Maramureș County
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Maramureș County () is a county ( județ) in
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
, in the
Maramureș ( ; ; ; ) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, along parts of the upper Tisza River drainage basin; it covers the Maramureș Depression and the ...
region. The county seat is Baia Mare.


Name

In Hungarian it is known as ''Máramaros megye'', in Ukrainian as Мараморо́щина, in German as ''Kreis Marmarosch'', and in
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
as מאַרמאַראָש.


Geography

Maramureș County is situated in the northern part of Romania, in the
historical region History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
of
Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...
, and has a border with
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
. This county has a total area of , of which 43% is covered by the
Rodna Mountains Rodna Mountains (, ) are a subdivision of the Inner Eastern Carpathians in northern Romania. The name comes from the nearby Rodna Veche village. At , is the highest peak in all of the Eastern Carpathians. The main ridge of the Rodna Mountain ...
, with its tallest peak, , at altitude. Together with the Gutâi and Țibleș mountain ranges, the Rodna mountains are 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 Sy ...
. The rest of the county are hills, plateaus, and valleys. The county is crossed by Tisa River and its main tributaries: the Iza, Vișeu, and Mara rivers.


Neighbours

The neighbouring territorial units, both Romanian and foreign, to Maramureș County are listed below: *
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county (') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat and the ...
to the east; *
Satu Mare County Satu Mare County (, , ) is a county (Counties of Romania, județ) of Romania, on the border with Hungary and Ukraine. The capital city is Satu Mare. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian, it is known as ''Szatmár megye'', in German language, Ge ...
to the west; *
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
to the north – Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast and
Zakarpattia Oblast Zakarpattia Oblast (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Закарпатська область), also referred to as simply Zakarpattia (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Закарпаття; Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Kárpátalja'') or Transcar ...
; *
Sălaj County Sălaj County (; ) (also known as ''Land of Silvania'', ''silva, -ae'' means "forest") is a Counties of Romania, county (''județ'') of Romania, located in the north-west of the country, in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of ...
,
Cluj County Cluj County () is a county () of Romania, in Transylvania. Its seat is Cluj-Napoca. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian it is known as ''Kolozs megye''. Under the Kingdom of Hungary, a county with an identical name (Kolozs County, ) existed s ...
, and
Bistrița-Năsăud County Bistrița-Năsăud () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Bistrița. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian, it is known as ''Beszterce-Naszód megye'', and in German language, German as ''Kreis Bistritz-N ...
to the south.


Administrative divisions

Maramureș County has 2 municipalities, 11 towns and 63 communes. *Municipalities ** Baia Mare - county seat; population: 114,925 (as of 2011) ** Sighetu Marmației *Towns ** Baia Sprie ** Borșa ** Cavnic ** Dragomirești ** Săliștea de Sus **
Seini Seini (German language, German: ''Leuchtenburg''; Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Szinérváralja'') is a town in Maramureș County, Romania. It administers two villages, Săbișa (''Kissebespatak'') and Viile Apei (''Apahegy''). It officially b ...
**
Șomcuta Mare Șomcuta Mare (; ) is a town in Maramureș County, Romania. The town administers seven villages: Buciumi (''Törökfalu''), Buteasa (''Bucsonfalva''), Ciolt (''Csolt''), Codru Butesii (''Kodrulytelep''), Finteușu Mare (''Nagyfentős''), Hovrila ( ...
** Târgu Lăpuș ** Tăuții-Măgherăuș ** Ulmeni ** Vișeu de Sus *Communes ** Ardusat ** Ariniș ** Asuaju de Sus ** Băița de sub Codru ** Băiuț ** Bârsana ** Băsești ** Bicaz ** Bistra ** Bocicoiu Mare ** Bogdan Vodă ** Boiu Mare ** Botiza ** Breb ** Budești ** Călinești ** Câmpulung la Tisa ** Cernești ** Cicârlău ** Coaș ** Coltău ** Copalnic-Mănăștur ** Coroieni ** Cupșeni ** Desești ** Dumbrăvița ** Fărcașa ** Gârdani ** Giulești ** Groși ** Groșii Țibleșului **
Ieud Ieud (, or ''Jood'') is a commune in Maramureș County, Maramureș, Romania. The commune is situated in the central part of Maramureș County, on the banks of the Ieudișor, a tributary of the Iza River. It is composed of a single village, Ieud ...
** Lăpuș ** Leordina ** Mireșu Mare ** Moisei ** Oarța de Jos ** Ocna Șugatag ** Onceşti ** Petrova ** Poienile de sub Munte ** Poienile Izei ** Recea ** Remetea Chioarului ** Remeți ** Repedea ** Rona de Jos ** Rona de Sus ** Rozavlea ** Ruscova ** Săcălășeni ** Săcel ** Sălsig ** Săpânța ** Sarasău ** Satulung ** Șieu ** Șișești ** Strâmtura ** Suciu de Sus ** Vadu Izei ** Valea Chioarului ** Vima Mică ** Vișeu de Jos


