Sălaj County (; ) (also known as ''Land of Silvania'', ''silva, -ae'' means "forest") is a
county
A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
(''
județ
A (, 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.
There are 41 in Romania, divided into municipii (municipalities), ''ora ...
'') of
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 ...
, located in the north-west of the country, in the
historical regions
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...
of
Crișana
Crișana (, , ) is a geographical and historical region of Romania named after the Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the Crișul Alb, Crișul Negru, and Crișul Repede. In Romania, the term is sometimes extended to include areas ...
and
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 ...
. It is bordered to the north by
Satu Mare
Satu Mare (; ; ; or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in the region of Maramureș, broadly part of Transylvania ...
and
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 ...
counties, to the west and south-west by
Bihor County
Bihor County (, ) is a county (județ) in western Romania. With a total area of , Bihor is Romania's 6th largest county geographically and the main county in the historical region of Crișana. Its capital city is Oradea (Nagyvárad).
Toponymy
...
, and to the south-east by
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 ...
.
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: (; or , , ) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2021, its estimated population was 52,359.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", away from the h ...
is the county seat, as well as its largest city.
Etymology
In
Hungarian, it is known as ''Szilágy megye'', in
Slovak as ''Salašská župa'', and in
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
as ''Kreis Zillenmarkt''. The county is named after the river
Sălaj, which gets its name from Hungarian ''Szilágy'' "elm creek", composed from ''
szil'', "
elm
Elms are deciduous and semi-deciduous trees comprising the genus ''Ulmus'' in the family Ulmaceae. They are distributed over most of the Northern Hemisphere, inhabiting the temperate and tropical- montane regions of North America and Eurasia, ...
" and ''
ágy'' "
riverbed".
History
Antiquity
On 28 July 1978, a team of speleologists discovered in the cave of
Cuciulat Paleolithic
The Paleolithic or Palaeolithic ( years ago) ( ), also called the Old Stone Age (), is a period in human prehistory that is distinguished by the original development of stone tools, and which represents almost the entire period of human prehist ...
paintings about 12,000 years old, unique in Romania. Called the "Romanian Altamira", this cave features several red paintings of animals, including horses and felines. These are the first manifestations of this kind known in
Southeastern Europe
Southeast Europe or Southeastern Europe is a geographical sub-region of Europe, consisting primarily of the region of the Balkans, as well as adjacent regions and Archipelago, archipelagos. There are overlapping and conflicting definitions of t ...
.
The first villages in the current territory of Sălaj County are 7,500 years old. The first ceramic pots in Sălaj area are about the same age. The first houses with several rooms were built in this county about 6,000 years ago. The only fully studied
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
settlement in the Romanian territory is located in Sălaj County, in
Recea.
So far, 63 bronze artifacts have been discovered dating as far back as 17th–9th centuries BC. Bronze items from this period discovered in the Sălaj County are exhibited today in museums in Germany, United States, Hungary, but also
Bucharest
Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
. Six defense citadels were dated to the first
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
, 11th–4th centuries BC.
Daco-Roman period and early Middle Ages

Between the 2nd century BC and the 1st century AD, the current territory of Sălaj was occupied by
Dacians
The Dacians (; ; ) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often considered a subgroup of the Thracians. This area include ...
. There was a Dacian tribal union between
Crasna and
Barcău rivers that controlled the access roads to the north-west, to and from Transylvania, as well as the commerce, especially the
salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
trade. From the Dacian period come no less than 23 Dacian thesauri, made of silver coins and ornaments. The 3,000 coins and 70 silver ornaments weigh in total about . The largest fortified Dacian settlement in Romania was discovered in Sălaj County, dating from the 1st century AD. In total, in Sălaj County were discovered sites of 30 Dacian villages and 15 Dacian citadels defending the tribal union in the west of the current county. These citadels were located on hills and were fortified with ditches and earth walls, on which were erected wooden palisades. The center of the tribal union was on
Măgura Șimleului, in a complex of settlements and fortifications.
In the western half of the county, under Roman military control, subsequently settled the
Vandals
The Vandals were a Germanic people who were first reported in the written records as inhabitants of what is now Poland, during the period of the Roman Empire. Much later, in the fifth century, a group of Vandals led by kings established Vand ...
