Harghita County

Harghita County
Județul Harghita
Hargita megye
County

Landscape around Lake Sfânta Ana, southern Harghita County

Coat of arms

Harghita county, territorial location
Country  Romania
Development region1 Centru
Historic region Transylvania
Capital city (Reședință de județ) Miercurea Ciuc
Government
 • Type County Board
 • President of the County Board Csaba Borboly (UDMR)
 • Prefect2 Constantin Strujan
Area
 • Total 6,639 km2 (2,563 sq mi)
Area rank 13th in Romania
Population (2011)
 • Total 304,969
 • Rank 33rd in Romania
 • Density 46/km2 (120/sq mi)
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Postal Code 53wxyz3
Area code(s) +40 x664
Car Plates HR5
GDP US$ 2.63 billion (2008)
GDP/capita US$ 8,064 (2008)
Website County Board
County Prefecture
1The developing regions of Romania have no administrative role. They were formed just to attract funds from the European Union
2 as of 2007, the Prefect is not a politician, but a public functionary. He (or she) is not allowed to be a member of a political party, and is banned from having any political activity in the first six months after the resignation (or exclusion) from the public functionary corps
3w, x, y, and z are digits that indicate the city, the street, part of the street, or even the building of the address
4x is a digit indicating the operator: 2 for the former national operator, Romtelecom, and 3 for the other ground telephone networks
5used on both the plates of the vehicles that operate only in the county limits (like utility vehicles, ATVs, etc.), and the ones used outside the county

Harghita (Romanian pronunciation: [harˈɡita], Hungarian: Hargita megye, pronounced [ˈhɒrɡitɒ]) is a county (județ) in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Miercurea Ciuc.

Demographics

2002 census

In 2002, Harghita County had a population of 326,222[1] and a population density of 52/km².

2011 census

In 2011, it had a population of 302,432[3] and a population density of 46/km².

Harghita county has the highest percentage of Hungarians in Romania, just ahead of Covasna county. The Hungarians form the majority of the population in most of the county's municipalities, with Romanians concentrated in the northern and eastern part of the county (particularly Toplița and Bălan), as well as in the enclave of Voșlăbeni.

The Székelys of Harghita are mostly Roman Catholic, with Reformed and Unitarian minorities, while the ethnic Romanians are primarily Orthodox. Catholicism is strongest in the east, in the former Csíkszék, while Protestants are concentrated in the west, south and west of Odorheiu Secuiesc. By religion, the county is divided roughly as follows:

Demographic evolution

Geography

Harghita County has a total area of 6,639 km².

Harghita consists primarily of mountains, connected to the Eastern Carpathians, such as the Ciuc and Harghita Mountains; volcanic plateaux, foothills, and the more densely populated river valleys.

The mountains are volcanic in origin, and the region is known for its excellent hot mineral springs. Harghita is known as one of the coldest regions in Romania, although summers can be quite warm.

It is in this county that two of the most important rivers in Romania, the Mureș and the Olt, originate. These rivers' origins, near the villages of Izvoru Mureșului and Sândominic, are only a few miles apart; yet the Mureș flows west to the Tisza, while the Olt flows south to the Danube. In the western part of the county the two Târnava rivers (Târnava Mare and Târnava Mică) flow to the Târnava Plateau, which is part of the Transylvanian Plateau.

Harghita's spectacular natural scenery includes Sfânta Ana Lake, a volcanic crater lake near the town of Băile Tușnad; Lacul Roșu a mountain lake in the northeast near the town of Gheorgheni, and Cheile Bicazului, a dramatic, narrow canyon formed by the Bicaz stream. The county is renowned for its spa resorts and mineral waters.

Neighbours

Economy

The county's main industries:

Tourism

Lacul Roșu

The main tourist attractions in Harghita county are

Politics

The Harghita County Council, elected at the 2016 local government elections, is made up of 31 counselors, with the following party composition:[5]

    Party Seats Current Council
  Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania 19                                      
  Hungarian Civic Party 4                                      
  Hungarian People's Party of Transylvania 3                                      
  Social Democratic Party 3                                      
  National Liberal Party 2                                      

Administrative divisions

Miercurea Ciuc

Harghita County has 4 municipalities, 5 towns and 58 communes

References

  1. ↑ National Institute of Statistics, "Populația la recensămintele din anii 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 și 2002"
  2. ↑ National Institute of Statistics, "Populația după etnie" ("Population by ethnicity")
  3. ↑ National Institute of Statistics,
  4. ↑ Recensamantul Populatiei si Locuintelor 2011: Populația stabilă după etnie – județe, municipii, orașe, comune
  5. ↑ "Mandate de CJ pe judete si competitori" (in Romanian). Biroul Electoral Central. 10 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.

Coordinates: 46°22′N 25°48′E / 46.36°N 25.80°E / 46.36; 25.80

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