Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. It is described as the cultural, financial, entertainment, and media center in Romania with a significant influence in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe. It is also an influence in education, tourism, research, technology, health care, art, fashion, sports, and politics in Romania. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of the Danube River and the Bulgarian border. It is also one of the most populated cities of the European Union (EU) within city limits and the most populated capital in South-Eastern Europe. It was the capital of Wallachia from 1659 to 1859 and the capital of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia from 1859 to 1881. Bucharest was first mentioned in documents in 1459. The city became the capital of Romania in 1862 and is the centre of Romanian media, culture, and art. Its architecture is a mix of historical (mostly Eclectic, but also Neoclassical and Art Nouveau), interbellum (Bauhaus, Art Deco, and Romanian Revival architecture), socialist era, and modern. In the period between the two World Wars, the city's elegant architecture and the sophistication of its elite earned Bucharest the nickname of 'Paris of the East' () or 'Little Paris' (). Although buildings and districts in the historic city centre were heavily damaged or destroyed by war, earthquakes, and even Nicolae Ceaușescu's program of systematization, many survived and have been renovated. In recent years, the city has been experiencing an economic and cultural boom. It is one of the fastest-growing high-tech cities in Europe, according to the Financial Times, CBRE, TechCrunch, and others. UiPath, a global startup founded in Bucharest, has reached over $35 billion in valuation. Bucharest hosts the largest high tech summit in Southeast Europe, Romania Blockchain Summit; the Summit was postponed during the pandemic and it is not clear when the next Summit is scheduled. In 2016, the historical city centre was listed as 'endangered' by the World Monuments Watch.<ref name="wmf.org"></ref> In 2017, Bucharest was the European city with the highest growth of tourists who stay over night, according to the Mastercard Global Index of Urban Destinations. As for the past two consecutive years, 2018 and 2019, Bucharest ranked as the European destination with the highest potential for development according to the same study. According to the 2022 census, 1,716,983 inhabitants