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{{More citations needed|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
|type               = town
|official_name      = Zimnicea
|county             = Teleorman
|map_caption        = Location in Teleorman County
|image_skyline      =
|image_caption      = Town hall and Central Park
|image_shield       = ROU TR Zimnicea CoA.png
|image_map          = Zimnicea jud Teleorman.png
|leader_name        = Petre Pârvu<ref>[https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale09062024/romania/pv-final/ Local election results 2024]</ref>
|leader_term        = 2024&ndash;2028
|leader_party       = PSD
|coordinates        = {{coord|43|39|8|N|25|22|5|E|region:RO|display=inline,title}}
|elevation          = 48
|elevation_min      = 
|elevation_max      = 
|area_total         = 131.31
|population_total   = auto
|population_as_of   = 
|population_footnotes = 
|postal_code        = 145400
|area_code          = 
|website            = {{URL|https://orasulzimnicea.ro/}}
}}
'''Zimnicea''' ({{IPA|ro|ˈzimnit͡ʃe̯a}}) is a town in [[Teleorman County]], [[Romania]] (in the historic region of [[Muntenia]]), a port on the [[Danube]] opposite the [[Bulgaria]]n city of [[Svishtov]].

==Geography==
Zimnicea is situated on the left bank of the [[Danube]] river. It is the southernmost place in Romania and a harbour on the Danube river. The distance between the Zimnicea and [[Bucharest]] is {{convert|122|km|mi|abbr=off}}, and the distance to [[Alexandria, Romania|Alexandria]] (capital of Teleorman County) is about {{convert|39|km|mi}}.

Zimnicea is served around the clock by the Svishtov&ndash;Zimnicea ferry – a regularly scheduled [[Roll-on/roll-off|Roll-on/roll-off ferry]] across the Danube between Zimnicea and [[Svishtov]], Bulgaria. The ferry shortens the road path to and from Turkey to Central and Western Europe by {{convert|140|km|mi|abbr=off}} when compared to the traditional route over the [[Danube Bridge]] at Ruse-Giurgiu and allows a time gain of nearly four hours thus avoiding the traffic in and around the city of Bucharest.

==History==
Zimnicea developed near a [[Gaeti|Geto]]-[[Dacia]]n fortress (about {{convert|1200|m|0|abbr=off}} west of town centre).{{citation needed|date=December 2010}} Traditional agriculture, fishing, iron processing, carpentry, pottery, tissue exchange of products were the occupations of the people throughout the town's existence. The natives of Zimnicea sold grain, cattle, sheep, fish, butter, salt, honey, wax, timber and bought cloth, oriental fabric, carpets, and spices.
 
In 1838, the settlement Zimnicea was passed in the fairs,{{Clarify|date=February 2022}} with the general population census of that year 551 families and 3,046 inhabitants. In the years 1837&ndash;1839 Zimnicea became the capital of Teleorman County.

Near Zimnicea there are ruins of several ancient fortresses and fortifications from the 4th to the 1st century BC. The oldest are believed by some scholars{{who|date=December 2010}} to have been built to defend the town from [[Alexander the Great]]'s general, [[Lysimachus]].

The name of the town was first mentioned in 1385 in the travel logs of Christian pilgrims on their way home from their trip to [[Jerusalem]]. The [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] called it ''Demnitzikos'' and later on  ''Dzimnikes'' or ''Dzimnikos''.{{citation needed|date=December 2010}} The town flourished as a [[trade post]] on the trade routes that linked Central Europe to the [[Balkans]].

In 1835, it had 531 households, being the twelfth largest market town in [[Wallachia]]. For a short time in 1837 to 1838, it was the capital of Teleorman County, but due to internal dissent between the landowners and merchants, it was replaced by [[Alexandria, Romania|Alexandria]].{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}

During the [[Romanian War of Independence]] of 1877–1878, Zimnicea was the headquarters of the [[Russian Empire]] troops fighting in Bulgaria against the [[Ottoman Empire]]. During [[World War I]], [[German Empire]] troops crossed the Danube in the Zimnicea sector, effectively bringing down the Romanian front in [[Muntenia]].

During the [[1977 Vrancea earthquake]], there were allegedly not many buildings destroyed by the earthquake itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libertatea.ro/detalii/articol/dezastrul-de-la-zimnicea-minciuna-pentru-nea-nicu-304904.html|title=Dezastrul de la Zimnicea, minciună pentru nea Nicu|newspaper=[[Libertatea]]|date=14 February 2011 |lang=ro}}</ref> Most of the destruction is said to have actually been done after the natural disaster by bulldozer, being ordered by local authorities, in order to receive financial allowances from the central government to create a new town from scratch on a new design. In the next period, a new town hall, the House of Culture, a new hospital (with [[Austria]]n funding), a new high school (with funds allocated by the [[Federal Council (Switzerland)|Swiss government]]), and multiple blocks of flats were built, but other projects remained abandoned after the fall of the [[Communist Romania|communist regime]], amid declining local industry, and by a subsequent decline in population.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.digi24.ro/special/campanii-digi24/raport-de-tara-2013/raport-de-tara-orasul-zimnicea-reconstruit-din-temelii-dupa-cutremurul-din-1977-81155|title=Orașul Zimnicea, reconstruit din temelii după cutremurul din 1977|lang=ro|work=[[Digi24]]|date=June 12, 2013|access-date=October 18, 2023}}</ref>

