Timiș () is a county ('' județ'') of western

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 ...

on the border with

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 ...

and

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, 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 ...

Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...

, with the county seat at

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

. It is the westernmost and the largest county in Romania in terms of land area. The county is also part of the Danube–Criș–Mureș–Tisa Euroregion.

Name

The name of the county comes from the Timiș River, known in Roman antiquity as ''Tibisis'' or ''Tibiscus''. According to Lajos Kiss'

etymological dictionary An etymological dictionary discusses the etymology of the words listed. Often, large dictionaries, such as the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' and ''Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Webster's'', will contain some etymological informat ...

, the name of the river probably comes from the

Dacian language Dacian () is an extinct language generally believed to be a member of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family that was spoken in the ancient region of Dacia. The Dacian language is poorly documented. Unlike Phrygian languag ...

: ''thibh-isjo'' ("marshy"). In Hungarian, Timiș County is known as ''Temes megye'', in German as ''Kreis Temesch'', in Serbian as Тамишки округ/''Tamiški okrug'', in Ukrainian as Тімішський повіт, and in Banat Bulgarian as ''okrug Timiš''.

Geography

Timiș is the largest county in Romania, occupying 8,696.7 km², i.e. 3.65% of the country's area. It is crossed by the 46th parallel north, the 21st meridian east and the 22nd meridian east. On its territory is the westernmost point of Romania, i.e. Beba Veche, at 20° 15 44, in the '' Triplex Confinium'' point. Timiș County is part of the West Development Region along with the counties of Arad, Caraș-Severin and

Hunedoara Hunedoara (; ; ) is a municipiu, city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boș (''Bós''), Groș (''Grós''), Hășdat (''Hosdát ...

, being located in the center of the historical province of

. Due to its geographical position, almost a third of the county's borders are at the same time state borders. Thus, in the northwestern part, it borders Csongrád-Csanád County (

), 18 km of this border being on the

Mureș River Mureș may refer to: * Mureș County, Romania * Mureș (river) in Romania and Hungary (''Maros'') * Mureș culture, a Bronze Age culture from Romania See also * Târgu Mureș, the capital of Mureș County * Ocna Mureș, a town in Alba Cou ...

. To the southwest, between Beba Veche and Lățunaș, Timiș County borders the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

). The land connection with the counties of the neighboring countries is ensured by the border crossing points from Cenad, Moravița and Jimbolia. The neighboring Romanian counties with Timiș County are Arad to the north,

to the east and Caraș-Severin to the southeast.

Relief

The relief is characterized by the predominance of

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

s, which cover the western part (low plain) and the central part (high plain) of the county. Timiș County features all

landform A landform is a land feature on the solid surface of the Earth or other planetary body. They may be natural or may be anthropogenic (caused or influenced by human activity). Landforms together make up a given terrain, and their arrangement ...

s, with altitudes between 75 m in Banat Plain and 1,374 m in Poiana Ruscă Mountains. Proportionally, the plain covers about 6,700 km², representing 77.2% of the county's area; the hills cover about 1,650 km², i.e. 19.01%; and the mountains cover a relatively small area of 300 km², i.e. 3.45%. The plain penetrates in a gulf-like manner the hilly areas, on the valleys of Timiș (towards

Lugoj Lugoj (; ; ; ; ; ) is a list of cities and towns in Romania, city in Timiș County, Romania. The Timiș, Timiș River divides the city into two halves: the "Romanian Lugoj" that spreads on the right bank, and the "German Lugoj" on the left bank. Th ...

) and Bega (towards Făget). In the east of the county lie the pre-mountain hills of Buziaș and the southern sector of the Lipova Plateau, whose peaks rise to altitudes between 200 and 400 m. The hills of Lăpugiu, Făget, Lugoj, Lipova, Silagiu and Sacoș are rich in pastures, orchards of fruit trees, vineyards, but also in cereal crops. The relief in the eastern part of the county is dominated by the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, with deep valleys and steep slopes, with heights that rarely exceed 1300 m (Padeș peak – 1374 m, Rusca peak – 1355 m).

Natural resources

Located in the southeastern part of the Pannonian Plain, the subsoil of Timiș County there are deposits of lignite ( Sinersig),

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

( Lucareț– Șanovița),

manganese Manganese is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mn and atomic number 25. It is a hard, brittle, silvery metal, often found in minerals in combination with iron. Manganese was first isolated in the 1770s. It is a transition m ...

( Pietroasa),

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 ...