Economy

Maramureș is known for its pastoral and agricultural traditions, largely unscathed by the
industrialisation Industrialisation ( UK) or industrialization ( US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive reorganisation of an economy for th ...
campaign carried out during Romania's communist period. Ploughing, planting, harvesting, and hay making and handling are mostly done through
manual labour Manual labour (in Commonwealth English, manual labor in American English) or manual work is physical work done by humans, in contrast to labour by machines and working animals. It is most literally work done with the hands (the word ''manual ...
. The county is also home to a strong mining industry of extraction of metals other than iron. The industrial plants built around Baia Mare during the communist period heavily polluted the area in the past, but recently, due to the decline of the city's industrial activity, the area has become less polluted.


Tourism

The region is known for its beautiful rural scenery, local small woodwork and craftwork industry as well as for its churches and original rural architecture. There are not many paved roads in the rural areas, but most of them are usually accessible. The county's main tourist attractions are: * The cities of Baia Mare and Sighetu Marmației. * The villages on the Iza, Mara, and Vișeu Valleys. ** The
Wooden churches of Maramureș The wooden churches of Maramureș in the Maramureș (historical region), Maramureș region of northern Transylvania are a group of almost one hundred Romanian Orthodox Church, Orthodox churches, and occasionally Romanian Church United with Rome, Gr ...
** The wooden churches of ** The wooden churches of ** The Merry Cemetery of Săpânța * The
Rodna Mountains Rodna Mountains (, ) are a subdivision of the Inner Eastern Carpathians in northern Romania. The name comes from the nearby Rodna Veche village. At , is the highest peak in all of the Eastern Carpathians. The main ridge of the Rodna Mountain ...
, the Rodna Mountains National Park, and the Maramureș Mountains Natural Park. * The landscape of Cavnic. * The Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance in Sighetu Marmației.


Demographics

According to the 2021 census, the county had a population of 452,475 and the
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...
was .


Politics

The Maramureș County Council, elected at the 2020 local elections, consists of 34 councillors, with the following party composition:


Historical county


History

* In 1199, the region is first attested. * In 1241 the Tatar invasion decimated about half of the local population. * In the 14th century, Duke (
knyaz A , also , ''knjaz'' or (), is a historical Slavs, Slavic title, used both as a royal and noble title in different times. It is usually translated into English language, English as 'prince', 'king' or 'duke', depending on specific historical c ...
)
Bogdan Bogdan (Cyrillic: Богдан) is a Slavic masculine name that appears in the South Slavic languages and in Polish, Romanian and Moldovan. It is derived from the Slavic words ''Bog'' (Cyrillic: Бог), meaning 'god', and ''dan'' (Cyrillic: ...
of Maramureș crossed the Carpathians and founded the Principality of
Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...
. In 1343, the Voivodeship of Maramureș, led by a Romanian nobility, is established, and it lasts until 1402. * In the Middle Ages, the historical region of Máramaros (
Maramureș ( ; ; ; ) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, along parts of the upper Tisza River drainage basin; it covers the Maramureș Depression and the ...
) was known for its salt mines and later for its lumber. In 1920, under the
Treaty of Trianon The Treaty of Trianon (; ; ; ), often referred to in Hungary as the Peace Dictate of Trianon or Dictate of Trianon, was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace Conference. It was signed on the one side by Hungary ...
, the northern part of the county became part of newly-formed
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...
, while the southern part (including Sighetu Marmației) became part of the
Kingdom of Romania The Kingdom of Romania () was a constitutional monarchy that existed from with the crowning of prince Karl of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen as King of Romania, King Carol I of Romania, Carol I (thus beginning the Romanian royal family), until 1947 wit ...
. After the administrative unification law in 1925, the county remained as it was, with an identical name and territory. In 1938,
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Carol II Carol II (4 April 1953) was King of Romania from 8 June 1930, until his forced abdication on 6 September 1940. As the eldest son of Ferdinand I of Romania, King Ferdinand I, he became crown prince upon the death of his grand-uncle, King Carol I, ...
promulgated a new
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
, and subsequently he had the administrative division of the Romanian territory changed. Ten (approximate translation: "lands") were created (by merging the counties) to be ruled by (approximate translation: "Royal Residents") – appointed directly by the king – instead of the prefects. Maramureș County became part of Ținutul Crișuri. In August 1940, under the auspices of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
, which imposed the
Second Vienna Award The Second Vienna Award was the second of two territorial disputes that were arbitrated by Nazi Germany and the Kingdom of Italy. On 30 August 1940, they assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania, including all of Maramureș and part of Cri ...
, the county was transferred back to
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
with the rest of
Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania (, ) 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 the Kingdom of Hungary (1920-1946), Kingdom ...
. In October 1944, Romanian forces with
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
assistance recaptured the ceded territory and reintegrated it into Romania, re-establishing the county. Romanian jurisdiction over the county per the Treaty of Trianon was reaffirmed in the
Paris Peace Treaties, 1947 The Paris Peace Treaties () 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 (principally the United Kingdom, ...
. The counties of Romania, including Maramureș, were disestablished by the
communist government A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...
of Romania in 1950 in favour of
regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
, and re-established in 1968 when Romania restored the county administrative system.


