Wallachian Plain


The Romanian Plain is located in southern Romania and the easternmost tip of Serbia, where it is known as the Wallachian Plain. It is part of the larger Eurasian Steppe. It is located in the historical region of Wallachia, and bordered by the Danube River in the east, south, and west and by the in the north. Bucharest, the capital of Romania, is located in the central part of the Romanian Plain. It is contiguous to the south with the Danubian Plain in Bulgaria. The Romanian Plain is also sometimes referred to as the Danubian Plain in the Romanian language, though this designation is not specific, because the Danube flows through a number of plains along its course, including the Hungarian Plain, as well as the Bavarian Lowland, which is also sometimes called the Danubian Plain.

Relief features

The lowest part of the plain is located on the Lower Siret meadow, where, on a slowly sinking territory, a large confluence area has formed, towards which the rivers curve in a fan shape. The maximum altitude of the Romanian Plain is 300 m, at Pitești.
The relief of this plain is characterized by wide valleys and smooth interfluves, popularly called fields, with small depressions formed by compaction and suffosion.
Sand deposits cause the formation of dunes, as in southern Oltenia, eastern Romanian Plain and Tecuci Plain.

Geology

From a tectonic point of view, the Romanian Plain is part of the Moesian Platform. The base of the platform is of Hercynian origin, and the upper sediments are of Carpathian origin. The sediments date from the Mesozoic and Pleistocene periods. In the meadows, they are very recent, dating from the Holocene. The Jurassic and Cretaceous layers contain oil deposits. The loess sediment mainly covers the tabular plains, reaching a thickness of 40 m in places. In some places, we encounter sand dunes.

Climate

The climate is temperate continental. Mediterranean influences are felt in the west, while in the east the continental influence is more pronounced. The east in particular is characterized by hot summers and cold winters. The Crivăț wind blows from the northeast, sometimes reaching speeds of over 30-35 m/s; winter brings cold weather and often blizzards, while summer brings hot winds and drought. The Băltăreț is a spring wind, humid and warm, which blows from the Danube marshes.
The average annual temperature is 8-11ºC, the average for April is 18-23ºC, and for January it varies between -3 and -5ºC in the east and -1 and -3ºC in the west. The average annual precipitation is less than 500 mm in the east and 500-700 mm in the west.Image:Walachische Tiefebene.png|thumb|300px|The main divisions of the Romanian Plain

Subdivisions

In Romania, the plain is divided into five subdivisions and the Danube Valley, which are, from West to East:
  • A. Oltenia Plain, located in southern Oltenia:
  • *
  • *Băilești Plain
  • *Romanați Plain
  • B. Olt-Argeș Plain :
  • *Pitești Plain
  • *
  • *
  • *
  • C. București Plain:
  • *Târgoviște Plain
  • *Ploiești Plain
  • *Mizil Plain
  • *Titu Plain
  • *Gherghița Plain
  • *Vlăsia Plain
  • *Câlnău Plain
  • D. Bărăgan Plain:
  • *Bărăgan of Călmățui Plain
  • *Bărăgan of Ialomița Plain
  • *Mostiștea Plain
  • *Hagieni Plain
  • E. The Eastern Plain:
  • *Râmnic Plain
  • *Buzău Plain
  • *Brăila Plain
  • *Lower Siret Plain
  • *Tecuci Plain
  • *Covurlui Plain
  • Danube Valley:
  • *The Danube valley floodplain
  • *Flooded marshy islands:
  • **Insula Mare a Brăilei
  • **Insula Mică a Brăilei
  • **Balta Ialomiței

    Rivers

  • Neajlov
  • Jiu
  • Olt
  • Vedea
  • Argeș
  • Dâmbovița
  • Mostiștea
  • Ialomița
  • Buzău