1. Ploiesti

2. The town ► Ploiești is the capital of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located 56 km (35 mi) north of Bucharest. Prahova CountyWallachiaRomaniaBucharestPrahova CountyWallachiaRomaniaBucharest ► According to the 2002 Romanian census, there were 232,527 people living within the city of Ploiești, making it the 9th most populous city in Romania.

3. ► Ploieşti is also a textile manufacturing center. Ploieşti concentrates many foreign investments: OMV-Petrom, Lukoil, Shell Gas, Timken, Yazaki, Coca Cola, Efes Pilsener, British American Tobacco, Interbrew. Many retailers like Carrefour, Metro, Selgros, Kaufland, Billa, Bricostore, Praktiker, Intermarche, Profi, Mega Image found in Ploieşti a continuously growing market. In Ploieşti can also be found two McDonald's restaurants, and only one KFC restaurant opened in 2006. OMVPetromLukoilShell GasTimkenYazaki Coca ColaEfes PilsenerBritish American TobaccoInterbrewCarrefour MetroSelgrosKauflandBillaBricostore PraktikerIntermarcheProfiMega ImageMcDonald'sKFC OMVPetromLukoilShell GasTimkenYazaki Coca ColaEfes PilsenerBritish American TobaccoInterbrewCarrefour MetroSelgrosKauflandBillaBricostore PraktikerIntermarcheProfiMega ImageMcDonald'sKFC

4. ► The German retailer Tengelmann expects to have some 30 stores this year and has set itself a target of 120 stores by 2010, investing €200 million. To facilitate its growth, Tengelmann built a depot in Ploieşti. With its Interex operation, the French independent retailer Intermarché intends to become a distribution leader in the Balkans. In Romania the first Interex store was opened in June 2002 in the city of Ploieşti. Tengelmann InterexIntermarchéInterexTengelmann InterexIntermarchéInterex

5. ► Unilever has a detergent plant in Ploieşti. By transferring their food production to Ploieşti, the company will concentrate their full activity in Romania to the same location. At the beginning of March 2006, Unilever announced they would invest EUR 3 million to build one production center in Romania, and the construction of the new food plant is part of this plan.6 Unilever6 Unilever6 ► At Ploieşti, as a milestone in the development of the petroleum, hydrocarbon processing and petrochemical industries as well as of their related fields, was established in 1950, the Engineering and Design Institute for Oil Refineries and Petrochemical Plants, SC IPIP SA, a Romanian company with a large range of capabilities and experience. petroleumhydrocarbon processingpetrochemical industriesEngineeringOil RefineriesPetrochemical PlantsSC IPIP SA Romanian petroleumhydrocarbon processingpetrochemical industriesEngineeringOil RefineriesPetrochemical PlantsSC IPIP SA Romanian

7. ► The left image is a picture with the Central Market Hall,and the other one is a picture with St John’s Cathedral

8. City center, photographed from the south

9. ► Ploieşti is the second railway center in the country after Bucharest, linking Bucharest with Transylvania and Moldavia. The city's public transportation system is run by Regia Autonomă de Transport Public (RATP Ploieşti) and includes an extensive network of buses, trolleybuses and trams/streetcars. Ploieşti's distinct yellow bus fleet is one of the most modern in Southeastern Europe, provides connections to all areas within the city, for a daily average of 150,000 passengers. The municipal roads comprise over 800 streets with a total length of 324 km. Bucharest TransylvaniaMoldaviabusestrolleybuses tramsstreetcarsSoutheastern EuropeBucharest TransylvaniaMoldaviabusestrolleybuses tramsstreetcarsSoutheastern Europe

10. ► East and West ring belts cannot prevent around 5,300 vehicles transiting Ploieşti each day. The municipal vehicle park comprised 216 buses, 32 trams and 25 trolleybuses carrying about 70 million passengers annually. There are 33 bus lines having a total length of 415,46 km; two trolley-bus lines having a total length of 19,9 km and two tram lines having a total length of 23,8 km.

11. Ploieşti Cultural Palace

12. Geography and Climate ► The Teleajen River and Dambu River run through the city. Teleajen RiverTeleajen River ► The climate is similar to that of the nation's capital, Bucharest. According to the Köppen climate classification, the city falls within the temperate humid continental climate of the hot summer type. BucharestKöppen climate classificationhumid continental climateBucharestKöppen climate classificationhumid continental climate

13. Romanian Commercial Bank and Administrative palace and City hall from Ploiești

14. PETROM and the Central Market

15. View from Republicii Avenue and Independenței Avenue

16. View from airplane Octavian Ivan