Ploiesti is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located 56 km north of Bucharest. The area of the city is around 60 km2. It borders the Blejoi village in the north, Barcanesti and Brazi villages in the south, Târgsoru Vechi in the west and Bucov village in the east. Ploiesti has direct access to the Prahova Valley, one of the most important alpine tourism areas in Romania. Ploiesti is an important transport hub, linking Bucharest with Transylvania and Moldavia. According to the 2011 Romanian census, there were 201,226 people living within the city of Ploiesti, making it the 9th most populous city in Romania.