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Satu Mare County ( ro, Județul Satu Mare, ) is a county (
județ A ''județ'' (, plural ) is an administrative division in Romania, and was also used from 1940 to 1947 in the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic and from 1998 to 2003 in Moldova. ''Județ'' translates into English as "jurisdiction", but is co ...
) of
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
, on the border with
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
and Ukraine. The capital city is
Satu Mare Satu Mare (; hu, Szatmárnémeti ; german: Sathmar; yi, סאטמאר or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in t ...
.


Name

In Hungarian, it is known as ''Szatmár megye'', in German as ''Kreis Sathmar'', in Ukrainian as Сату-Маре, and in Slovak as ''Satmárska župa''.


Demographics

Satu Mare is a multicultural city, with a population mix of Romanian, Hungarian, Roma, German, and other ethnicities. In 2002, Satu Mare County had a population of 367,281 and the
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberP ...
was .National Institute of Statistics,
"Populația după etnie"
''
* Romanians – 58.8% *
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and  ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Uralic ...
– 35.2% * Roma – 3.7% *
Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...
( Sathmar Swabians) – 1.7% *
Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Or ...
,
Slovaks The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak. In Slovakia, 4.4 mi ...
, other In 2011, its population was 329,079 and
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberP ...
was . * Romanians – 57.73% * Hungarians – 34.5% * Roma – 5.32% * Germans ( Sathmar Swabians) – 1.51% *
Rusyns Rusyns (), also known as Carpatho-Rusyns (), or Rusnaks (), are an East Slavic ethnic group from the Eastern Carpathians in Central Europe. They speak Rusyn, an East Slavic language variety, treated variously as either a distinct langua ...
,
Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Or ...
,
Slovaks The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak. In Slovakia, 4.4 mi ...
, other Hungarians mostly reside along the border with Hungary, but some are also scattered throughout the whole county. Historically, Hungarians were concentrated in the cities, where administration resides, while the Romanian population was larger in the villages throughout the county. In 1930, the Hungarians represented 41.9% of the urban population in Satu Mare County and only 20.0% of the population in the villages according to census data.
Recensământul general al populației României din 29 Decemvrie 1930", vol. II, pag. 394, Institutul Central de Statistică, (published in French and Romanian)
The proportion of different ethnic groups varied throughout history, due to regime and political changes. After the
Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (german: Ausgleich, hu, Kiegyezés) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary ...
, the Hungarian population increased its proportion greatly, in 1880 representing 44.4% and in 1910 reaching 55.1% of the county population, according to Árpád E. Varga.
Árpád E. Varga, Hungarians in Transylvania between 1870 and 1995, Original title: Erdély magyar népessége 1870–1995 között, Published in Magyar Kisebbség 3–4, 1998 (New series IV), pp. 331–407, Translation by Tamás Sályi, Linguistic editing by Rachel Orbell, Published by Teleki László Foundation. Budapest, March 1999"
After World War I the Hungarian and German population declined.


Geography

Satu Mare County has a total area of . In the north are the Oaș Mountains, part of the
Eastern Carpathians Divisions of the Carpathians are a categorization of the Carpathian mountains system. Below is a detailed overview of the major subdivisions and ranges of the Carpathian Mountains. The Carpathians are a "subsystem" of a bigger Alps-Himalaya S ...
. This makes up around 17% of the area. The remainder is hills, forming 20% of the area, and plains. The western part of the county takes up the Eastern part of the
Pannonian Plain The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only th ...
. The county is crossed by the Someș River, the Tur River, and Crasna River. The county lies partly in the historical region of Maramureș and partly in the historical region of
Crișana Crișana ( hu, Körösvidék, german: Kreischgebiet) is a geographical and historical region in north-western Romania, named after the Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru, and Crișul Repede. In Ro ...
.


