vama

Vama is a Romanian term meaning customs and is used as a toponym for several places in Romania. The most prominent is Vama, a commune in Suceava County in the historic region of Bukovina. The commune is rural and encompasses several villages, situated in a forested area near the eastern Carpathians.

Another well-known place with the name is Vama Veche, a village in Limanu Commune, Constanța County, on the Black Sea coast. Vama Veche is noted for its long-standing seaside culture and liberal atmosphere that has attracted visitors for decades.

Beyond its use as a place name, vama denotes customs authorities and border crossing facilities within Romanian administration. The term reflects the historical role of border control in travel and trade and remains in common use in phrases related to customs and border points.

The toponym is found in other Romanian-speaking regions as well, and in many cases, settlements acquired the name from the presence of a customs post or proximity to a border. As a result, Vama appears as both a geographical designation and a linguistic term tied to cross-border activity.