Cluj-Napoca (pronunciation in Romanian: /'kluj na'poka/; German: Klausenburg; Hungarian: Kolozsvár; Latin: Napoca, Castrum Clus, Claudiopolis), until 1974 Cluj, is the second largest city in Romania, seat of Cluj County, in north-western Transylvania. It lies some 426 km north-west of Bucharest, in the valley of the Some?ul Mic river and it used to be the capital of the historical province of Transylvania.
The municipality (Municipiul Cluj-Napoca) has a population of 311,400. The population of the Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area, as proposed by the current project is estimated at 360,000. Finaly the population of the influence area (periurban area) counts over 400 thousand residents. The metropolitan area of Cluj-Napoca should be functional as early as June 2008. According to an official in the City Hall, the total population of the city is high as 504,000, including students and other non-residents.
The municipal border covers a relatively small area, of 179,52 km˛. According to estate experts, because of the development of the infrastructure, localities (comune) like Feleacu, Valcele, Martinesti, Jucu and Baciu will eventualy become neighbourhoods of the city, therefore enlarging its area.
Cluj-Napoca is today one of the most important academic, cultural, industrial and business centres in Romania. Among others, it hosts the largest university in the country, Babes-Bolyai University, state-renowned cultural instutions, as well as the largest Romanian-owned commercial bank.