( Biled, Cărpiniș, Jimbolia,

and Sânnicolau Mare), crude oil and gas (in the western part of the county),

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

( Șag) and glass sand ( Groși– Făget, Tomești and Gladna Montană). Mineral waters are also exploited in Buziaș, Călacea, Ivanda, Bogda and

. The soil of Timiș County offers extremely favorable conditions for the cultivation of agricultural plants, especially for the cultivation of cereals, but also for technical and fodder plants, as well as for fruit growing and

viticulture Viticulture (, "vine-growing"), viniculture (, "wine-growing"), or winegrowing is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine ...

. The forests are relatively few. In the eastern part there are forests of fir,

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

and beech. In the other parts of the county there are small forests of oak, Austrian oak, Hungarian oak, and in the meadows – poplars and

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

Hydrography

The hydrographic network of Timiș County, spread over 3,104 km, is composed of two hydrographic basins: Bega–Timiș–Caraș and Mureș. The most important rivers in size and hydropower potential in the county, which cross the territory through the center, dividing it into two halves, south and north, are Timiș and Bega. Timiș is the largest inland river in Banat, which has its sources on the eastern slopes of the Semenic Mountains, in Caraș-Severin County. The river is formed at the confluence of three branches: Semenic, Grădiște and Brebu. It crosses the whole of Timiș County, then passes into Serbia where it flows into the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

, to Pančevo. Bega River springs from the Poiana Ruscă Mountains and flows into the Tisza after a route of 244 km, being its southernmost tributary. Downstream, towards the western edge, up to the border, the course of the Bega River is completely canalized. The Bega Canal is navigable both in Romania and in Serbia, having a length of 44 km only in Romania. RO TM Surduc 4

The natural lakes, with small areas and depths, are represented by the lake complex of Satchinez (40 ha; 1.5 m deep), the two lakes of Becicherecu Mic (one of 33 ha and another of 13 ha), the Petra pond of Jebel, etc. Between 1969 and 1975, pond-like lakes for

flood control Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...

and

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

were arranged on the courses of both Timiș and Bega. The largest of these, Lake Surduc, was arranged on Gladna stream, a tributary of the Bega, and has an area of 460 ha and a volume of 51 million m³. In the county there are also two lakes with hot (20 °C) and mineral water at Românești, with an area of 50 m² and the muddy volcano from Ohaba-Forgaci, in the Magheruș valley, of 50 m². The high density of the hydrographic network, the low slopes of the riverbeds in the plain sector, the reduced depth of the groundwater, the presence of ultisols, all favor the floods and marshes. To reduce the amplitude of these phenomena, since the first half of the 18teenth century, large engineering works (damming, canalization, draining etc.) were made in the region, most of which are still functional today. Among the major flash floods and

flood A flood is an overflow of water (list of non-water floods, or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are of significant con ...

s in the Banat Plain, the most important were those of May 1912, June 1966 and April 2005.

Flora

The natural vegetation, strongly influenced by human activities, is characterized by the small-scale presence of forest-steppe plants and by a higher frequency of hydro- and hygrophilous vegetation in low plains and meadows with excess moisture. The extensive agricultural crops in the plain alternate with small areas of secondary meadows dominated by fescue associations ('' Festuca valesiaca'', '' Festuca rupicola'' and '' Festuca pseudovina'') mixed with wormwood ('' Artemisia austriaca'') and others. The deciduous forests, made up of pedunculate oak ('' Quercus robur''), Austrian oak ('' Quercus cerris'') and Hungarian oak ('' Quercus frainetto''), occupy insularly or on compact areas the Lipova Plateau, the Lugoj and Pogăniș Hills and partly the Gătaia Plain. In the eastern extremity of Timiș County there are sessile oak forests (''

Quercus petraea ''Quercus petraea'', commonly known as the sessile oak, Welsh oak, Cornish oak, Irish oak or durmast oak, is a species of oak tree native to most of Europe and into Anatolia and Iran. The sessile oak is the national tree of Ireland, and an un ...

'') mixed with Austrian oak ('' Quercus cerris''), beech forests (''

Fagus sylvatica ''Fagus sylvatica'', the European beech or common beech, is a large, graceful deciduous tree in the Fagaceae, beech family with smooth silvery-gray bark, large leaf area, and a short trunk with low branches. Description ''Fagus sylvatica'' i ...

