Constanta, also Constantsa, city in southeastern Romania, capital of Constanta County, on the Black Sea. It is the principal seaport of Romania. Chief exports of the city are oil and cereals; imports include coal and coke, machinery, and textiles. Industries in Constanta include fishing, shipbuilding, and the production of wine. The city has an archaeology museum, founded in 1879. In ancient times, the city was known as Tomi, and it was the town where the Roman poet Ovid spent his exile. In the 4th century AD it was rechristened Constantiana in honor of the sister of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great. Under Ottoman domination (1413-1878) the city was called Küstenja. The name was changed to Constanta in 1878, when Romania acquired the territory from Bulgaria. Population (1997 estimate) 346,830.
