Covasna Kovászna |
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— Town — | |||
The main square | |||
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Location of Covasna | |||
Covasna
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Coordinates: | |||
Country | Romania | ||
County | Covasna County | ||
Status | Town | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Lőrincz Zsigmond (UDMR) | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 155.11 km2 (59.9 sq mi) | ||
Population (2004) | |||
• Total | 11,369 | ||
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
• Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
Website | Town website |
Covasna (Romanian pronunciation: [koˈvasna]; Hungarian: Kovászna, Hungarian pronunciation: [kovaːsnɒ]; German: Kowasna) is a town in Covasna county, Transylvania, Romania, at an altitude of 550–600 m.
Known as the "town of 1,000 mineral springs," Covasna is famous for its mineral waters. Each spring has a different mixture of minerals, chiefly carbon dioxide, sulfur, and ammonia. Its name is derived from the Slavic word Cvaz, meaning sour, referring to the taste of its mineral waters.
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The town administers one village, Chiuruş (Hungarian: Csomakőrös). The village has a population of 451 and has an absolute Székely Hungarian majority.
According to the 2002 Census, Covasna has 11,369 inhabitants. It has a Hungarian majority: 7,549 or 66.4%. 3,672 (32.3%) Romanians also live in the town.
Demographic movement according to the censuses:
The famous Hungarian explorer and linguist Sándor Kőrösi Csoma was born in Chiuruş/Csomakőrös in 1784. Kőrösi is widely seen as the founder of Tibetology, he was the compiler and author of the first Tibetan-English dictionary and grammar book. He died in Darjeeling, India in 1842.
A statue in his honour was erected in the centre of the village in 1972 and there is an exhibition in the cultural centre.
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