Neighbours

*
Maramureș County Maramureș County () is a county (județ) in Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare. Name In Hungarian it is known as ''Máramaros megye'', in Ukrainian as Мараморо́щина, in German as ''Kreis Marmaros ...
in the East. *Hungary in the West –
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg ( hu, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg megye, ) is an administrative county (Hungarian: ''megye'') in north-eastern Hungary, bordering Slovakia (Košice Region), Ukraine (Zakarpattia Oblast), and Romania ( Bihor and Satu Mare coun ...
. *Ukraine in the North –
Zakarpattia Oblast The Zakarpattia Oblast ( uk, Закарпатська область, Zakarpatska oblast) is an administrative oblast located in western Ukraine, mostly coterminous with the historical region of Carpathian Ruthenia. Its administrative centre is ...
. *
Bihor County Bihor County () is a county (județ) in western Romania. With a total area of , Bihor is Romania's 6th largest county geographically and the main county in the historical region of Crișana. Its capital city is Oradea. Toponymy The origin of t ...
and
Sălaj County Sălaj County () (also known as ''Land of Silvania'', ''silva, -ae'' means "forest") is a county (''județ'') of Romania, located in the north-west of the country, in the historical regions of Crișana and Transylvania. It is bordered to the nort ...
in the South. Satu Mare County, together with the Bihor, Bistrița-Năsăud,
Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , l ...
,
Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, alon ...
, and Sălaj counties, constitute the Nord-Vest development region of Romania. The county is a member of the Carpathian Euroregion.


Economy

Satu Mare County benefits from its position, close to the border of Romania with Hungary and Ukraine, and it is one of the places which attracts foreign investment in industry and agriculture. The predominant industries in the county are: *
Textile Textile is an umbrella term that includes various fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, filaments, threads, different fabric types, etc. At first, the word "textiles" only referred to woven fabrics. However, weaving is not t ...
s industry; * Machine and automotive components; * Food industry; * Wood and furniture industry.


Tourism

The main tourist attractions in the county are: * The "
Oaș Country Oaș Country ( Romanian: ''Țara Oașului'', Hungarian: ''Avasság'') is an ethnographic and historical region of Romania located in the North-East part of Satu Mare County, 50 km from the city of Satu Mare, also 50 km from the city ...
", with its strong Romanian folk traditions, on the North Eastern side of the county; * The Oaș Mountains; * The cities of
Satu Mare Satu Mare (; hu, Szatmárnémeti ; german: Sathmar; yi, סאטמאר or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in t ...
and
Carei Carei (; , ; /, yi, , ) is a city in Satu Mare County, northwestern Romania, near the border with Hungary. The city administers one village, Ianculești ( hu, Szentjánosmajor). History The first mention of the city under the name of "Karul ...
; *
Tășnad Tășnad (; Hungarian: ''Tasnád'', Hungarian pronunciation: ; German: ''Trestenburg'') is a town in Satu Mare County, Crișana, Romania. It administers five villages: Blaja (''Tasnádbalázsháza''), Cig (''Csög''), Rațiu (''Ráctanya''), Să ...
Resort; * The fortifications from Ardud and Medieșu Aurit.


Politics

The Satu Mare County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 32 counsellors, with the following party composition:


Administrative divisions

Satu Mare County has 2 municipalities, 4 towns, and 59 communes: *Municipalities **
Satu Mare Satu Mare (; hu, Szatmárnémeti ; german: Sathmar; yi, סאטמאר or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in t ...
– county seat; 102,441 (as of 2011) **
Carei Carei (; , ; /, yi, , ) is a city in Satu Mare County, northwestern Romania, near the border with Hungary. The city administers one village, Ianculești ( hu, Szentjánosmajor). History The first mention of the city under the name of "Karul ...
*Towns ** Ardud ** Livada ** Negrești-Oaș **
Tășnad Tășnad (; Hungarian: ''Tasnád'', Hungarian pronunciation: ; German: ''Trestenburg'') is a town in Satu Mare County, Crișana, Romania. It administers five villages: Blaja (''Tasnádbalázsháza''), Cig (''Csög''), Rațiu (''Ráctanya''), Să ...
*Communes ** Acâș ** Agriș ** Andrid ** Apa ** Bătarci **
Beltiug Beltiug (german: Bildegg; hu, Krasznabéltek or ''Béltek'') is a commune of 3,228 inhabitants situated in Satu Mare County, Transylvania, Romania. It lies on the banks of the Crasna River south of Ardud, 35 km south of the county seat, ...
** Berveni ** Bixad ** Bârsău **
Bogdand Bogdand ( hu, Bogdánd; Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Satu Mare County in Crișana, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria ...
** Botiz ** Călinești-Oaș ** Cămărzana ** Cămin ** Căpleni ** Căuaș ** Cehal ** Certeze ** Ciumești ** Craidorolț ** Crucișor ** Culciu ** Doba ** Dorolț ** Foieni ** Gherța Mică **
Halmeu Halmeu ( hu, Halmi, ; yi, האַַלמין) is a commune of 4,845 inhabitants situated in Satu Mare County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Until World War II, the village was home to a Jewish community, which numbered 479 souls in 1 ...
** Hodod ** Homoroade ** Lazuri ** Medieșu Aurit ** Micula ** Moftin ** Odoreu ** Orașu Nou ** Păulești ** Petrești ** Pir ** Pișcolt ** Pomi ** Porumbești ** Racşa ** Sanislău ** Santău ** Săcășeni ** Săuca ** Socond ** Supur ** Tarna Mare ** Terebești ** Tiream ** Târșolț ** Turț ** Turulung ** Urziceni **
Valea Vinului Valea Vinului ( hu, Szamosborhíd, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune of 2,334 inhabitants situated in Satu Mare County, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeaster ...
** Vetiș ** Viile Satu Mare ** Vama