, which entered into an alliance with Dacians, supported by the
Romans to fight other barbarians. The Vandals arrived in the area during the 1st century AD, coming from the current territory of
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
.

After conquering
Dacia
Dacia (, ; ) was the land inhabited by the Dacians, its core in Transylvania, stretching to the Danube in the south, the Black Sea in the east, and the Tisza in the west. The Carpathian Mountains were located in the middle of Dacia. It thus ro ...
, the Romans built on the place of a Dacian settlement the capital of
Dacia Porolissensis, at
Porolissum (current
Moigrad). The capital Porolissum had about 20,000 inhabitants, defended by the militaries in the local
castra
''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...
. As a work of art should be mentioned the
amphitheater
An amphitheatre ( U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meaning "place for vie ...
, a scale replica of the one in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, with a capacity of 6,000 seats. In 214 AD, Roman Emperor
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus visited Porolissum. At Porolissum was quartered for a period Cohors III Dacorum, made of ethnic Dacians, who fought as infantry.
In the Sălaj County area there were identified nine Roman castra (
Certinae,
Largiana,
Optatiana,
Porolissum,
Brusturi,
Buciumi,
Jac,
Tihău, and
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: (; or , , ) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2021, its estimated population was 52,359.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", away from the h ...
) and the
limes (fortified border) of the province. In 275 AD, Roman authorities left the province, but indigenous people continued to live in the same territories. Their presence is attested archaeologically after the Roman imperial authorities left the region.
There followed the
Gepids
The Gepids (; ) were an East Germanic tribes, East Germanic tribe who lived in the area of modern Romania, Hungary, and Serbia, roughly between the Tisza, Sava, and Carpathian Mountains. They were said to share the religion and language of the G ...
, which just passed through the area. Two Gepid gold thesauri discovered in
Șimleu Silvaniei, weighing in total about of gold and dating from the 5th century AD, are now exhibited in museums in
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
and
Budapest
Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...
. In the 6th–7th centuries AD arrive in the area Slavic tribes, who find here the native population.
In the early Middle Ages, in the 10th century AD, the boundary between the voivodeship of
Menumorut
Menumorut or Menumorout (Modern ) was the ruler of the lands between the rivers Mureș, Someș and Tisza at the time of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin around 900, according to the '' Gesta Hungarorum'', a Hungarian chronicle wr ...
and that of
Gelu was on
Meseș Mountains. From the early medieval period come more than 100 settlements identified in the Sălaj County (7th–13th centuries). Among the first counties organized in Transylvania was
Crasna County, in 1090, part of the current Sălaj County.
Byzantine chronicles and
Anonymus' ''
Gesta Hungarorum
''Gesta Hungarorum'', or ''The Deeds of the Hungarians'', is the earliest book about Kingdom of Hungary, Hungarian history which has survived for posterity. Its genre is not chronicle, but ''gesta'', meaning "deeds" or "acts", which is a medie ...
'' make the first mentions about Romanians in these places, about their forms of organization, as well as the first documentary attestation of
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: (; or , , ) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2021, its estimated population was 52,359.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", away from the h ...
(1220 as ''villa Ziloc'').
Under Kingdom of Hungary
Starting with the second half of the 11th century, Hungarians conquer systematically Transylvania, which organizes as an autonomous Voivodate within the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
. During the Middle Ages, Transylvanian politics was monopolized by ''
Unio Trium Nationum
Unio Trium Nationum (Latin for "Union of the Three Nations") was a pact of mutual aid codified in 1437 by three Estates of the realm, Estates of Voivodeship of Transylvania, Transylvania: the (largely Hungarians, Hungarian) nobility, the Transylv ...
