5. ^ "Complexul groazei de la Chiajna. Zeci de mii de euro pentru apartamente într-o șandrama plină de crăpături" (in Romanian). realitatea.net. 16 February 2023. Retrieved 23 February 2023.