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{{other places|Slobozia (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
|type               = municipality
|county             = Ialomița
|official_name      = Slobozia
|image_flag         = 
|image_shield       = ROU IL Slobozia CoA.jpg
|image_skyline      = Slobozia - Catedrala episcopala.jpg
|image_caption      = Orthodox Cathedral of Slobozia
|image_map          = Slobozia in the Ialomița County.svg
|map_caption        = Location in Ialomița County
|leader_name        = Dragoș Soare<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       = PNL
|term               = 2020&ndash;2024
|established_date   = 
|coordinates        = {{coord|44|33|50|N|27|21|58|E|region:RO|display=inline,title}}
|elevation          =
|elevation_min      = 
|elevation_max      = 
|area_total         = 126.72
|area_footnotes     = 
|population_as_of   = 
|population_total   = auto
|population_footnotes = 
|postal_code        = 9200xx
|area_code          = (+40) 02 43
|website            = {{url|https://municipiulslobozia.ro/}}
}} 

'''Slobozia''' ({{IPA|ro|sloboˈzi.a}}) is the capital city of [[Ialomița County]], [[Muntenia]], [[Romania]], with a population of 41,550 in 2021.

==Etymology==
Its name is from the [[Romanian language|Romanian]] "slobozie", which meant a recently colonized village which was free of taxation. The word itself comes from the [[Slavic languages|Slavic]] word "slobod" which means "free". As it is located in the middle of flat land ([[Bărăgan Plain]]), it was very vulnerable to [[Tatars|Tatar]] and [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] incursions. To encourage peasants to settle there, they were exempted from some taxes, hence the name.

==Geography==
Slobozia lies roughly in the middle of the county, on the banks of [[Ialomița (river)|Ialomița River]], at about  {{cvt|120|km}} east of [[Bucharest]] and {{cvt|150|km}} west of [[Constanța]], important port at the [[Black Sea]]. The city is within {{cvt|17|km}} of the Bucharest-Constanța A2 Motorway (Autostrada Soarelui).

The total area of the municipality is {{cvt|126.72|km2|}}. In the present administrative form, Slobozia consists of Slobozia proper and the neighbourhoods of Bora and Slobozia Nouă.

==Economy==
The main activity in the area is agriculture, processing of the agricultural products and light industry.

==Culture==
[[File:Traditional costume region of Slobozia.jpg|thumb|150px|Traditional costume of the Slobozia region]]
In 1990 the Cultural Centre was inaugurated, bearing the name of the conductor and composer [[Ionel Perlea]], a city native. The building houses exhibition and performance rooms, bookstores, cultural institutions. In 1999 the Cultural Centre ''Ionel Perlea'' entered the [[UNESCO]] circuit.

The city is the headquarters of the [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Romanian Orthodox]] [[Diocese of Slobozia and Călărași]], established in 1993.

==Demographics==
At the 2002 census, 97.6% of inhabitants were [[Romanians|ethnic Romanians]] and 2.2% [[Roma in Romania|Roma]]. 98.6% were Romanian Orthodox, 0.4% [[Romanian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists|Seventh-day Adventist]] and 0.2% [[Roman Catholic]].

==Tourism==
The main tourist attraction consists of the nearby [[Lake Amara]], situated {{cvt|5|km}} away. Amara Resort is also a balneoclimateric resort. Access to Amara is by minibuses that leave every 15 minutes from the Slobozia Train Station. As part of a private tourist complex, there is a small copy of the [[Eiffel Tower]] {{cvt|54|m}} high.

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Romania}}
Slobozia is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Semicentenar Slobozia, 50 de ani de existență a reședinței de județ|url=https://www.agendaialomiteana.ro/actualitate/video-semicentenar-slobozia-50-de-ani-de-existenta-a-resedintei-de-judet/|website=agendaialomiteana.ro|publisher=Agenda Ialomițeană.ro|language=ro|date=2018-05-18|access-date=2021-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Sister cities|url=http://en.nanyang.gov.cn/2014-11/13/content_18910096.htm|website=nanyang.gov.cn|publisher=Nanyang|access-date=2021-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Партнери и мрежи|url=https://veles.gov.mk/partneri-i-mrezi/|website=veles.gov.mk|publisher=Veles|language=mk|access-date=2021-03-28}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Nanyang, Henan|Nanyang]], China
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Razgrad Municipality|Razgrad]], Bulgaria
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Silistra Municipality|Silistra]], Bulgaria
*{{flagicon|MKD}} [[Veles Municipality|Veles]], North Macedonia

==Notable people== 
* [[Alin Badea]] (born 1988), sabre fencer
* [[Mihaela Bulică]] (born 1990), sabre fencer
* [[Mircea Dinescu]] (born 1950), poet, journalist, and editor
* [[Petre Dumitru]] (born 1957), weightlifter
* [[Petru Filip]] (born 1955), politician
* [[Cristina Gheorghe]] (born 1986), handballer
* [[Adrian Mihalcea]] (born 1976), footballer
* [[Minelli (Romanian singer)|Minelli]] (born 1988), singer, songwriter, and lyricist
* [[Doina Spîrcu]] (born 1970), rower
* [[Iulian Teodosiu]] (born 1994), sabre fencer
* [[Adrian Ursea]] (born 1967), football player and manager 
* [[Elena Voicu]] (born 1990), handballer

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Gallery
|File:Mănăstirea Sfinții Voievozi.tif|[[Sfinții Voievozi Monastery]]
|File:Monumentul Eroilor 01.tif|Heroes' Monument
|File:Autogara_Slobozia_-_panoramio.jpg|Bus terminal
|File:12.09.21 Slobozia Veche 621196 (51491257715).jpg|Slobozia Veche railway station
}}

==External links==
*{{commonscat-inline}}
*{{Official|http://www.sloboziail.ro/ }} {{in lang|ro}}

{{RoJudCapitals}}
{{Ialomiţa County}}

[[Category:Slobozia| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in Ialomița County]]
[[Category:Localities in Muntenia]]
[[Category:Cities in Romania]]
[[Category:Capitals of Romanian counties]]
[[Category:Place names of Slavic origin in Romania]]