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.

Chiajna
Church in Chiajna
Church in Chiajna
Coat of arms of Chiajna
Location in Ilfov County
Location in Ilfov County
Chiajna is located in Romania
Chiajna
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 (2020–2024) Mircea Minea (PSD)
Area
16.10 km2 (6.22 sq mi)
Elevation
94 m (308 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[1]
43,584
 • Density2,700/km2 (7,000/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
077040
Area code(+40) 02 1
Vehicle reg.IF
Websiteprimariachiajna.ro
Willows at Chiajna, painting by Ștefan Luchian from 1905

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

Etymology

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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

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Chiajna is one of the fastest growing localities in Romania. Its population increased from 29,329 people in 2011 to 43,588 people in 2022, according to the Romanian population census.[3]

Features of the commune

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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.

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

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References

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  1. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  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.