Cahul

Etymology and names

The city of Cahul (, ) is believed to have been inhabited for many centuries, although it has had a number of different names over the years – the name Scheia (Old Romanian for "Bulgarian") was recorded in 1502, and the name Frumoasa ("Beautiful" in Romanian) was recorded in 1716. The modern name was given to the settlement after the Battle of Kagul, which was fought nearby.

History

The city's location had made it a frequent battleground for a number of armies, with possession of frequently switching between countries such as Principality of Moldavia, Russian Empire, Ottoman Empire.

The city was a part of Moldavia before 1812, then Russia from 1812 to 1856, then again Moldavia/Romanian Principalities (1856–1878), then Russia again (1878–1918), then Romania again (1918–1940), then the Soviet Union (1940–1941), then Romania again (1941–1944), the Soviet Union again (1944–1991) and finally Moldova (1991 to the present).

Apart from the battles that have been fought over it, Cahul is also known for its thermal spas and for its folk music.

Climate

Cahul has a humid continental-type climate (Köppen climate classification "Dfa" – hot-summer subtype) with four distinct seasons. Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 28 mm (1.1 in) in October to 76 mm (3 in) in June.

| Jan record high C = 15.4 | Feb record high C = 20.9 | Mar record high C = 26.0 | Apr record high C = 30.6 | May record high C = 37.0 | Jun record high C = 36.6 | Jul record high C = 39.4 | Aug record high C = 39.3 | Sep record high C = 35.3 | Oct record high C = 30.8 | Nov record high C = 24.5 | Dec record high C = 17.4 | year record high C = 39.4 | Jan record low C = -24.9 | Feb record low C = -25.8 | Mar record low C = -17.5 | Apr record low C = -4.6 | May record low C = 1.3 | Jun record low C = 5.3 | Jul record low C = 9.0 | Aug record low C = 5.4 | Sep record low C = -3.0 | Oct record low C = -7.1 | Nov record low C = -15.8 | Dec record low C = -21.7 | year record low C = -25.8 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230821004554/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Moldova/CSV/Cahul_33885.csv | archive-date = 21 August 2023 | access-date = 21 August 2023}} | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20250418163724/https://www.meteo.md/images/uploads/news/2023/05/Ghid%20Climatic%20RM_2024.pdf | archive-date = 18 April 2025 | access-date = 27 March 2025}}

Demographics

According to the 2024 census, 22,223 inhabitants lived in Cahul (making it the eighth largest city in Moldova), a decrease compared to the previous census in 2014, when 30,018 inhabitants were registered.

|1897 | 7077 |1930 | 11370 |1959 | 16223 |1970 | 26249 |1979 | 33109 |1989 | 42904 |2004 | 36805 |2014 | 30018 |2024 | 22223

As of 1920, the population was estimated to be 12,000. Groups settled in the area included Romanians, Jews, Germans, Bulgarians, and Greeks.

Culture

Cahul is home to the Cahul Musical-Drama Theatre, Cahul History Museum, and other public institutions and monuments. Every two years, at the beginning of July, in Cahul takes place an important folk music festival, "Nufărul Alb" ("White waterlilies").

Media

• Ziuadeazi.md
• dincahul.md

Tourism

Cahul is also a destination as spa and health resort. The city and surrounding areas are richest with mineral springs enriched with bromine and iodine. The "Nufărul Alb" Balneotherapy and Well-being Centre consists of hospital, hotel and entertaining spots. Cahul has a tourist information point located at the Piata Horelor.

Education

Cahul is home to the State University of Cahul, opened in 1999 and named after Romanian writer and philologist Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu. The university is made up of 3 faculties (Philology – History, Law – Public Administration and Business – Computer Science – Mathematics) with around 2,150 students.

Sport

The city has the team of FC Cahul-2005 who play in Moldovan "A" Division. The club has won the Divizia B four times, in 2006–07, 2012–13, 2014–15 and 2016–17. In the city plays also the club FC Speranța Crihana Veche.

