Drochia (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈdroki.ja]) is a city in the northern part of Moldova. It is the administrative center of the eponymous district. The city is located 174.4 km (108.4 mi) north of the national capital, Chișinău, and 67 km (42 mi) north-east of the Romanian city of Iaşi. The average elevation of Drochia is 226 meters. The population at the 2004 census was 16,606.

The name of the city comes from a local type of bird, called dropie (English: great bustard).

History

Drochia is first mentioned by chroniclers in 1777. By 1830 it was a small settlement encompassing 25 families. A document dating from 1847 notes that a small grape-processing plant, the town's first industrial enterprise, had been built. Two mills situated on a local stream were built in 1875.

More intensive industrial development emerged after the railway first came through at the end of the 19th century. At the 1930 census, the locality (then a village) was known as Drochia-Gară (literally Drochia Station), and had a population of only 595. It was part of Plasa Bădiceni of the Soroca County.

Drochia received the status of a city in 1973.

Demographics

According to the 2014 census, the population of Drochia amounted to 13,150 inhabitants, a decrease compared to the previous census in 2004, when 16,606 inhabitants were registered. Of these, 6,083 were men and 7,067 were women.

Footnotes:

* There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.

* Moldovan language is one of the two local names for the Romanian language in Moldova. In 2013, the Constitutional Court of Moldova interpreted that Article 13 of the constitution is superseded by the Declaration of Independence, thus giving official status to the name Romanian.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1930	595	—
1959	6,638	+1015.6%
1970	11,161	+68.1%
1979	15,280	+36.9%
1989	21,298	+39.4%
2004	16,606	−22.0%
2014	13,150	−20.8%

Media

• Radio Chişinău 93.8 FM
• Vocea Basarabiei 101,0
• Radio Studentus www.studentus.md/listen.html

Mayors of Drochia

• Anatol Pleşca 1991–1999
• Valeriu Ceban 1999–2007
• Grigore Melnic 2007 – 2011
• Igor Grozavu 2011 – 2015
• Nina Cereteu 2015 - 2023
• Nina Cereteu 2023 - present

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Drochia is twinned with:

• Borisov, Belarus
• Dorohoi, Romania
• Kolomyia, Ukraine
• Rădăuți, Romania
• Pineto, Italy

Photo gallery

• 
  Cathedral of the "Adormirea Maicii Domnului"
• 
  Monument of Mihai Eminescu
• 
  City Hall
• 
  Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu High School
• 
  Drochia Bus Terminal
• 
  Drochia District Council and the monument of Stephen III of Moldavia
• 
  Office building
• 
  Monument of Mihai Eminescu