'' (a political alliance of nobles, Saxon and Székely rulers formed during the
Bobâlna revolt of 1437–1438). From 1526, Transylvania is included in the
Eastern Hungarian Kingdom
The Eastern Hungarian Kingdom ( ) is a modern term coined by some historians to designate the realm of John Zápolya and his son John Sigismund Zápolya, who contested the claims of the House of Habsburg to rule the Kingdom of Hungary from 1526 ...
that will become under Ottoman suzerainty, and in 1570 it transforms to the
Principality of Transylvania. After 1691, the Principality is subjected to the direct rule of the
Habsburgs
The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
governors. In 1765, it transformed into the
Grand Principality of Transylvania. After the formation of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military and diplomatic alliance, it consist ...
(1867), Transylvania disappears as a state, being incorporated again into the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...
. A county with an identical name (
Szilágy County
Szilágy (Romanian language, Romanian: Sălaj) was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in north-western Romania. The capital of the county was Zilah (present-day Za ...
, ) was created in 1876, covering a similar area.
In Salaj County are medieval citadels and castles which belonged to noble families (
Dragu,
Jibou,
Gârbou,
Șimleu Silvaniei, etc.). Among them is Almașu Citadel () (nowadays, in ruins), built in the 13th century, a property of Transylvanian voivodes, then of
Petru Rareș
Petru Rareș (; – 3 September 1546) or Petru IV was twice voivode of Moldavia from 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and from 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born (probably at Hârlău) to Stephen III of ...
, Prince 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 ...
.

The history of Salaj County includes an important episode related to historical facts of the maker of the first political union of
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ; : , : ) is a historical and geographical region of modern-day Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians. Wallachia was traditionally divided into two sections, Munteni ...
,
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
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 ...
under
Michael the Brave
Michael the Brave ( or ; 1558 – 9 August 1601), born as Mihai Pătrașcu, was the Prince of Wallachia (as Michael II, 1593–1601), Prince of Moldavia (1600) and ''de facto'' ruler of Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711), Transylvani ...
. On 3 August 1601, armies led by Michael the Brave and Austrian general
Giorgio Basta
Giorgio Basta, Count of Huszt, Gjergj Basta or Gheorghe Basta (1550 – 1607) was an Kingdom of Naples, Italian general, diplomat, and writer of Arbëreshë people, Arbëreshë Albanian origin, employed by the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II to com ...
defeated the Hungarian noble army led by Prince
Sigismund Báthory at
Guruslău (Goroszló), near Zalău (Zilah) (where a memorial was erected).
At the forefront of the struggle for national rights of Romanians the often have been personalities from Sălaj County. Among the
Romanian revolutionaries of 1848 can be mentioned
Alexandru Papiu Ilarian and
Simion Bărnuțiu, who became the ideologist of the Romanian revolution in Transylvania.
Following the establishment of the
Romanian National Party in Transylvania (1869) and the adoption of "passivist" tactics (non-participation in the political life of Hungary), Sălaj leaders of the party participated in the largest protest during the political passivism period, the "Memorandist Movement" (1892–1894). Was noticed the contribution of
Gheorghe Pop de Băsești. The failure of political passivism determined the PNR leaders to pass to "political activism", starting in 1905. At the stage of political activism, the Transylvanian Romanians achieved representation in the
Parliament in Budapest, advocating there for national rights. In that context, there stood out the activity of
Iuliu Maniu, the greatest politician in the history of Sălaj.
In the national and international favorable conditions of 1918, leaders of Romanians in Transylvania organized the
Great National Assembly of
Alba Iulia
Alba Iulia (; or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; ; ) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the river Mureș (river), Mureș in the historical region of Transylvania, it has a ...
(1 December 1918), with plebiscitary character, which proclaimed the
Union of Transylvania with Romania
The union of Transylvania with Romania was declared on by the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia. The Great Union Day (also called ''Unification Day''), celebrated on 1 December, is a Public holidays in Romani ...
. Political elites in Sălaj had a leading role in the events. Gheorghe Pop de Băsești was elected president of the Great National Council (legislative body), Iuliu Maniu became president of the Governing Council (executive body), and
Victor Deleu
Victor Deleu (25 May 1876 – 11 December 1939) was a politician from Romania.
Deleu was born in Szilágyperecsen, Austria-Hungary, now Pericei, Sălaj County, Romania, the son of Daniel Deleu and Iuliana Cosma. His grandfather, (1804–1880) ...
was the leader of the Interior within the Governing Council (the two institutions have led Transilvania during its provisional autonomy until April 1920).
