View source for Balș

{{other uses}}
{{refimprove|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
|type               = town
|county             = Olt
|official_name      = Balș
|image_flag         =ROU OT Bals flag.png
|image_shield       =
|image_skyline      = File:RO OT Bals library.jpg
|image_caption      = 
|image_location     = 
|image_map          = Bals jud Olt.png
|map_caption        = Location in Olt County
|leader_name        = Cătălin-Ștefan Rotea<ref>{{cite web |url=https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale27092020/romania-pv-final |title=Results of the 2020 local elections |publisher=Central Electoral Bureau |access-date=8 June 2021 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|leader_party       = PSD
|term               = 2020&ndash;2024
|area_total_km2     = 
|coordinates        = {{coord|44|21|0|N|24|5|58|E|region:RO|display=inline,title}}
|elevation          = 129
|elevation_min      = 
|elevation_max      = 
|area_total         = 41.13
|area_footnotes     = 
|population_as_of   = 
|population_total   = auto
|population_footnotes = 
|postal_code        = 235100
|area_code          = (+40) 0249
|website            = {{URL|https://primariabals.eu/}}
}}

'''Balș''' ({{IPA|ro|balʃ|-|Ro-Balș.ogg}}) is a town in [[Olt County]], [[Oltenia]], [[Romania]]. The town administers three villages: Corbeni, Româna, and Teiș.

==Geography==
The town is situated on the [[Wallachian Plain]] and lies on the banks of the river [[Olteț]]. It is located in the northwestern part of the county, on the border with [[Dolj County]], {{cvt|26|km}} west of the county seat, [[Slatina, Romania|Slatina]].

==Etymology==
There are three hypotheses about the town's name:
# The locality was named after the Balșița brook.
# The name comes from the [[Turkish language|Turkish]] word "Baliş" (honey), as there is a large apiculture area there.
# A [[boyar]] named Balș settled here in the 5th or 6th century.

==Population==
{{Historical populations
|source = Census data
|1864 |1700
|1884 |2500
|1921 |5000
|1938 |5300
|1948 |6128
|1973 |11578
|1992 |24560
|2002 |21195
|2011 |18164 
|2021 |16114
}}

At the 2002 census, the town had a population of 21,195; there were 20,552 [[Romanians]], 619 [[Romani people in Romania|Roma]], and 27 others. Listed by religion: 21,043 were [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]], 47 [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-Day Adventists]], 36 [[Baptists]], 19 [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]], 8 [[Catholic Church|Roman-Catholics]], 5 [[Atheism|Atheists]], and 32 other religions. At the [[2021 Romanian census|2021 census]], Balș had a population of 16,114; of those, 81.73% were Romanians and 6.32% Roma.<ref name="RPL2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.recensamantromania.ro/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Tabel-1.03_1.3.1-si-1.03.2.xls|title=Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INSSE]]|language=ro|date=31 May 2023}}</ref>

==History==
* 1450 &ndash; The estimated date when Balș was established.
* 1564 &ndash; First mention of Balș in a document

==Natives==
* [[Nicușor Bănică]] (born 1984), footballer 
* [[Eugen Căpățînă]] (born 1986), rugby player
* [[Claudia Constantinescu]] (born 1994), handballer 
* [[Ion Dumitra]] (born 1976), footballer 
* [[Cornel Feruță]] (born 1975), diplomat
* [[Petre Pandrea]] (1904–1968), social philosopher, memoirist, and political activist
* [[Cerasela Pătrașcu]] (born 1992), artistic gymnast
* [[Daniel Stana]] (born 1982), footballer

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Gallery
|File:RO OT Bals church 1.jpg|Church in Balș
|File:RO OT Bals town police.jpg|Town police headquarters
}}

{{commons category|Balș}}

{{Olt County}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bals}}
[[Category:Towns in Romania]]
[[Category:Populated places in Olt County]]
[[Category:Localities in Oltenia]]
[[Category:Monotowns in Romania]]


{{Olt-geo-stub}}