Tulcea
Europe's largest and best-preserved delta where 312 bird species, 90 fish species, and seven ethnic communities share the continent's biggest reed bed.
Tulcea County exists because the Danube creates Europe's largest and best-preserved delta before reaching the Black Sea. The second-largest European river delta (after Volga) covers 4,152 km², with 3,446 km² in Romania. UNESCO inscribed it as World Heritage in 1991; the MAB Programme designated 6,264 km² as biosphere reserve in 1998 shared with Ukraine. The delta ecosystem has sustained human populations for over 500 years through fishing, reed harvesting, and subsistence agriculture. The modern delta began forming after 4000 BC in a Black Sea bay. Large-scale Sulina arm corrections began in 1862, shortening the channel from 92km to 64km for navigation. Today 312 bird species and 90 fish species thrive in Europe's largest wetland and reed bed - the continent's biggest natural water purification system. About 20,000 people live in the Romanian delta across 27 villages, plus 65,624 in gateway city Tulcea. The population is remarkably diverse: Bulgarian, Gagauz, Lipovan, Moldovan, Russian, Turkish, and Ukrainian communities. Industrial collapse in nearby Tulcea, Braila, and Galati increased illegal fishing and black market activity. By 2026, sustainable tourism and fisheries regulation will determine whether conservation or exploitation defines the delta's future.