After World War I
The territory of the county was transferred to Romania from Hungary as the successor state to Austria-Hungary 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 ...
. It was organized by Romanian officials as a county in 1925.
In the interwar period, Sălaj evolved within the history of
Greater Romania
Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
. Was remarked Iuliu Maniu's political activity, president of PNR, then president of PNȚ and
prime minister of Romania
The prime minister of Romania (), officially the prime minister of the Government of Romania (), is the head of the Government of Romania, Government of Romania. Initially, the office was styled ''President of the Council of Ministers'' (), when ...
. At the beginning of Greater Romania, Sălaj County had 3,815 km
2 and 226,716 inhabitants, of which: 139,878
Romanians
Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...
, 70,405
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
, 9,322
Slovaks
The Slovaks ( (historical Sloveni ), singular: ''Slovák'' (historical: ''Sloven'' ), feminine: ''Slovenka'' , plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history ...
, 831
Jews
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
, 6,282 other nationalities. Legislation of Greater Romania offered the possibility of functioning of schools or departments in native languages. According to documents from the State Archives, Sălaj County, in 1933 had 342,642 inhabitants, of which: 202,176 Romanians, 90,800 Hungarians, 30,840
Germans
Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...
, 17,138 Jews, 1,715 other nationalities. The number of students was: 44,921 Romanians, 20,192 Hungarians, 3,287 Germans, 2,111 Jews, 396 other nationalities.
In 1938,
King Carol II 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.
10 ''ținuturi'' (approximate translation: "lands") were created (by merging the counties) to be ruled by ''rezidenți regali'' (approximate translation: "Royal Residents") - appointed directly by the King - instead of the
prefects. Sălaj County became part of
Ținutul Crișuri.
By
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 ...
, concluded on 30 August 1940, arbitrated by
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 ...
and
Fascist Italy
Fascist Italy () is a term which is used in historiography to describe the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943, when Benito Mussolini and the National Fascist Party controlled the country, transforming it into a totalitarian dictatorship. Th ...
, Romania had to cede to Hungary
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 ...
. Until March 1945, when the ceded part will return to Romania (during
Petru Groza
Petru Groza (7 December 1884 – 7 January 1958) was a Romanian politician, best known as the first Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister of the Romanian Communist Party, Communist Party-dominated government under Soviet Union, Soviet Sovie ...
government), Sălaj was part of Hungary again. Between 1940 and 1944, in
Szilágy County
Szilágy (Romanian language, Romanian: Sălaj) was an administrative county (Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary), comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in north-western Romania. The capital of the county was Zilah (present-day Za ...
notable incidents happened, claiming the lives of 495 people, most of them culminating in the
Ip and
Treznea massacres. Beginning in 1944, Romanian forces with Soviet assistance recaptured the ceded territory and reintegrated it into Romania, re-establishing the county. Starting with 14 October 1944, Romanian armies carried military operations in the territory, however, the Romanian administration was expelled from these territories in October due to the activities of the Romanian paramilitary groups created in the area to avenge the atrocities committed by the Hungarians against the Romanians during the Hungarian rule in Northern Transylvania.
[Rogers Brubaker, Nationalist Politics and Everyday Ethnicity in a Transylvanian Town, Princeton University Press, 2006, p. 80] 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, ...
.
After 1947, Sălaj inhabitants have experienced the realities of the Communist totalitarian regime. Among Sălaj personalities, can be mentioned artist Ioan Sima who, in 1980, donated to the County Museum of History and Art in Zalău paintings and graphics, personal archive and his library of art.
The county was disestablished
by the communist government of Romania in 1950 and re-established in 1968 when Romania restored the county administrative system.
After
December 1989, in the conditions of return to a democratic political regime and Euro-Atlantic integration, Sălaj has become a model of interethnic cohabitation, also manifested in education. Politically, was remarked the activity of
Corneliu Coposu, the former personal secretary of Iuliu Maniu. His name links to the clotting of the
Romanian Democratic Convention that succeeded the first democratic alternation in power in post-revolutionary Romania.
