Florești, Moldova

Florești is the capital city and industrial and commercial center of Floreşti District of Moldova. It is located on the river Răut.

Name
The name comes from the Romanian word floare ("flower"). The old name of the settlement was Rădiul Florilor, which is also a derivative from the Romanian word for "flower".

Geography
The city is located in the north of the country, on the river Răut, a tributary of the Dniester.

Politics and administration
Florești is governed by the City Council and the City Mayor (Primar), both elected once every four years. The current mayor is Iurie Ţap.

Demographics
According to the 2014 census, the population of Florești amounted to 11,998 inhabitants, a decrease compared to the previous census in 2004, when 13,164 inhabitants were registered. Of these, 5,570 were men and 6,428 were women.

Footnotes:

* There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.

* ''Moldovan language is one of the two local names for the Romanian language in Moldova. In 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova interpreted that Article 13 of the constitution is superseded by the Declaration of Independence, thus giving official status to the name Romanian. ''

Notable people

 * Saul Perlmutter
 * Vitalie Ciobanu
 * Victor Ciobanu (born 1992), world champion wrestler
 * Nicolae Timofti
 * Tudor Ulianovschi