Glodeni District () is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivision ...

() in northwestern

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...

, with its administrative center at

Glodeni Glodeni (; russian: Глодяны; pl, Głodziany; uk, Глодяни) is a city in the northwest of Moldova; it is the seat of Glodeni District. Its population as of 2012 was 11,600. One village, Stîrcea, is administered by the city. Medi ...

. , its population was 61,900. The district consists of 35 localities, 18

communes An intentional community is a voluntary residential community which is designed to have a high degree of social cohesion and teamwork from the start. The members of an intentional community typically hold a common social, political, relig ...

, 16 villages and one city (Glodeni).

History

The oldest area in the district is the Cobani, which dates back to June 3, 1374. Other old localities include Balatina, Camenca, Cuhnești, and Iabloana, founded between 1429 and 1442. During the 15th–17th centuries Glodeni continued to develop as a trade and economic region, with a significant increase in population. In 1616, a district center was documented as Glodeni. Since the 17th and 18th centuries, the region has been fueled by wars with the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi-confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Crown of the Kingdom of ...

and the Ottoman and

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

s. In 1812, the region was occupied by the

; with the local population of

Moldovans Moldovans, sometimes referred to as Moldavians ( ro, moldoveni , Moldovan Cyrillic: молдовень), are a Romance-speaking ethnic group and the largest ethnic group of the Republic of Moldova (75.1% of the population as of 2014) and a sign ...

and

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 Ort ...

Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...

constitute 22 percent of the population. After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, Bessarabia decided to unite with Romania. In 1940, Bessarabia was occupied by the USSR after the

Molotov–Ribbentrop pact , long_name = Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-H27337, Moskau, Stalin und Ribbentrop im Kreml.jpg , image_width = 200 , caption = Stalin and Ribbentrop shaking ...

. From 1944 to 1991, the Glodeni District was part of the

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic The Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic ( ro, Republica Sovietică Socialistă Moldovenească, Moldovan Cyrillic: ) was one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union which existed from 1940 to 1991. The republic was formed on 2 August 1940 ...

(MSSR). After the 1991

independence of Moldova The independence of Moldova was officially recognized on 2 March 1992, when Moldova gained membership of the United Nations. The nation had declared its independence from the Soviet Union on 27 August 1991, and was a co-founder of the post-Soviet ...

, the Glodeni District was part of Bălți County until 2003, when it became a district.

Geography

Glodeni District is bordered by Riscani District on the north, Balti Municipality on the east, Falesti District on the south and

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 ...

on the west. The district is a hilly plain, fragmented by valleys which are higher in the west with a slight incline to their merge with the Prut. In the western part of the district, the localities of Balatina, Cobani, Butesti, and Camenca possess a number of natural resources, including gravel and sand (near the Prut), building stone (Balatina, Butesti, Camenca, Cobani),

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms w ...

( Cuhnesti, Viişoara) and

clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4). Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay pa ...

(

, Danu and Iabloana). Soils are primarily

Chernozem Chernozem (from rus, чернозём, p=tɕɪrnɐˈzʲɵm, r=chernozyom; "black ground"), also called black soil, is a black-colored soil containing a high percentage of humus (4% to 16%) and high percentages of phosphorus and ammonia compou ...

ic and

loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand ( particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...

y. The highest altitude in the district is , in the west.

Climate

The annual average temperature is degrees. In January, the average temperature is degrees and degrees in July. Annual rainfall is . In rainy years up to is possible, while in dry years it can be as little as .

Fauna

The district has fauna typical of Central Europe, including fox,

weasel Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...

marten A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...

woodpecker Woodpeckers are part of the bird family Picidae, which also includes the piculets, wrynecks, and sapsuckers. Members of this family are found worldwide, except for Australia, New Guinea, New Zealand, Madagascar, and the extreme polar regions ...

, turtle dove and

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera native range is restricted to Eurasia ...

in forests and

boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

ondatra The muskrat (''Ondatra zibethicus'') is a medium-sized semiaquatic rodent native to North America and an introduced species in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands over a wide range of climates and hab ...

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes we ...

duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form ...

, wild cat,

egret Egrets ( ) are herons, generally long-legged wading birds, that have white or buff plumage, developing fine plumes (usually milky white) during the breeding season. Egrets are not a biologically distinct group from herons and have the same buil ...

near the Prut. gopher, field mice,

rabbits Rabbits, also known as bunnies or bunny rabbits, are small mammals in the family Leporidae (which also contains the hares) of the order Lagomorpha (which also contains the pikas). ''Oryctolagus cuniculus'' includes the European rabbit sp ...

and partridges inhabit the

steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate gras ...

regions.

Flora

Forests occupy 8.5 percent of the district, and consist of oak,

acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus nam ...

, poplar,

ash Ash or ashes are the solid remnants of fires. Specifically, ''ash'' refers to all non-aqueous, non-gaseous residues that remain after something burns. In analytical chemistry, to analyse the mineral and metal content of chemical samples, ash ...

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since h ...

, elm and

hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999). ...

. Undergrowth includes

blackthorn ''Prunus spinosa'', called blackthorn or sloe, is a species of flowering plant in the rose family Rosaceae. The species is native to Europe, western Asia, and regionally in northwest Africa. It is locally naturalized in New Zealand, Tasmania, ...

and

blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy ...

Steppe In physical geography, a steppe () is an ecoregion characterized by grassland plains without trees apart from those near rivers and lakes. Steppe biomes may include: * the montane grasslands and shrublands biome * the temperate gras ...

and forest steppe vegetation includes grasses, knotweed,

clover Clover or trefoil are common names for plants of the genus ''Trifolium'' (from Latin ''tres'' 'three' + ''folium'' 'leaf'), consisting of about 300 species of flowering plants in the legume or pea family Fabaceae originating in Europe. The genus ...

and wormwood.