Geography
Sălaj County unfolds on 3,864.38 km
2 (1.6% of the country area),
of which 239,613 ha are agricultural land, 105,833 ha forests and 41,000 ha inhabited area. It is located in the north-west of the country, overlapping mostly in the area of connection between 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 ...
and
Apuseni Mountains
The Apuseni Mountains (, "Western Mountains"; , "Transylvanian Mountains") are a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Romanian Carpathians. The highest peak is the Bihor Peak at . The Apuseni Mountains have ab ...
, known as "
Someș Plateau".
Relief
The relief is predominantly hilly, mountains occupying a small portion in the south-west. The hilly area is composed of the Someș Plateau and piedmont hills of Silvania. The mountainous area is represented by two northern branches of the Apuseni Mountains:
Meseș with Măgura Priei Peak (996 m) and Plopiș.
Depressions are widely distributed throughout the county and represent important agricultural areas of concentration of settlements.
Climate
In terms of climate, Sălaj County, by its geographical position, falls in moderate
temperate continental climate, west and north-west circulation predominating.
The thermal regime of the air is conditioned by altitude, fragmentation and orientation of relief, plus local factors, the average temperature being around 8 °C. Average temperature at
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: (; or , , ) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2021, its estimated population was 52,359.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", away from the h ...
(calculated for the period 1961–1990) is 9.5 °C, remarking a growing trend of it. The maximum temperature recorded at the Zalău
meteorological station
A weather station is a facility, either on land or sea, with instruments and equipment for measuring atmospheric conditions to provide information for weather forecasts and to study the weather and climate. The measurements taken include tempera ...
was 38 °C on 16 August 1952, and the minimum temperature recorded is -23.5 °C, on 25 January 1954.
The annual rainfall regime is generated by two factors: general atmospheric circulation, physical and geographical conditions, respectively. Advection of temperate oceanic air from west and north-west direction, especially during the summer, as well as frequent ingress of cold air masses from the north or those temperate continental from north-east and east, during the winter, plus advection of maritime tropical air from the south-west and south, explain all influences of atmospheric action centres which are felt in this area. Taking into account these elements, plus relief influences, atmospheric rainfall are unevenly spread across the county. The average amount of precipitation is 600–700 mm, in Zalău being 634.2 mm (calculated for the period 1961–1990).
The most abundant precipitation falls in summer, when besides frontal processes occurs the intense thermal convection, causing
showers, rich in terms of quantity. During the winter, rainfall is less quantitatively, although the number of days with precipitation is not smaller. By and large, the pluviometric maximum overlaps the months of May–June, and the pluviometric minimum is registered in January–February.
Hydrographic network
Hydrographic network of the county has a length of 1,263.7 km, of which the
Someș
The Someș () or Szamos ( or ''Samosch'') is a left tributary of the Tisza in Hungary and Romania. It has a length of (including its source river Someșul Mare), of which 50 km are in Hungary.[Almaș
Almaș () is a commune in Arad County, 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 t ...]
68 km,
Agrij 48 km,
Crasna 71 km,
Barcău 54 km. Water covers 57.8 km
2, representing 1.5% of the county area.
Flora
Sălaj landscape presents areas with forests of
oak
An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
,
sessile,
beech
Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...
and other deciduous, pastures and agricultural land planted with vines, fruit trees, grain alternating with anthropogenic landscapes.
Demography
At the
2021 census, the county had a population of 212,224 inhabitants and a density of . Sălaj County ranks third nationally as one of the counties with the lowest number of inhabitants.
The ethnic structure of the county includes:
Romanians
Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...
(136,552) – 70.09%,
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...
(40,554) – 20.82%,
Romani (16,706) – 8.58%,
Slovaks
The Slovaks ( (historical Sloveni ), singular: ''Slovák'' (historical: ''Sloven'' ), feminine: ''Slovenka'' , plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history ...
(760) – 0.39%, and other nationalities (236). Additionally, 17,416 have not declared their ethnicity.
99.8% declared their affiliation to a religion, people who were atheists or without religion representing only 0.2%.
Economy
Industry
Sălaj County has rich natural resources of raw materials, concentrated in the following areas:
*
brown coal
Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, Combustion, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered ...