Transport

Road

Cahul is connected by national roads with Chișinău, Giurgiulești, Oancea (Romania) and Reni (Ukraine). Cahul is also a border checkpoint to Romania.

Rail

The railway station serves the city and is operated by Moldovan Railways. It provides direct rail connections to Chișinău.

Air

The city is served by the Cahul International Airport located 8 km south-east of the city centre. Currently, the airport has no scheduled flights.

Twin towns – sister cities

Cahul is twinned with:

• Romania Medgidia, Romania
• Romania Vaslui, Romania

Consulates in Cahul

In Cahul is located one of the two Consulates General of Romania in Moldova. On 2 November 2009 the President of Romania Traian Băsescu has signed the decrees on opening of Romanian general consulat in Cahul. "The opening of the Romanian consulates in Bălți and Cahul will be beneficial for the Moldovan people, who have encountered economic and time-related problems as they have to travel to the consulate in Chișinău," Moldova's Foreign Minister Iurie Leancă said, commenting on the Băsescu's decree.

Romania asked the approval for the opening of the consulate as early as in 2006, in order to easy thus the process of granting visas to the Moldovan citizens more easily, after Romania's accession with the European Union on 1 January 2007. Initially, the communist authorities in Chişinău gave their approval for the opening of the two consular offices, but they later came with the condition Romania to accept two consular offices of the Republic of Moldova on its territory too, in Iaşi and Constanţa. Moreover, the former communist rule in Chişinău conditioned the signing of the small border traffic agreement on the signing of the Basic Political Treaty between the two countries and also of the agreement referring to the delimitation of the border.

On 28 January 2010, Traian Băsescu visited the future headquarters of the Romanian consulate in Cahul. Speaking about the opening of the two Romanian consulates in Bălți and Cahul, Băsescu said that the consulate in Cahul could be opened in 2–3 weeks.

The consulate has 17 employees: Consul General, two consuls, two main consular officers, six major referers, two drivers, two skilled workers and two guards. The Consul General is Ms. Anca Corfu.

Notable people

• Alexandru Cecal (1940–2021), chemist and professor at Alexandru Ioan Cuza University
• Vika Jigulina (born 1986), record producer, singer and disc jockey
• Satoshi (born 1998), singer, songwriter, rapper and composer

References

References

1. (2017). "Characteristics - Population (population by communes, religion, citizenship)". [[National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova]].
2. [http://lex.justice.md/md/368393/ LEGE Nr. 248 din 03.11.2016 pentru modificarea și completarea Legii nr. 764-XV din 27 decembrie 2001 privind organizarea administrativ-teritorială a Republicii Moldova] {{Webarchive. link. (19 February 2019 {{in lang). ro
3. "Rezultatele finale ale Recensământului Populației și Locuințelor 2024: Caracteristici etnoculturale ale populației". National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova }} {{in lang.
4. "2014 Moldova Census of Population and Housing". National Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Moldova }} {{in lang.
5. (5 December 2013). "Chisinau Recognizes Romanian As Official Language". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
6. (2023-03-16). "Moldovan parliament approves law on Romanian language". Reuters.
7. Kaba, John. (1919). "Politico-economic Review of Basarabia". American Relief Administration.
8. "Iurie Leanca: We want Romanian consulates in Bălți and Cahul to be opened as soon as possible".
9. [https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6454841.stm Moldova scraps Romania consulates]
10. "Romania opens two new consular offices in Moldova".
11. "Moldova will have a consulate in Iasi, while Romania in Cahul".
12. "President said Bucharest has full respect for Moldova's independent and territorial integrity and vowed to support the country's European Union accession efforts".
13. "Romanian visas could be issued without bank account of 500 euros".
14. "Consulatele României la Bălţi şi Cahul vor avea 39 de posturi".
15. [http://cahul.mae.ro/node/149 Consul General al României la Cahul]