{{other uses}} {{refimprove|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox Romanian subdivision |type = town |county = Olt |official_name = Balș |image_flag = |image_shield = |image_skyline = File:RO OT Bals library.jpg |image_caption = |image_location = |image_map = Bals jud Olt.png |map_caption = Location in Olt County |leader_name = Cătălin-Ștefan Rotea<ref>{{cite web |url=https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale09062024v2/ |title=Results of the 2024 local elections |publisher=Central Electoral Bureau |access-date=6 January 2026 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> |leader_term = 2024–2028 |leader_party = PSD |area_total_km2 = |coordinates = {{coord|44|21|0|N|24|5|58|E|region:RO|display=inline,title}} |elevation = 129 |elevation_min = |elevation_max = |area_total = 41.13 |area_footnotes = |population_as_of = |population_total = auto |population_footnotes = |postal_code = 235100 |area_code = (+40) 0249 |website = {{URL|https://primariabals.eu/}} }}
'''Balș''' ({{IPA|ro|balʃ|-|Ro-Balș.ogg}}) is a town in [[Olt County]], [[Oltenia]], [[Romania]]. The town administers three villages: Corbeni, Româna, and Teiș.
==Geography== The town is situated on the [[Wallachian Plain]] and lies on the banks of the river [[Olteț]]. It is located in the northwestern part of the county, on the border with [[Dolj County]], {{cvt|26|km}} west of the county seat, [[Slatina, Romania|Slatina]].
==Etymology== There are three hypotheses about the town's name: # The locality was named after the Balșița brook. # The name comes from the [[Turkish language|Turkish]] word "Baliş" (honey), as there is a large [[apiculture]] area there. # A [[boyar]] named Balș settled here in the 5th or 6th century.
==Population== {{Historical populations |source = Census data |1864 |1700 |1884 |2500 |1921 |5000 |1938 |5300 |1948 |6128 |1973 |11578 |1992 |24560 |2002 |21195 |2011 |18164 |2021 |16114 }}
At the 2002 census, the town had a population of 21,195; there were 20,552 [[Romanians]], 619 [[Romani people in Romania|Roma]], and 27 others. Listed by religion: 21,043 were [[Eastern Orthodoxy|Eastern Orthodox]], 47 [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Seventh-Day Adventists]], 36 [[Baptists]], 19 [[Pentecostalism|Pentecostals]], 8 [[Catholic Church|Roman-Catholics]], 5 [[Atheism|Atheists]], and 32 from other religions. At the [[2021 Romanian census|2021 census]], Balș had a population of 16,114; of those, 81.73% were Romanians and 6.32% Roma.<ref name="RPL2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.recensamantromania.ro/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Tabel-1.03_1.3.1-si-1.03.2.xls|title=Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INSSE]]|language=ro|date=31 May 2023}}</ref>
==History== * 1450 – The estimated date when Balș was established. * 1564 – First mention of Balș in a document
==Natives== * [[Nicușor Bănică]] (born 1984), footballer * [[Eugen Căpățînă]] (born 1986), rugby player * [[Claudia Constantinescu]] (born 1994), handballer * [[Ion Dumitra]] (born 1976), footballer * [[Cornel Feruță]] (born 1975), diplomat * [[Petre Pandrea]] (1904–1968), social philosopher, memoirist, and political activist * [[Cerasela Pătrașcu]] (born 1992), artistic gymnast * [[Daniel Stana]] (born 1982), footballer
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Gallery |File:RO OT Bals church 1.jpg|Church in Balș |File:RO OT Bals town police.jpg|Town police headquarters }}
{{commons category|Balș}}
{{Olt County}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bals}} [[Category:Towns in Romania]] [[Category:Populated places in Olt County]] [[Category:Localities in Oltenia]] [[Category:Monotowns in Romania]]
{{Olt-geo-stub}}