–
Cristolțel;
*
lignite
Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered the lowest ...
–
Ip and
Sărmășag;
* carbonaceous
slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
–
Zimbor;
*
gypsum
Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate Hydrate, dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, drywall and blackboard or sidewalk ...
–
Treznea;
*
alabaster
Alabaster is a mineral and a soft Rock (geology), rock used for carvings and as a source of plaster powder. Archaeologists, geologists, and the stone industry have different definitions for the word ''alabaster''. In archaeology, the term ''alab ...
–
Gălășeni and
Stâna;
*
diorite
Diorite ( ) is an intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock formed by the slow cooling underground of magma (molten rock) that has a moderate content of silica and a relatively low content of alkali metals. It is Intermediate composition, inter ...
–
Moigrad;
*
mica-schist –
Marca;
*
chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
–
Cuciulat,
Glod,
Prodănești and
Răstoci;
*
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
–
Crasna,
Cuciulat,
Nușfalău and
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: (; or , , ) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2021, its estimated population was 52,359.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", away from the h ...
;
*
kaolin
Kaolinite ( ; also called kaolin) is a clay mineral, with the chemical composition Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet of silica () linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina (). ...
sand –
Jac and
Var;
*
silica
Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , commonly found in nature as quartz. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one of the most complex and abundant f ...
sand –
Jac,
Creaca,
Surduc and
Var;
*
quartz
Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...
sand –
Var;
* kaolin –
Ruginoasa;
*
tuff
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock co ...
–
Mirșid;
* river aggregates –
Benesat,
Var,
Rona,
Almașu,
Băbeni
Băbeni is a town located in Vâlcea County, Romania. The town, elevated to that status in 2002, administers six villages: Bonciu, Capu Dealului, Pădurețu, Români, Tătărani, and Valea Mare. It is situated in the historical region of Oltenia. ...
,
Cuciulat,
Glod,
Gâlgău,
Ileanda,
Românași,
Rus,
Someș-Odorhei,
Surduc and
Tihău.
Education
Of the total resident population of 10 years and over 47.8% had low levels of education (primary, gymnasium or no school graduated), 41.4% intermediate levels (postgraduate and vocational, high school or professional and apprentice) and 10.8% higher levels.
The number of people with higher education increased by 2.3 times in 2011 compared to 2002, and that of people with low levels of education decreased by 24.9%. On 20 October 2011, the share of illiterate persons in the total population of 10 years and over was 1.8%, 1.2% lower than in the 2002 census.
Politics
The Sălaj County Council, renewed at the
2020 local elections, consists of 30 counsellors, with the following party composition:
Administrative divisions

Sălaj County has 1 municipality, 3 towns and 57 communes, subdivided into 281 villages.
Municipalities
*
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: (; or , , ) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2021, its estimated population was 52,359.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", away from the h ...
– capital city; population: 56,202
Towns
*
Cehu Silvaniei – population: 7,214
*
Jibou – population: 10,407
*
Șimleu Silvaniei – population: 14,436
Communes
*
Agrij
*
Almașu
*
Băbeni
Băbeni is a town located in Vâlcea County, Romania. The town, elevated to that status in 2002, administers six villages: Bonciu, Capu Dealului, Pădurețu, Români, Tătărani, and Valea Mare. It is situated in the historical region of Oltenia. ...
*
Bălan
*
Bănișor
Bănișor () is a commune located in Sălaj County, Crișana, 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, Hunga ...
*
Benesat
*
Bobota
*
Bocșa
*
Boghiș
*
Buciumi
*
Camăr
Camăr () is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Sălaj County, Crișana, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Camăr and Pădureni (''Erdőaljarakottyás'').
The commune is located in the western part of county, on the border with Bihor ...
*
Carastelec
*
Chieșd
*
Cizer
*
Coșeiu
Coșeiu () is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Sălaj County, Crișana, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Archid (''Szilágyerked''), Chilioara (''Szilágykirva''), and Coșeiu.
Population
In 1910, the majority of the inhabitant ...
