MAJOR HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKES IN ROMANIA AND CONTEMPORARY SEISMIC RISK MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

With more than 2 millions inhabitants, population mean density of about 11000 persons/km2 and more than 110,000 buildings, Bucharest can be ranked as the megacity having the highest seismic risk in Europe. The paper focuses mainly on: (i) the effects on buildings of the 4 largest subcrustal Vrancea earthquakes in the last 200 years and (ii) the national strategy for seismic risk reduction.