Bucharest is the capital city and industrial and commercial centre of Romania. It is located in the southeast of the country, at 44' °25'²N 26' °06'²E, and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovi?a River.
By European standards Bucharest is not an old city, its existence first being referred to by scholars as late as 1459.Since then it has gone through a variety of changes, becoming the state capital of Romania in 1862 and steadily consolidating its position as the centre of the Romanian mass media, culture and arts. Its eclectic architecture is a mix of historical, interbellum, Communist-era, and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of the "Paris of the East" or "Little Paris" (Micul Paris). Although many buildings and districts in the historic centre were damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes andNicolae Ceauaescu's program of systematization, much survived. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom.