Sibiu County

Sibiu County
Județul Sibiu
County

Coat of arms
Administrative map of Romania with Sibiu county highlighted
Coordinates: 45°52′N 24°14′E / 45.87°N 24.23°E / 45.87; 24.23Coordinates: 45°52′N 24°14′E / 45.87°N 24.23°E / 45.87; 24.23
Country Romania
Development region Centru
Historical region Transylvania
Capital Sibiu
Area
 • Total 5,432 km2 (2,097 sq mi)
Area rank 24th
Population (2002)
 • Total 421,724
 • Rank 25th
 • Density 78/km2 (200/sq mi)
Telephone code (+40) 269 or (+40) 369[1]
ISO 3166 code RO-SB
Website County Council
Prefecture
Sibiu County

Sibiu (Romanian pronunciation: [siˈbiw]) is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.

Name

In Hungarian, it is known as Szeben megye, and in German as Kreis Hermannstadt. During Austro-Hungarian administration, from 1876 to 1918, there was a county with similar name (see: Szeben County).

Demographics

In 2011, it had a population of 375,992 and the population density was 78/km².

At the 2011 census the county has the following population indices:

Religion:

Urbanisation - 5th most urbanised county in Romania:

Traditionally, the biggest minority in the county were Germans, but their numbers have decreased since World War II and especially the Romanian Revolution of 1989.

The south side of the county, closer to the mountains was mainly inhabited by Romanians (Mărginimea Sibiului), and the north side of the country - the Transylvanian Plateau was inhabited evenly by Germans and Romanians, but most Saxon villages are now deserted. The Roma population, mainly from southern Romania, was placed close to the villages in the Communist period and have since increased their numbers.

Year County population[3]
1948 335,116
1956 Increase 372,687
1966 Increase 414,756
1977 Increase 481,645
1992 Decrease 452,820
2002 Decrease 421,724
2004 Increase 423,535
2007 Increase 424,855
2011 Decrease 375,992

Geography

This county has a total area of 5,432 km².

In the South side there are the Carpathian Mountains (Southern Carpathians) - Făgăraș Mountains with heights over 2500 m, Lotru and Cindrel which make up to 30% of the county's surface. The Olt River crosses the mountains over to the South of Romania in Sibiu County forming one of the most accessible link between Transylvania and Wallachia. In the North side there is the Transylvanian Plateau.

The most important rivers crossing the county are the Olt in the South with Cibin its main effluent, and the Târnava in the North.

Neighbours

Economy

Sibiu County has one of the most dynamic economies in Romania, and is one of the regions with the highest level of foreign investment.

The predominant industries in the county are:

The biggest natural resource in the county is natural gas, especially in the north side, having one of the largest sources in the country.

In Copșa Mică during the communist period there were two chemical industrial complexes which polluted the environment heavily with carbon black, heavy metals, and other chemical substances. That's why the area is still considered one of the most polluted communities in Europe. Fortunately, after 1989 many of the industrial complexes were shut down and the area is slowly recovering.

Politics

The regional legislature is the County Council. Its president was Martin Bottesch (Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania), from 2004 to 2012.

The Sibiu County Council, elected at the 2016 local government elections, is made up of 33 counselors, with the following party composition:[4]

    Party Seats Current County Council
  National Liberal Party 13                          
  Social Democratic Party 12                          
  Democratic Forum of Germans 8                          

Tourism

The main tourist attractions in the county are:

People

Administrative divisions

Sibiu
Mediaș

Sibiu County has 2 municipalities, 9 towns and 53 communes

Municipalities
Towns
Communes

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sibiu County.
  1. ↑ The number used depends on the numbering system employed by the phone companies on the market.
  2. ↑ National Institute of Statistics, "Populația după etnie"
  3. ↑ National Institute of Statistics, "Populația la recensămintele din anii 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 și 2002"
  4. ↑ "Mandate de CJ pe judete si competitori" (in Romanian). Biroul Electoral Central. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 7/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.