Bacău (Romanian pronunciation: [baˈkəw]; German: Barchau, Hungarian: Bákó) is the main city in Bacău County, Romania. At the 2011 census it had a population of 144,307, making it the 15th largest city in Romania. The city is situated in the historical region of Moldavia, at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains, and on the Bistrița River (which meets the Siret River about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the south of Bacău).