Giurgiu, city in southern Romania, capital of Giurgiu County, on the Danube River. The port at Giurgiu handles much of the trade on the Romanian side of the Danube. The city is also a chemical manufacturing center. Roads and railroads link it to Bucharest, about 60 km (37 mi) to the north. The Danube Bridge, a two-level highway and railway structure built in 1954, connects Giurgiu with the Bulgarian town of Ruse across the river. First mentioned in a historical document dated 1403, Giurgiu developed primarily as a port. It became an industrial center during the 1980s, when chemical plants were built along the Danube. Pollution from these plants is an ongoing problem in the area. Population (1994 estimate) 73,997.