Historical county

Historically, the county was located in the northwestern part of
Greater Romania The term Greater Romania ( ro, România Mare) usually refers to the borders of the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union. It also refers to a pan-nationalist idea. As a concept, its main goal is the creation ...
, stretching to its borders with
Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...
and Hungary. Its territory lay in the historical
Crișana Crișana ( hu, Körösvidék, german: Kreischgebiet) is a geographical and historical region in north-western Romania, named after the Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru, and Crișul Repede. In Ro ...
region. After the administrative unification law in 1925, the name of the county remained as it was, but the territory was reorganized. It was bordered on the northwest by Hungary, on the north by Czechoslovakia, to the east by
Maramureș County Maramureș County () is a county (județ) in Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare. Name In Hungarian it is known as ''Máramaros megye'', in Ukrainian as Мараморо́щина, in German as ''Kreis Marmaros ...
, to the southeast by
Someș County Someș County is one of the historic counties of Transylvania, Romania. The county seat was Dej. In 1938, the county was disestablished and incorporated into the newly formed Ținutul Crișuri, but it was re-established in 1940 after the fall of ...
, and to the south and southwest by
Sălaj County Sălaj County () (also known as ''Land of Silvania'', ''silva, -ae'' means "forest") is a county (''județ'') of Romania, located in the north-west of the country, in the historical regions of Crișana and Transylvania. It is bordered to the nort ...
. Currently, its territory is included in the current counties of Satu Mare and
Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, alon ...
.


Administration

In 1930, the county was divided into eight districts ('' plăși''):Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Satu Mare
/ref> #Plasa Arded (headquartered at Arded) #Plasa Baia Mare (headquartered at
Baia Mare Baia Mare ( , ; hu, Nagybánya; german: Frauenbach or Groß-Neustadt; la, Rivulus Dominarum) is a municipality along the Săsar River, in northwestern Romania; it is the capital of Maramureș County. The city lies in the region of Maramur ...
) #Plasa Mănăștur (headquartered at
Mănăștur Mănăștur ( hu, Kolozsmonostor; german: Abtsdorf) is a district of the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca, which has been a part of the city since 1895. Its population as of 2007 was of approximately 126,600. History Middle Ages Mănăștur is ho ...
) #Plasa Oașiu (headquartered at Oașiu) #Plasa Satu Mare (headquartered at
Satu Mare Satu Mare (; hu, Szatmárnémeti ; german: Sathmar; yi, סאטמאר or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in t ...
) #Plasa Seini (headquartered at Seini) #Plasa Șomcuta Mare (headquartered at Șomcuta Mare) #Plasa Ugocea (headquartered at Ugocea) The county included the city of
Satu Mare Satu Mare (; hu, Szatmárnémeti ; german: Sathmar; yi, סאטמאר or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in t ...
(the county seat) and the urban communes
Baia Mare Baia Mare ( , ; hu, Nagybánya; german: Frauenbach or Groß-Neustadt; la, Rivulus Dominarum) is a municipality along the Săsar River, in northwestern Romania; it is the capital of Maramureș County. The city lies in the region of Maramur ...
and Baia Sprie.


