Vrancea () is a county (
județ) in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, with its seat at
Focșani
Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315.
Geography
Focșani lies at the foot of the Curv ...
. It is mostly in the historical region of
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
but the southern part, below the
Milcov River, is in
Muntenia
Muntenia (, also known in English as Greater Wallachia) is a historical region of Romania, part of Wallachia (also, sometimes considered Wallachia proper, as ''Muntenia'', ''Țara Românească'', and the seldom used ''Valahia'' are synonyms in R ...
.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 340,310 and a
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 RosenberPopul ...
of .
*
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Culture of Romania, Romanian culture and Cultural heritage, ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they l ...
– over 98%
*
Romani
Romani may refer to:
Ethnicities
* Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia
** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule
* Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
,
others – 2%
Geography
Vrancea County's area is of .
A curvedly shaped mountainous area, known in Romanian as the ''
Carpații de Curbură'', lies in the western part of the county, at the Southern end 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 Sy ...
, with heights over . To the East, the heights decrease into hilly areas and the lower valley of the
Siret River
The Siret or Sireth ( uk, Сірет or Серет, ro, Siret , hu, Szeret, russian: Сирет) is a river that rises from the Carpathians in the Northern Bukovina region of Ukraine, and flows southward into Romania before it joins the Danube. ...
.
The main tributary of the Siret, which crosses the county, is the
Putna River.
Seismic hazard
The territory of Vrancea County is the most seismically active zone of Romania, with yearly earthquakes whose focal depths are between and therefore affect wide regions.
The earthquakes with the
epicenter
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
in Vrancea are caused by the movements of the nearby
fault block
Fault blocks are very large blocks of rock, sometimes hundreds of kilometres in extent, created by tectonic and localized stresses in Earth's crust. Large areas of bedrock are broken up into blocks by faults. Blocks are characterized by rela ...
s. Devastating earthquakes measuring 7 to 8 on the
Richter scale
The Richter scale —also called the Richter magnitude scale, Richter's magnitude scale, and the Gutenberg–Richter scale—is a measure of the strength of earthquakes, developed by Charles Francis Richter and presented in his landmark 1935 ...
have
been recorded.
The deadliest were the
1977 Vrancea earthquake, which killed over 1,500 people in Romania and
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, and the
1940 Vrancea earthquake which killed over 1,000 people. The most powerful was the
1802 Vrancea earthquake with an estimated intensity of 7.9 on the
moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mw, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 pape ...
, but which killed only 4 people. Other notable earthquakes were the
1738 Vrancea earthquake, the
1838 Vrancea earthquake and the
1986 Vrancea earthquake
Striking central Romania on August 30 at 21:28 UTC, the 1986 Vrancea earthquake killed more than 150 people, injured over 500, and damaged over 50,000 homes. The second largest earthquake in the area since the modernization of earthquake monitorin ...
.
Neighbours
*
Vaslui County
Vaslui County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in the historical region Western Moldavia, with the seat at Vaslui.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 395,499 and the population density was 74/km².
* Romanians - over 98%
* ...
and
Galați County to the East.
*
Covasna County
Covasna County (, hu, Kovászna megye, ) is a county ( județ) of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Sfântu Gheorghe.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 210,177, making it the second least populous of Romania ...
to the West.
*
Bacău County
Bacău County () is a county ( județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia, with its capital city at Bacău. It has one commune, Ghimeș-Făget, in Transylvania.
Geography
This county has a total area of .
In the western part of the county the ...
to the North.
*
Buzău County
Buzău County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Buzău.
Demographics
In 2011, it had a population of 432,054 and the population density was 70.7/km2.
* Romanians – 97%
* Roma ...
to the South and
Brăila County
Brăila County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Brăila.
Demographics
In 2011, Brăila had a population of 304,925 and the population density was 64/km2.
* Romanians – 98%
* Romani, Russians, Lipo ...
to the South-East.
Economy
The county is famous for its
wines
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
, being the biggest wine producer in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
. Over 11% of the county surface is covered with
vine
A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselv ...
s. The county's best known wine regions are
Panciu
Panciu () is a town in Vrancea County, Romania. It lies on the river Șușița, in the southern part of Western Moldavia, northwest of Focșani. It has a population of approximately 7,600. It administers five villages: Crucea de Jos, Crucea de S ...
– ,
Odobești
Odobești () is a town in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. The town administers one village, Unirea.
The town is located in the central part of the county, on the banks of the Milcov River, northwest of the county seat, Focșani
...
– , and
Cotești
Cotești is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Budești, Cotești, Goleștii de Sus and Valea Cotești.
Natives
* G. M. Vlădescu
References
Communes in Vrancea County
Loca ...
