Gheorgheni

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Gheorgheni
Gyergyószentmiklós
Location of Gheorgheni
Location of Gheorgheni
Coordinates: 46°43′12″N 25°35′24″E / 46.72, 25.59
Country Flag of Romania Romania
County Harghita County
Status Municipality
Government
 - Mayor József Pap (Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania)
Area
 - Total 222 km² (85.7 sq mi)
Population (2002)
 - Total 20,018
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 - Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)

Gheorgheni or Gyergyószentmiklós (Romanian: Gheorgheni, Hungarian: Gyergyószentmiklós) is a municipality in Harghita County, Romania. 4 villages are administraively part of the municipality:

  • Covacipeter/Kovácspéter
  • Lacu Roşu/Gyilkostó
  • Vargatac/Vargatag
  • Visafolio/Visszafolyó

It was first mentioned in 1332 and was part of Kingdom of Hungary, then to the Principality of Transylvania (1557-1765), to the Grand Duchy of Transylvania (1765-1867), later again to Hungary (1867-1918) and finally to Romania (since 1918).

Nearby are two spectacular natural sites, the Lacu Roşu a beautiful lake in the mountains, and nearby is the Cheile Bicazului, which is a dramatic narrow canyon through the Eastern Carpathian Mountains forming the border with Neamţ County.

[edit] Demographics

The municipality has a population of 20,018, of which 87.6% (17,527) are Székely Hungarians forming a majority. 2,161 or 10.8% are Romanians. (2002 census).

  • 1910: 8,905
  • 2002: 20,018