==Natives==
* [[Răzvan Grădinaru]] (born 1995), footballer 
* [[Florea Opriș]] (born 1956), rugby union football player, referee, and coach
* [[Miron Radu Paraschivescu]] (1911–1971), poet, essayist, journalist, and translator

==Politics==
{{outdated section|date=December 2014}}
The mayor of Zimnicea Municipality is Petre Pârvu, he is in his second mandate and is chosen from the list of the coalition ''For Zimnicea'' that includes [[National Liberal Party (Romania)|PNL]], [[PD-L]], [[Conservative Party (Romania)|PC]], and [[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|PSD]].

[[File:Interbelic Zimnicea CoA.png|thumb|200x200px|right|Interbelic coat of arms]]

==Economy==
During the communist era, Zimnicea underwent forced industrialization, and the new industries suffered a strong decline after the [[Romanian Revolution|fall of the communist regime]].

==Education and culture==
In Zimnicea there are 5 kindergartens, 4 elementary schools with primary and secondary education and one high school. The high school has 15 classrooms, a gym and a school workshop. Classes are attended by 511 students, with two shifts and evening school hours. [[Zimnicea High School]] has a library with 20,578 volumes and a science laboratory equipped with 30 computers.{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}

School No.1, ''Miron Radu Paraschivescu'' has 15 classrooms, including 3 laboratories (physics, chemistry, biology), 5 cabinets teachers (mathematics, geography, design, religion, Romanian), a gym, a workshop school and a library.{{citation needed|date=December 2010}}

The three elementary schools are: ''Miron Radu Paraschivescu'' Primary and Secondary School, School no. 2 and School no.3

==Culture==
Zimnicea does not have any artistic events held occasionally or permanently. The budget allocated for cultural activities is  insufficient for a cultural life. Cultural institutions operating in Zimnicea are: the cultural centre and the town library.

The city library was founded in 1952 and after December 1989 received the name of a local poet, [[Miron Radu Paraschivescu]].

==Tourism==
The "Dunărica" children camp has a capacity of 200 accommodation places, with a football field and a tennis court, a kayak-canoe base and a cafeteria with 250 places.

"Zimtub SA" Zimnicea Hotel has a capacity of 48 rooms, a restaurant with 100 seats and a nightclub with 80 seats.

The amusement and recreation base "Disko - Hope" is situated on the Danube riverside and has a beach with, as well as an outdoor dancing club with a capacity of 1,200 places; There is also an amusement base at the beach from Cheson.

{{Historical populations
|source = Census data
|1834 |3000
|1912 |7563
|1930 |10879
|1948 |11056
|1956 |12445
|1966 |13231
|1977 |13964
|1992 |17128
|2002 |15672
|2011 |14058
|2021 |12589
}}

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Romania}}

===Twin towns – Sister cities===
Zimnicea is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:<ref name="Zimnicea twinnings">{{Cite journal|url=http://www.ana.gov.ro/rom/20.10.2006/LISTA%20MUNICIPIILOR%20INFRATITE%20DIN%20ROMANIA.doc|format=DOC|title=Lista municipiilor înfrățite din România|access-date=2013-08-21|language=ro|trans-title=List of municipality twinnings in Romania|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091222065207/http://www.ana.gov.ro/rom/20.10.2006/LISTA%20MUNICIPIILOR%20INFRATITE%20DIN%20ROMANIA.doc |archive-date=2009-12-22}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Svishtov]], [[Bulgaria]] (since 2001)
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Nikopol, Bulgaria|Nikopol]], [[Bulgaria]] (since 2001)
*{{flagicon|BUL}} [[Belene]], [[Bulgaria]] (since 2001)
|
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Pieve Emanuele]], [[Italy]] (since 2003)
*{{flagicon|CIV}} [[Bouaké]], [[Ivory Coast]] (since 2004)
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Nikopol, Ukraine|Nikopol]], [[Ukraine]] (since 2004)
|}

==References==
{{Commons category|Zimnicea}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Teleorman County}}
{{Dacian cities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Romania]]
[[Category:Monotowns in Romania]]
[[Category:Populated places on the Danube]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Romania]]
[[Category:Populated places in Teleorman County]]
[[Category:Localities in Muntenia]]
[[Category:Bulgaria–Romania border crossings]]
[[Category:Extreme points of Romania]]