*
Crasna
*
Creaca
*
Crișeni
*
Cristolț
*
Cuzăplac
*
Dobrin
*
Dragu
*
Fildu de Jos
*
Gâlgău
*
Gârbou
*
Halmășd
*
Hereclean
*
Hida
*
Horoatu Crasnei
*
Ileanda
*
Ip
*
Letca
*
Lozna
*
Măeriște
*
Marca
*
Meseșenii de Jos
*
Mirșid
*
Năpradea
Năpradea () is a Commune in Romania, commune located in Sălaj County, Crișana, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Cheud (''Köd''), Năpradea, Someș-Guruslău (''Nagygoroszló''), Traniș (''Kisgoroszló''), and Vădurele (''Szamosdebrec ...
*
Nușfalău
*
Pericei
*
Plopiș
Plopiș (, ) is a commune in Sălaj County, Crișana, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Făgetu (Hungarian: ''Magyarpatak'', Slovak: ''Gemelčička''), Iaz (''Krasznajáz''), and Plopiș.
At the 2021 census, the commune had 2,277 inhab ...
*
Poiana Blenchii
*
Românași
*
Rus
*
Sălățig
*
Sâg
*
Sânmihaiu Almașului
*
Someș-Odorhei
*
Surduc
*
Șamșud
Șamșud () is a commune located in Sălaj County, Crișana, 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 ...
*
Sărmășag
*
Șimișna
*
Treznea
*
Valcău de Jos
*
Vârșolț
*
Zalha
*
Zimbor
Personalities
File:BATHORI STEPHAN 1571-1586.jpg, Stephen Báthory
Stephen Báthory (; ; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586) as well as Prince of Transylvania, earlier Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576).
The son of Stephen VIII Báthory ...
File:Barabás wesselényi miklós.jpg, Miklós Wesselényi
File:Simion Barnutiu 4.jpg, Simion Bărnuțiu
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2000-0518-507, Julius Maniu.jpg, Iuliu Maniu
File:Bela-kun--outlawsdiary00tormuoft.png, Béla Kun
File:Corneliu Coposu.jpg, Corneliu Coposu
*
Christopher Báthory (1530–1581), Voivode of Transylvania
*
Stephen Báthory
Stephen Báthory (; ; ; 27 September 1533 – 12 December 1586) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania (1576–1586) as well as Prince of Transylvania, earlier Voivode of Transylvania (1571–1576).
The son of Stephen VIII Báthory ...
(1533–1586), Prince of Transylvania and King of Poland
*
Miklós Wesselényi (1796–1850), statesman
*
Simion Bărnuțiu (1808–1864), politician, historian, philosopher, professor and revolutionary
*
Ioan Maniu (1833–1895), journalist and father of Iuliu Maniu
*
Alimpiu Barboloviciu (1834–1914), Greek Catholic archpriest, vicar and publicist
*
Iuliu Maniu (1873–1953), Prime Minister of Romania
*
Béla Kun (1886–1938), revolutionary
*
Joe Pasternak
Joseph Herman Pasternak (born József Paszternák; September 19, 1901 – September 13, 1991) was a Hungarian-American film producer in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. Pasternak spent the Hollywood Musical film, "Golden Age" of musicals ...
(1901–1991), filmmaker
*
Miklós Nyiszli
Miklós Nyiszli (17 June 1901 – 5 May 1956) was a Hungarian prisoner of Jewish heritage at Auschwitz concentration camp. Nyiszli, his wife, and young daughter, were transported to Auschwitz in June 1944. Upon his arrival, Nyiszli vo ...
(1901–1956), physician and author
*
Corneliu Coposu (1914–1995), politician and political prisoner
*
Augustin Deac (1928–2004), historian
*
Ioan Pușcaș (1932–2015), radiologist
*
Florian Pop (b. 1952), mathematician
*
Vasile Pușcaș (b. 1952), professor, diplomat and politician
*
Codruț Șereș (b. 1969), Economy Minister
*
Dacian Cioloș
Dacian Julien Cioloș (; born 27 July 1969) is a Romanian Agronomy, agronomist who served as Prime Minister of Romania from November 2015 to January 2017. He previously served as Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Rural Development (Romania), A ...
