Kishinev (Chisinau) is the capital and largest city of Moldova, located on the Byk River, in the central part of the country. Kishinev is the political, scientific, cultural and industrial center of the country. The first mention of Kishinev belongs to the year 1436, the city is more than 560 years old. Founded in the 15th century, Kishinev sprouted from a small settlement built around a monastery in the principality of Moldavia. Less than a hundred years after the town was established, the Ottomans captured the city. Kishinev subsequently blossomed into a trade center. In 1812, following one of the Russo-Turkish Wars, Russia annexed Kishinev, renamed it Kishinev, and made the city the center of the Bessarabia region. The population of the city is more than 700 thousand people, and the representatives of dozens of nationalities are among them. Kishinev is the largest population center in Moldova and accounts for most of the country's industrial output. Manufactures include processed food, wine, clothing, and tobacco products. A university and the Moldovan Academy of Sciences are located in Kishinev.