Soroca

Soroca (, , , "Soroke") is a city and municipality in Moldova, situated on the Dniester river about 160 km north of Chișinău. It is the administrative center of the Soroca District.
History.
The city has its origin in the medieval Genoese trade post of Olchionia, or Alchona. It is known for its well-preserved stronghold, established by the Moldavian prince Stephen the Great ("Ştefan cel Mare" in Romanian) in 1499. The origins of the name Soroca are not fully known. Its location is only a few kilometers from the Moldova-Ukrainian
border.
The original wooden fort, which defended a ford over the Dniester, was an important link in the chain of fortifications which comprised four forts (e.g. Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, then known as Akkerman, and Khotyn) on the Dniester, two forts on the Danube and three forts on the north border of medieval Moldova. Between 1543 and 1546 under the rule of Peter IV Rareș, the fort was rebuilt in stone as a perfect circle with five bastions situated at equal distances.
During the Great Turkish War, John III Sobieski's forces successfully defended the fort against the Ottomans. It was of vital military importance during the Pruth River Campaign of Peter the Great in 1711. The stronghold was sacked by the Russians in the Austro-Russian–Turkish War (1735–39). The Soroca Fort is an important attraction in Soroca, having preserved cultures and kept the old Soroca in the present day.
The locality was greatly extended in the 19th century, during a period of relative prosperity. Soroca became a regional center featuring large squares, modernized streets, hospitals, grammar schools and conventionalized churches. In the Soviet period, the city became an important industrial center for northern Moldova.
Soroca was known for producing grapes, wheat, maize, and tobacco in 1919.
Climate.
The climate in Soroca is a warm-summer subtype (Köppen: "Dfb") of the humid continental climate.
Demographics.
The population was estimated at 35,000 in 1919. It consisted mainly of Jews. Romanians, Germans and Russians also lived in the city. The city once had a Jewish population of around 18,000 but they are only 100 today and 20 of them are considered Jewish according to the "halakha".
In 2012, Soroca had an estimated 37,500 inhabitants.
The city has a sizable Romani minority and is popularly known as the "Romani capital of Moldova."
Mayor.
The Mayor of Soroca is head of the executive branch of Soroca City Council.
Natives.
 
International relations.
Twin towns – Sister cities.
Soroca is twinned with: