Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania.

It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country. According to preliminary data from 2011 census, 1,677,985 inhabitants live within the city limits,[4] a decrease from the figure recorded at the 2002 census.[2] The urban area extends beyond the limits of Bucharest proper and has a population of 1.93 million people.[3][8] Adding the satellite towns around the urban area, the proposed metropolitan area of Bucharest would have a population of 2.2 million people.[9] According to Eurostat, Bucharest has a Larger Urban Zone of 2,151,880 residents.[5] According to unofficial data, the population is more than 3 million.[10] Bucharest is the 10th largest city in the European Union by population within city limits.
The city proper is administratively known as the Municipality of Bucharest (Municipiul Bucureti), and has the same administrative level as acounty, being further subdivided into six sectors. Bucharest is situated on the banks of the Dmbovia River.
Until recently, the regions surrounding Bucharest were largely rural, but after 1989, suburbs started to be built around Bucharest, in the surrounding Ilfov county. Further urban consolidation is expected to take place in the late 2010s, when the Bucharest metropolitan area will become operational, incorporating communes and cities of Ilfov and other surrounding counties.