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{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
| type               = commune
| county             = Buzău
| name               = Berca
| subdivisions       = Băceni, Berca, Cojanu, Joseni, Mânăstirea Rătești, Pâclele, Pleșcoi, Pleșești, Rătești, Sătuc, Tâțârligu, Valea Nucului, Viforâta
| image_flag         =
| image_shield       = 
| shield_alt         = 
| image_skyline      = Biserica Sf. Mihail si Gavril.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = St. Michael and Gabriel Church in Berca
| image_map          = Berca jud Buzau.png
| map_caption        = Location in Buzău County
| leader_party       = PSD
| leader_name        = Ionel Dobrița<ref>{{cite web |url=https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale27092020/romania-pv-final |title=Results of the 2020 local elections |publisher=Central Electoral Bureau |access-date=16 June 2021 |df=dmy-all |archive-date=9 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009164915/https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale27092020/romania-pv-final |url-status=live }}</ref>
| leader_term        = 2020&ndash;2024
| coordinates        = {{coord|45|17|13|N|26|40|55|E|display=inline,title}}
| established_date   =
| elevation          = 150
| elevation_min      = 
| elevation_max      = 
| area_total         = 73.28
| population_total   = auto
| population_as_of   = 
| postal_code        = 127035
| area_code          = +(40) 238 
| website            = {{URL|https://primariaberca.ro/}}
}}
'''Berca''' is a commune located in the hillside of [[Buzău County]], [[Muntenia]], [[Romania]], in the valley of the river [[Buzău (river)|Buzău]]. It is an oil and [[natural gas]] extraction location.

The commune is composed of thirteen villages: Băceni, Berca, Cojanu, Joseni, Mânăstirea Rătești, Pâclele, Pleșcoi, Pleșești, Rătești, Sătuc, Tâțârligu, Valea Nucului, and Viforâta.

==Landmarks==
===The Mud Volcanoes===
{{Main|Berca Mud Volcanoes}}
[[File:Volcanes de lodo, Buzau, Rumanía, 2016-05-29, DD 33.jpg|thumb|alt=Volcanes de lodo, Buzau, Rumanía, 2016-05-29, DD 33.jpg|left|The Berca Mud Volcanoes]]

The Berca Muddy Volcanoes [[Geology|geological]] and [[Botanics|botanical]] reservation lies in the hills that surround the commune, near the Pâclele village. [[Mud volcano]]s, a rare geological phenomenon, occurs there when mud and gas are expelled from a depth of {{convert|3|km|ft}} through structures resembling real miniature [[volcano]]es.

===Rătești monastery===
{{Main|Rătești Monastery}}
[[Image:Manastirea ratesti 3.jpg|left|thumb|The church of Rătești Monastery]]

Rătești Monastery is a medieval monastery, attested by documents from the 17th century. It is an [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Eastern orthodox]] monastery of nuns, and hosts a museum exhibiting religious books and items.

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|source = Census data
|2002 |9602
|2011 |8534
|2021 |7741
}}

The Romanian census of 2002 reported a population of 9,602 for the Berca commune, making it one of the largest communes in the county; 99% of the inhabitants were ethnic [[Romanians]]. At the [[2021 Romanian census|2021 census]], Berca had a population of 7,741, of which 88.88% were Romanians.<ref name="RPL2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.recensamantromania.ro/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Tabel-1.03_1.3.1-si-1.03.2.xls|title=Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INSSE]]|language=ro|date=31 May 2023}}</ref>

==Natives==
*[[George Macovescu]] (1913–2002), writer and communist politician
*[[Ciprian Petre]] (born 1980), footballer

==Pleșcoi==
Pleșcoi village is famous for its meat processing tradition. The [[Pleșcoi sausages]] are smoked [[mutton]] sausages with [[chili pepper]]s and [[garlic]]. The name ''Pleșcoi sausages'' is a [[protected designation of origin]] in the [[European Union]].
{{Geographic Location
| Centre = Berca
| North = [[Scorțoasa]]
| East = [[Cernătești, Buzău|Cernătești]]
| Southeast = [[Săpoca]]
| South = [[Unguriu]] and [[Vernești]]
| Southwest = [[Măgura, Buzău|Măgura]]
| West = [[Cozieni]] and [[Pârscov]] 
| Northwest = [[Odăile]]
}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Buzău County}}

[[Category:Communes in Buzău County|Berca]]
[[Category:Localities in Muntenia]]


{{Buzău-geo-stub}}