Bălţi

Bălţi is the third-largest city in the country of Moldova. It is the major city in the northern part of the country. During the Russian Empire (1812-1917), and later the Soviet era (1940-1990) the name was also spelled Beltsy, from its form in Russian. The city is 135 km north of the capital Chişinău, on the small river Răut, a branch of the Dniester (Nistru). It is located on a hilly landscape that, in the Middle Ages, was covered with forest. This forest has since been almost entirely cut down.

Municipality of Bălţi (in red) in Moldova
Country	Moldova
Municipality	Bălți
Communes	Sadovoe, Elizaveta
Founded	1421
City rights	1818
Government
• Type	Municipal Council
• Mayor	Vasile Panciuc, since 2011
Area
• City	78.00 km2 (30.12 sq mi)
• Urban	41.43 km2 (16.00 sq mi)
Elevation	59 m (194 ft)
Population  (2011)
• City	144,000
• Density	1,909.9/km2 (4,947/sq mi)
• Metro	148,900
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	MD-3100
Licence plate	BL XX 000
Website	www.balti.md