Sibiu County

Sibiu County () is a county ( ro, județ) of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Its county seat ( ro, reședință de județ) is the namesake town of Sibiu (german: Hermannstadt).

Name

In Hungarian, it is known as ''Szeben megye'', and in German as ''Kreis Hermannstadt''. Under the Kingdom of Hungary, a county with an identical name ( Szeben County, ro, Comitatul Sibiu) was created in 1876.

Demographics

In 2011, Sibiu County had a population of 375,992 and the population density was .

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

* Romanians – 91.25% (or 340,836)
* Romani – 4.76% (or 17,901)
* Hungarians – 2.89% (or 10,893)
* Germans (Transylvanian Saxons) – 1.09% (or 4,117)
* Other – 0.1% (or 640)

Religion:

* Romanian Orthodox – 90.9%
* Greek Catholics – 2.3%
* Reformed – 2.0%
* Roman Catholics – 1.5%
* Pentecostals – 1.1%
* Baptists – 0.9%
* Other – 1.3%

Urbanisation – 5th most urbanised county in Romania:

* Urban dwellers: 277,574 (or 65.8%)
* Rural dwellers: 144,150 (or 34.2%)

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

Geography

This county has a total area of .

In the South side there are the Carpathian Mountains (Southern Carpathians) – the Făgăraș Mountains with heights over , the Lotru Mountains, and the Cindrel Mountains – 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 links 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 the Cibin as its main effluent, and the Târnava in the North.

Neighbours

* Brașov County in the East.
* Alba County in the West.
* Mureș County in the North.
* Vâlcea County in the South.
* Argeș County in the South-East.

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:
* Machine and automotive components.
* Food industry.
* Textile industry.
* Wood industry.

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. The area is still considered one of the most polluted communities in Europe. 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 ( FDGR/DFDR) from 2004 to 2012. The Sibiu County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 32 counsellors, with the following party composition:

Tourism

The main tourist attractions in the county are:
* The city of Sibiu with its medieval fortifications and its historic centre.
* The medieval city of Mediaș.
* The medieval Saxon fortified churches and villages from Transylvania, some of them being UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
** Biertan.
** Valea Viilor.
** Cisnădie.
** Cisnădioara.
** Slimnic.
** Agnita.
* The abbey of Cârța
* The Făgăraș Mountains.
** The Bâlea Valley and the Transfăgărășan.
** The Negoiu Peak

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