.
In addition, the county's main industries are the following:
* Foods and beverages;
* Textiles;
* Paper manufacturing and furniture making;
* Mechanical parts and components;
* Cookware and bakeware production.
Tourism
County's main destinations:
* The city of
Focșani
Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315.
Geography
Focșani lies at the foot of the Curv ...
;
*
Vrancea Mountains
The Vrancea Mountains ( ro, Munții Vrancei) are a mountain range in the Curvature Carpathians in Romania. Located mostly in western Vrancea County, they also cover parts of Bacău, Buzău, and Covasna counties.
The highest peak is , at .
To ...
;
*
Soveja
Soveja is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Dragosloveni and Rucăreni; the former is the commune centre.
Notable people
*Simion Mehedinți
Simion Mehedinți (; October 19, 1868 – December 14 ...
resort;
*
Tulnici
Tulnici is a commune in Vrancea County, Romania, located in the northwestern part of the county. It is one of the largest administrative areas in Vrancea County, situated at an altitude of 480 m above sea level at the foothills of the Vrancea Mount ...
–
Lepșa –
Greșu tourist areas;
* Eternal Fire (''Focul viu'' in
Romanian
Romanian may refer to:
*anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania
**Romanians, an ethnic group
**Romanian language, a Romance language
*** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language
** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...
) in
Andreiașu;
*
Wine tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. While the practice of wine tasting is as ancient as its production, a more formalized methodology has slowly become established from the 14th century onward. Modern, professional w ...
and sales around
Panciu
Panciu () is a town in Vrancea County, Romania. It lies on the river Șușița, in the southern part of Western Moldavia, northwest of Focșani. It has a population of approximately 7,600. It administers five villages: Crucea de Jos, Crucea de S ...
,
Odobești
Odobești () is a town in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. The town administers one village, Unirea.
The town is located in the central part of the county, on the banks of the Milcov River, northwest of the county seat, Focșani
...
, and
Cotești
Cotești is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Budești, Cotești, Goleștii de Sus and Valea Cotești.
Natives
* G. M. Vlădescu
References
Communes in Vrancea County
Loca ...
;
* The Mausoleum at
Mărășești
Mărășești () is a small town in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It administers six villages: Călimănești, Haret, Modruzeni, Pădureni, Siretu and Tișița.
Geography
The town is located in the eastern part of the county, on th ...
;
*
Putna-Vrancea Natural Park.
Politics
The Vrancea County Council, renewed at the
2020 local elections, consists of 32 counsellors, with the following party composition:
Administrative divisions
Vrancea County has 2 municipalities, 3 towns and 68 communes
*Municipalities
**
Adjud
Adjud (; hu, Egyedhalma) is a city in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It has a population of 14,670 inhabitants (2011). It lies at a railway junction which has a classification yard and a passenger station. Adjud, situated north of ...
**
Focșani
Focșani (; yi, פֿאָקשאַן, Fokshan) is the capital city of Vrancea County in Romania on the banks the river Milcov, in the historical region of Moldavia. It has a population () of 79,315.
Geography
Focșani lies at the foot of the Curv ...
- county seat; population: 73,868 (as of 2011)
*Towns
**
Mărășești
Mărășești () is a small town in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It administers six villages: Călimănești, Haret, Modruzeni, Pădureni, Siretu and Tișița.
Geography
The town is located in the eastern part of the county, on th ...
**
Odobești
Odobești () is a town in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. The town administers one village, Unirea.
The town is located in the central part of the county, on the banks of the Milcov River, northwest of the county seat, Focșani
...
**
Panciu
Panciu () is a town in Vrancea County, Romania. It lies on the river Șușița, in the southern part of Western Moldavia, northwest of Focșani. It has a population of approximately 7,600. It administers five villages: Crucea de Jos, Crucea de S ...
*Communes
**
Andreiașu de Jos
**
Bălești
**
Bârsești
**
Biliești
**
Boghești
**
Bolotești
**
Bordești
**
Broșteni
**
Câmpineanca
**
Câmpuri
Câmpuri is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Câmpuri, Fetești, Gura Văii, Rotileștii Mari, and Rotileștii Mici.
The commune is located in the northern part of the county, on th ...
**
Cârligele
Cârligele is a commune located in Vrancea County, Muntenia, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Blidari, Bonțești, Cârligele, and Dălhăuți.
The commune is located in the south-central part of Vrancea County, west of the county sea ...
**
Chiojdeni
**
Ciorăști
Ciorăști is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Ciorăști, Codrești, Mihălceni, Salcia Nouă, Salcia Veche, Satu Nou, and Spătăreasa.
Natives
*Ioan Dumitrache
Ioan Dumitrache (25 August 1889 ...