(b. 1969), Prime Minister of Romania
*
Eduard Hellvig (b. 1974), MEP, Tourism Minister and Director of the
Romanian Intelligence Service
The Romanian Intelligence Service (, abbreviated SRI) is Romania's main domestic intelligence service. Its role is to gather information relevant to national security and hand it over to relevant institutions, such as Romanian Government, presid ...
*
Cosmin Seleși (b. 1977), actor and TV star
*
Ramona Farcău (b. 1979), handball player
*
Talida Tolnai (b. 1979), handball player
Historical county
Historically, the county was located in the northwestern part of
Greater Romania
Greater Romania () is the Kingdom of Romania in the interwar period, achieved after the Great Union or the related pan-nationalist ideal of a nation-state which would incorporate all Romanian speakers.Irina LivezeanuCultural Politics in Greate ...
, on the border with Hungary. The eastern half of its territory was in the historical region 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 ...
, while the western half was located in the
Crişana region. After the administrative unification law in 1925, the name of the county remained as it was, but the territory was reorganized. It was bordered on the south with the counties of
Bihor and
Cluj
Cluj-Napoca ( ; ), or simply Cluj ( , ), is a city in northwestern Romania. It is the second-most populous city in the country and the seat of Cluj County. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest (), Budapest () and Belgrade ( ...
, to the east by
Someș County, to the north by
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 ...
, and to the west with Hungary. The interwar county's territory included the current Sălaj County, the northern part of the current
Bihor County
Bihor County (, ) is a county (județ) in western Romania. With a total area of , Bihor is Romania's 6th largest county geographically and the main county in the historical region of Crișana. Its capital city is Oradea (Nagyvárad).
Toponymy
...
and the southwestern part of the current
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 ...
.
Administration

The county originally consisted of eight districts (''
plăși''):
[Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Sălaj]
/ref>
#Plasa Carei
#Plasa Cehu Silvaniei
#Plasa Crasna
#Plasa Jibou
#Plasa Șimleu Silvaniei
#Plasa Tășnad
#Plasa Valea lui Mihai
#Plasa Zalău
A subsequent administrative adjustment added two districts:
#Plasa Buciumi
#Plasa Supurul de Jos
The county had three urban communes: Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: (; or , , ) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2021, its estimated population was 52,359.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", away from the h ...
(capital city), Carei, and Șimleu Silvaniei
Population
According to the census data of 1930, the county's population was 343,347, of which 56.2% were Romanians, 31.4% Hungarians, 4.7% Germans, 3.9% Jews, as well as other minorities.[Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 384-385] In the religious aspect, the population consisted of 52.6% Greek Catholic, 25.4% Reformed (Calvinist), 12.2% Roman Catholic, 4.0% Jewish, 4.4% Eastern Orthodox, as well as other minorities.[Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 713-717]
Urban population
In 1930, the urban population of the county was 31,830, of which 46.1% were Hungarians, 31.6% Romanians, 13.4% Jews, 5.6% Germans, as well as other minorities. As a mother tongue in the urban population, Hungarian was spoken by 62.0% of the population, followed by Romanian (27.5%), Yiddish Yiddish (8.0%), German (1.2%), as well as other minority languages. From the religious point of view, the urban population was made up of 28.6% Reformed, 27.2% Greek Catholic, 24.2% Roman Catholic, 13.8% Jewish, 4.9% Eastern Orthodox, as well as other minorities.
References
External links
* http://www.cjsj.ro/index.php
* http://www.salaj.insse.ro/main.php
* http://www.insse.ro/cms/files/pdf/ro/cap2.pdf
* http://circa.europa.eu/irc/dsis/regportraits/info/data/ro066_geo.htm
* https://www.flickr.com/photos/mipepitoida/2869382695/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salaj County
Counties of Romania
Geography of Transylvania
1925 establishments in Romania
1938 disestablishments in Romania
1944 establishments in Romania
1950 disestablishments in Romania
1968 establishments in Romania
States and territories established in 1925
States and territories disestablished in 1938
States and territories established in 1944
States and territories disestablished in 1950
States and territories established in 1968