Vrancea () 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 ...
) 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 Cur ...
. 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 RosenberPopu ...
of .
*
Romanians
The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym '' Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Romania ...
– 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, 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 rel ...
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
The 1977 Vrancea earthquake occurred on 4 March 1977, at 21:22 local time, and was felt throughout the Balkans. It had a magnitude of 7.5, making it the second most powerful earthquake recorded in Romania in the 20th century, after the 10 Novem ...
, 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 Macedo ...
, and the
1940 Vrancea earthquake
The 1940 Vrancea earthquake, also known as the 1940 Bucharest earthquake, ( ro, Cutremurul din 1940) occurred on Sunday, 10 November 1940, in Romania, at 03:39 (local time), when the majority of the population was at home.
The 1940 earthquake r ...
which killed over 1,000 people. The most powerful was the
1802 Vrancea earthquake
The 1802 Vrancea earthquake occurred in the Vrancea Mountains of today's Romania (then Moldavia) on , on St. Paraskeva's Day. With an estimated intensity of 7.9 on the moment magnitude scale, it is the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Roman ...
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 pa ...
, but which killed only 4 people. Other notable earthquakes were the
1738 Vrancea earthquake
The 1738 Vrancea earthquake occurred on , during the third rule of Constantin Mavrocordat. The seism aroused great panic and is mentioned in several sources. It occurred in the lower lithospheric block, at a depth of 130 km. Its effects were ...
, the
1838 Vrancea earthquake
Events
January–March
* January 10 – A fire destroys Lloyd's Coffee House and the Royal Exchange in London.
* January 11 – At Morristown, New Jersey, Samuel Morse, Alfred Vail and Leonard Gale give the first public demonstration ...
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
Galați () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Moldavia region, with the capital city at Galați.
History
Historically Galați is part of Moldavia. In 1858, it was represented by Alexandru Ioan Cuza at the '' ad hoc Divan'' at Iași, in the ...
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 Romani ...
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 themsel ...
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.
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 Cur ...
;
*
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 Mou ...
–
Lepșa –
Greșu
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 Mou ...
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, traditiona ...
) 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;
* 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 Cur ...
- 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
Bârsești is a commune located in Vrancea County, Western Moldavia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Bârsești and Topești, and also included Negrilești before it split off as a separate commune in 2003.
The commune is located i ...
**
Biliești
**
Boghești
**
Bolotești
Bolotești is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of six villages: Bolotești, Găgești, Ivăncești, Pietroasa, Putna and Vităneștii de sub Măgură.
Natives
* Ion Cristoiu
Ion Cristoiu (; born November 16, 1948, ...
**
Bordești
**
Broșteni
**
Câmpineanca
**
Câmpuri
**
Cârligele
**
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
**
Cotești
**
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
Garoafa is a commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality or to ...
**
Golești
**
Gologanu
**
Gugești
**
Gura Caliței
**
Homocea
Homocea 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 ...
**
Jariștea
**
Jitia
**
Măicănești
**
Mera
**
Milcovul
**
Movilița
**
Nănești
Nănești 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 ...
**
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 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 River, while Chirica ...
**
Nistorești
**
Obrejița
**
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 lo ...
**
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
**
Răstoaca
Răstoaca is a commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Răstoaca, and was part of Milcovul commune from 1968 until 2004, when it was split off.
The commune is located in the southern part of the county, ...
**
Reghiu
Reghiu is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Vrancea County, Romania. It is composed of eight villages: Farcaș, Jgheaburi, Piscu Reghiului, Răiuți, Reghiu, Șindrilari, Ursoaia, and Valea Milcovului.
Geography
The commune is located in t ...
**
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
**
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
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 ...
**
Străoane
**
Suraia
**
Tâmboești
**
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 Mou ...
**
Țifești
**
Urechești
**
Valea Sării
Valea Sării is a commune
A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to:
Administrative-territorial entities
* Commune (administrative division), a municipality ...
**
Vânători
**
Vârteșcoiu
**
Vidra
**
Vintileasca
**
Vizantea-Livezi
**
Vrâncioaia
**
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