**
Corbița
Corbița is a commune located in Vrancea County, 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 th ...
**
Cotești
Cotești is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Budești, Cotești, Goleștii de Sus and Valea Cotești.
Natives
* G. M. Vlădescu
References
Communes in Vrancea County
Loca ...
**
Dumbrăveni
Dumbrăveni (before 1945 ''Ibașfalău''; german: Elisabethstadt; Saxon dialect: ''Eppeschdorf''; hu, Erzsébetváros) is a town in the north of Sibiu County, in the centre of Transylvania, central Romania. The town administers two villages, Ern ...
**
Dumitrești
Dumitrești is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of sixteen villages: Biceștii de Jos, Biceștii de Sus, Blidari, Dumitrești, Dumitreștii de Sus, Dumitreștii-Faţă, Găloiești, Lăstuni, Lupoaia, Motnău, Poieni ...
**
Fitionești
**
Garoafa
**
Golești
**
Gologanu
**
Gugești
**
Gura Caliței
**
Homocea
**
Jariștea
**
Jitia
Jitia is a commune located in Vrancea County, 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 w ...
**
Măicănești
**
Mera
**
Milcovul
**
Movilița
**
Nănești
**
Năruja
Năruja is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgar ...
**
Negrilești
**
Nereju
Nereju is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Brădăcești, Chiricani (or ''Chiricari''), Nereju, Nereju Mic and Sahastru.
Nereju, Nereju Mic and Brădăcești lie along the Zăbala R ...
**
Nistorești
Nistorești is a commune located in Vrancea County, 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 t ...
**
Obrejița
Obrejița is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Obrejița. It was part of Tâmboești
Tâmboești is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Pădureni, Pietroas ...
**
Paltin
Paltin is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Ghebari, Paltin, Prahuda, Țepa and Vâlcani. It included seven other villages until 2005, when they were split off to form Spulber
Spulber is a commune loca ...
**
Păulești
**
Păunești
Păunești is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bul ...
**
Ploscuțeni
**
Poiana Cristei
Poiana Cristei is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bu ...
**
Popești
**
Pufești
Pufești is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgar ...
**
Răcoasa
Răcoasa is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Gogoiu, Mărăști, Răcoasa, Varnița and Verdea. It is situated in the historical region of Western Moldavia.
Mărăști village () was the site of the ...
**
Răstoaca
**
Reghiu
**
Ruginești
**
Sihlea
Sihlea is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Bogza, Căiata, Sihlea, and Voetin.
The commune is located in the southern extremity of the county, from the county capital, Focșani. Sihlea is situated o ...
**
Slobozia Bradului
**
Slobozia Ciorăști
Slobozia Ciorăști is a commune located in Vrancea County, 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, Hu ...
**
Soveja
Soveja is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Dragosloveni and Rucăreni; the former is the commune centre.
Notable people
*Simion Mehedinți
Simion Mehedinți (; October 19, 1868 – December 14 ...
**
Spulber
Spulber is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Carșochești-Corăbița, Morărești, Păvălari, Spulber, Tojanii de Jos, Tojanii de Sus and Țipău. These were part of Paltin Commune until 2005, when t ...
**
Străoane
**
Suraia
**
Tâmboești
Tâmboești is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Pădureni, Pietroasa, Slimnic, Tâmboești and Trestieni. It also included Obrejița village until 2004, when it was split off to form a separate commune ...
**
Tănăsoaia
**
Tătăranu
**
Tulnici
Tulnici is a commune in Vrancea County, Romania, located in the northwestern part of the county. It is one of the largest administrative areas in Vrancea County, situated at an altitude of 480 m above sea level at the foothills of the Vrancea Mount ...
**
Țifești
**
Urechești
**
Valea Sării
**
Vânători
**
Vârteșcoiu
**
Vidra
**
Vintileasca
**
Vizantea-Livezi
**
Vrâncioaia
Vrâncioaia is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulga ...
**
Vulturu
See also
*
Battle of Mărășești
The Battle of Mărășești (6 August 1917 – 3 September 1917) was the last major battle between the German Empire and the Kingdom of Romania on the Romanian front during World War I. Romania was mostly occupied by the Central Powers, but t ...
References
External links
Portal of Vrancea CountyVrancea.com.ro ~ Trecut, prezent și viitor / Past, present and future www.carnivoremari.ro ~ Large carnivore protection in Vrancea countywww.carnivoremari.ro/rezervatii ~ Protected areas from the Vrancea mountainsVrancea Online - Vrancea County's start page on the Internet
{{Authority control
Counties of Romania
Muntenia
Geography of Western Moldavia
1968 establishments in Romania
States and territories established in 1968