United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia
Rank Name Population Region
1 Bucharest 121,734 Muntenia
2 Iași 65,745 Moldavia
3 Botoșani 27,147 Moldavia
4 Ploiești 26,468 Muntenia
5 Galați 26,050 Moldavia
6 Craiova 21,521 Oltenia
7 Brăila 15,767 Muntenia
8 Bârlad 13,165 Moldavia
9 Focșani 13,164 Moldavia
10 Huși 12,764 Moldavia
11 Piatra Neamț 11,805 Moldavia
12 Roman 10,818 Moldavia
13 Giurgiu 10,557 Muntenia
Demographics
See also : Demographics of Romania According to the 1859-1860 census , the United Principalities had a population of 4,424,961 . [ 8 ] Religion and ethnic group number% Eastern Orthodox 4,198,862 94.89 Jewish 134,168 3.03 Roman Catholic 45,152 1.02 Protestant 28,903 0.65 Lipovans 8,375 0.19 Armenians 8,178 0.18 Muslim 1,323 0.03 Total 4,424,961 100.0 Cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants , in 1859 : [ 9 ]
The United Principalities was the official name of the personal union of Moldavia and Wallachia which later became Romania, adopted on 24 January 1859 (O.S.) when Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected as the Domnitor (Ruling Prince) of both principalities, which were autonomous but still vassals of the Ottoman Empire. On 22 January (O.S.) 1862, the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia formally united to create the Romanian United Principalities, the core of the Romanian nation state. In 1866 a new constitution came into effect, giving the country the name of Romania. The new state remained nominally a vassal of the Ottoman Empire. However, it only acknowledged the suzerainty of the Sublime Porte in a formal way. It had its own flag, anthem, and (from 1867) currency, and conducted its own foreign policy. On 9 May 1877 (O.S.) , Romania proclaimed itself fully independent, and on 14 March (O.S.) 1881, it became the Kingdom of Romania. After the First World War, Transylvania and other territories were also included.