Administration

In 1930, the county was originally divided into three districts ('' plăși''):Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Maramureș
/ref> #Plasa Iza #Plasa Sighet (headquartered at Sighet) #Plasa Vișeu (headquartered at Vișeu de Sus) Subsequently, the Iza and Sighet districts were reorganized into three districts, adding one:
  1. Plasa Șugatag (headquartered at Ocna Șugatag)


Population

According to the 1930 census, the county's population was 194,619, 57.9% Romanian, 20.9% Jews, 11.9% Ruthenians (including Ukrainians), 6.9% Hungarians, 2.0% Germans, as well as other minorities.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 276-277 The following composition was recorded from the religious point of view: 64.4% Greek Catholic, 21.0% Jewish, 6.4% Roman Catholic, 5.3% Eastern Orthodox, 1.8% Reformed, as well as other minorities.


Urban population

In 1930 the county's urban population ethnically consisted of 38.6% Jews, 35.4% Romanians, 19.9% Hungarians, 4.5% Ruthenians (including Ukrainians), as well as other minorities. Yiddish was spoken by 36.6% of the urban population, followed by Romanian (33.7%), Hungarian (25.7%), Ukrainian (2.3%), as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban inhabitants were Jewish (38.9%), Greek Catholics (38.0%), Roman Catholics (12.8%), Reformed (5.7%), Eastern Orthodox (3.5%), as well as other minorities.


People

Natives of the county include: * Augustin Buzura * Ștefan Hrușcă * Gheorghe Pop de Băsești *
Paula Seling Paula Seling (; born 25 December 1978) is a Romanian singer, songwriter, record producer, and television personality. She has released more than thirteen albums (including three Christmas albums) and over twenty singles, which include two top-te ...
*
Elie Wiesel Eliezer "Elie" Wiesel (September 30, 1928 – July 2, 2016) was a Romanian-born American writer, professor, political activist, List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates#1980, Nobel laureate, and Holocaust survivor. He authored Elie Wiesel bibliogra ...


References


External links


English translation of the Máramaros Yizkor Book ''Sefer Marmarosh; mea ve-shishim kehilot kedoshot be-yishuvan u-ve-hurbanan'' published in 1983 and 1996 (history and remembrance book of the approximately 160 Máramaros area Jewish shtetls and communities, and their destruction in the Holocaust)
{{coord, 47, 40, 22, N, 24, 00, 18, E, region:RO_type:adm1st_source:dewiki, display=title Counties of Romania Geography of Transylvania Rusyn communities 1925 establishments in Romania 1944 establishments in Romania 1968 establishments in Romania 1938 disestablishments in Romania 1950 disestablishments in Romania States and territories established in 1925 States and territories established in 1944 States and territories established in 1968 States and territories disestablished in 1938 States and territories disestablished in 1950