History

Prior to World War I, the territory of the county belonged to
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with t ...
and mostly was contained in the
Szatmár County Szatmár County ( hu, Szatmár vármegye ) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary, situated south of the river Tisza. Most of its territory is now divided between Romania and Hungary, while a very small area is part o ...
of the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
. In the aftermath of the war and the ensuing
Hungarian–Romanian War The Hungarian–Romanian War was fought between Hungary and Romania from 13 November 1918 to 3 August 1919. The conflict had a complex background, with often contradictory motivations for the parties involved. The Allies of World War I intende ...
, the
Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
entered the county in early 1919, and its administration passed to the
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania ( ro, Regatul României) was a constitutional monarchy that existed in Romania from 13 March ( O.S.) / 25 March 1881 with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King Carol I (thus beginning the Romania ...
. The territory of Satu Mare County was transferred to Romania from Hungary as successor state to Austria-Hungary in June 1920 under the Treaty of Trianon. In 1938,
King Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. The eldest son of Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I in 1914. He was the first of th ...
promulgated a new
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these prin ...
, and subsequently he had the administrative division of the Romanian territory changed. 10 ''ținuturi'' (approximate translation: "lands") were created (by merging the counties) to be ruled by ''rezidenți regali'' (approximate translation: "Royal Residents") - appointed directly by the King - instead of the
prefects Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...
. Satu Mare County became part of Ținutul Crișuri. At the end of August 1940, the county was transferred back to Hungary with the rest of
Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania ( ro, Transilvania de Nord, hu, Észak-Erdély) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of ...
under the
Second Vienna Award The Second Vienna Award, also known as the Vienna Diktat, was the second of two territorial disputes that were arbitrated by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. On 30 August 1940, they assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania, including all ...
. In October 1944, Romanian forces with Soviet assistance recaptured the ceded territory, with the Battle of Carei marking the complete reintegration of Northern Transylvania into Romania. Romanian jurisdiction over the county per the Treaty of Trianon was reaffirmed in the
Paris Peace Treaties, 1947 The Paris Peace Treaties (french: Traités de Paris) were signed on 10 February 1947 following the end of World War II in 1945. The Paris Peace Conference lasted from 29 July until 15 October 1946. The victorious wartime Allied powers (princi ...
. The county was disestablished by the communist government of Romania in 1950, and its territory became part of Baia Mare Region, which in turn was renamed the Maramureș Region in 1960. Satu Mare County was re-established in 1968, when Romania restored the county administrative system.


Population

According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 294,875, 60.5% Romanians, 25.2% Hungarians, 8.1% Jews, 3.2% Germans, as well as other minorities.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 394-401 From a religious point of view, the population consisted of 59.0% Greek Catholics, 15.0% Roman Catholics, 8.6% Jewish, 4.4% Eastern Orthodox, as well as other minorities.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 718-721


Urban population

In 1930, the county's urban population was 69,526 inhabitants, 41.9% Hungarians, 35.0% Romanians, 18.6% Jews, 1.6% Germans, as well as other minorities. As a mother tongue in the urban area, Hungarian dominated (55.6%), followed by Romanian (31.1%), Yiddish (10.6%), German (1.4%), as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population consisted of 33.7% Greek Catholics, 23.0% Reformed, 20.0% Jewish, 19.6% Roman Catholic, 2.9% Eastern Orthodox, as well as other minorities.


See also

*
Satmar (Hasidic dynasty) Satmar (Yiddish: סאַטמאַר, Hebrew: סאטמר) is a Hasidic group founded in 1905 by Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum, in the city of Szatmárnémeti, Hungary (now Satu Mare in Romania). The group is an offshoot of the Sighet Hasidic dynas ...
, a Jewish religious group named after this place *
Szatmár County Szatmár County ( hu, Szatmár vármegye ) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary, situated south of the river Tisza. Most of its territory is now divided between Romania and Hungary, while a very small area is part o ...
of the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...


References


External links

* * {{Authority control Counties of Romania Hungarian communities in Romania 1925 establishments in Romania 1938 disestablishments in Romania 1944 establishments in Romania 1950 disestablishments in Romania 1968 establishments in Romania States and territories established in 1925 States and territories disestablished in 1938 States and territories established in 1944 States and territories disestablished in 1950 States and territories established in 1968