Pădurea Domnească

The Pădurea Domnească nature reserve is located in the mid-Prut Valley area, extending between Criva and Pruteni. A forest under state protection since 1993, it is one of the most valuable meadows and old

floodplain A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...

forests in Europe. The reserve covers an area of , of which is forest. In the reserve are gorges, caves and waterfalls; a deposit of fossilized

coral Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and se ...

; over 3,500 prehistoric

mound A mound is a heaped pile of earth, gravel, sand, rocks, or debris. Most commonly, mounds are earthen formations such as hills and mountains, particularly if they appear artificial. A mound may be any rounded area of topographically highe ...

s of unknown origin; a prehistoric lake bed with trees reaching heights of and a colony of over 1,000

heron The herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 72 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genera ''Botaurus'' and ''Ixobrychu ...

s which nest in the oaks.

Rivers

The Prut borders Romania. Smaller rivers include the Camenca, Căldăruşa and the Glodeni (in the Prut basin) and Copăceanca (in the Răut River basin). The district contains of lakes and

ponds A pond is an area filled with water, either natural or Artificiality, artificial, that is smaller than a lake. Defining them to be less than in area, less than deep, and with less than 30% Aquatic plant, emergent vegetation helps in disting ...

, which are popular summer retreats for tourists and local people.

Demographics

On January 1, 2012, the district population was 61,400, of which 18.9% was urban and 81.1% was rural population. There were 700 births in 2010, (11.3 per 1000) and 900 deaths (14.5 per 1000), for a decrease in population of 200 (−3.2 per 1000).

Ethnic groups

''Footnote'': * There is an ongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.

Religion

*Christians: 98.1% ** Orthodox Christians: 96.3% **

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

: 1.4% ***

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul com ...

: 1.1% *** Seventh-day Adventists: 0.1% ***

Pentecostals Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

: 0.1% ***

Evangelicals Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide interdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity that affirms the centrality of being " born again", in which an individual expe ...

: 0.1% **

Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

: 0.4% *Other: 1.3% *None: 0.4% *

Atheists Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

: 0.2%

Economy

The district has a total of 6,500 registered companies; however, agriculture is the most important sector. Agricultural land comprises (74.7 percent) of the total land area. Arable land comprises (56.1 percent) of total agricultural land, which includes

orchards An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of lar ...

(, or 2.9 percent),

vineyards A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...

(, or 1 percent) and

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or sw ...

(, or 14.3 percent). Crops include

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), ...

sugar beet A sugar beet is a plant whose root contains a high concentration of sucrose and which is grown commercially for sugar production. In plant breeding, it is known as the Altissima cultivar group of the common beet ('' Beta vulgaris''). Together ...

s, tobacco and cereals. Livestock and milk production is practiced intensively only on farms in Danu and Sturzovca.

Education

The district operates 32 kindergartens, two primary schools, 10 secondary schools, eight general-education schools and eight higher-education institutes serving a student population of 9,158. Vocational training is available in

and Ciuciulea.

Politics

From 2001 to 2009, Glodeni District was part of the "north red" electoral region, in which the Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) usually received over 50 percent of the vote. However, in the 2009 July elections the PCRM lost to the Alliance for European Integration (AEI). During the last three elections, the AEI has increased 107.7%.

Elections

, - !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="2" valign=center, Parties and coalitions !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=Votes !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=% !style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=+/− , - , , align=left, Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova , align="right", 11,570 , align="right", 43.62 , align="right", −4.10 , - , , align=left, Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova , align="right", 6,540 , align="right", 24.66 , align="right", +5.76 , - , , align=left, Democratic Party of Moldova , align="right", 4,514 , align="right", 17,02 , align="right", +3.58 , - , , align=left,

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

, align="right", 1,159 , align="right", 4.37 , align="right", −4.06 , - , , align=left, Party Alliance Our Moldova , align="right", 901 , align="right", 3.40 , align="right", −4.19 , - , bgcolor="grey", , align=left, Gabriel Stati (independent) , align="right", 305 , align="right", 1.15 , align="right", +1.15 , - , bgcolor=#0033cc, , align=left, European Action Movement , align="right", 299 , align="right", 1.13 , align="right", +1.13 , - , bgcolor="grey", , align=left,

Humanist Party of Moldova Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...

, align="right", 282 , align="right", 1.06 , align="right", +1.06 , - , bgcolor="grey", , align=left, Other , align="right", 1,257 , align="right", 3.59 , align="right", -0.33 , - , align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan="2", Total (turnout 57.25%) , width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9", 26,743 , width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9", 100.00 , width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9",

Culture

The district has a children's center, schools of art, music and fine arts, 27 cultural houses, 35 public libraries, five museums, 97 works of art and 17 musical groups.

Health

Glodeni has a 200-bed hospital, 13 family practitioners, 10 health centers, 4 health offices and 26

pharmacies Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links healt ...

Notable residents

* Aurel Saulea: Member of the Moldavian Parliament 1990–1994 * Costache Leancă:

Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds o ...

n politician, president of Bălți County general assembly 1917–1918 * Igor Klipii: Politician and diplomat * Vasile Coroban: Writer

References

External links

District population per year
(in Romanian)
Descrierea generală a raionului Glodeni
(in Romanian) {{Coord, 47, 45, N, 27, 30, E, region:MD_type:adm1st, display=title Districts of Moldova