'') mixed with hornbeam ('' Carpinus betulus''), and the upper slopes of the Poiana Ruscă Mountains are covered with

forests mixed with fir and beech. In Timiș County there are 45

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...

s that total 134,766.49 ha or about 13% of the county's area.

Fauna

The fauna, adapted to the relief and vegetation conditions, includes steppe species ( hares, ground squirrels, polecats, field mice, moles, rollers, quails, partridges, larks, starlings,

lizard Lizard is the common name used for all Squamata, squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most Island#Oceanic isla ...

s, various insects), forest species ( deer, squirrels,

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

s, wolves, foxes, wild boars, wildcats,

dormice A dormouse is a rodent of the family (biology), family Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their ...

, jays, salamanders, etc.) and water species (

heron Herons are long-legged, long-necked, freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae, with 75 recognised species, some of which are referred to as egrets or bitterns rather than herons. Members of the genus ''Botaurus'' are referred to as bi ...

s, mallards, geese, storks,

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

s and a wide variety of fish, such as pike, barbel, Prussian carp, wels, perch,

carp The term carp (: carp) is a generic common name for numerous species of freshwater fish from the family (biology), family Cyprinidae, a very large clade of ray-finned fish mostly native to Eurasia. While carp are prized game fish, quarries and a ...

, etc.).

Climate

The climate has a moderate temperate continental character, with hot summers and mild winters due to both the influences of the oceanic (from the west) and Mediterranean (from the south and southwest) air masses and the fact that over 85% of the territory belongs to the plain climate (the remaining 15% belongs to the climate of hilly and mountainous regions). The western area of the Banat Plain is classified according to Köppen's guide as Cfa, and the mountainous area in the east of the county as Dfb. Due to the high uniformity of the relief, the average annual temperatures are poorly differentiated on the territory of Timiș County. The annual averages are close to 11 °C in the region with plain climate and decrease by 1–2 °C on the hills in the east of the county. The averages of the warmest month (July) exceed 21 °C in the plain and fall below 18 °C in the east. The averages of the coldest month (January) are higher than –2 °C in the plain and rise to values higher than –1 °C in the east of the county. The absolute maximum temperature (42 °C) was recorded in Banloc (24 July 2007), and the absolute minimum temperature (–35.3 °C) in Timișoara (29 January 1963). The average multiannual precipitation amounts to increasing quantities from west to east, i.e. 569 mm in Jimbolia, 620.6 mm in Timișoara, 734 mm in Făget and over 1,200 mm on the ridges of the Poiana Ruscă Mountains. The maximum rainfall occurs in June, as a result of the intensification of cyclonic activity in the

North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...

or in the Mediterranean basin. On the other hand, the lowest average monthly amounts fall in February–March. The snow layer is unstable and has insignificant thicknesses. Predominant winds blow from the north (16.9%), east (15%), northwest (9.1%) and south (8.4%), with average annual speeds between 1.2 and 3.8 m/s. Local winds include ''austru'' (dry wind from the south), ''coșavă'' (high-speed cold wind), ''rușavăț'' (in the Banat Plain) and mountain breezes (in the east).

History

Demographics

According to the 2021 census, Timiș County had a population of 650,533 (or 3.4% of the country's population), being the sixth most populous county in Romania. 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 . Timiș County has an

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation in British English) is the population shift from Rural area, rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. ...

rate of 61.8%, above the national rate but decreasing amid an expanding

suburbanization Suburbanization (American English), also spelled suburbanisation (British English), is a population shift from historic core cities or rural areas into suburbs. Most suburbs are built in a formation of (sub)urban sprawl. As a consequence ...

. According to the 2011 census,

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 ...

are the largest ethnic minority in Timiș County, numbering 35,295 people or 5.2% of the county's population. Significant concentrations of the Hungarian population follow the areas where the policy of colonization of 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 ...

manifested itself in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. At the 2011 census, there were 16 localities – all rural – that had at least 20% Hungarian population. However, their total population represents only 12.6% of the Hungarian population in the county. This is explained by the migration of Hungarians from rural to urban areas after 1990. By weight, the largest Hungarian communities are found in Otelec (''Ótelek''; 75.1%), Cherestur (''Pusztakeresztúr''; 69.7%), Bodo (''Nagybodófalva''; 64%),

Tormac Tormac (; ) is a communes of Romania, commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Cadăr, Șipet and Tormac (commune seat). Geography Tormac is located in the southeast of Timiș County. It borders Nițchidorf and Sacoș ...

(''Végvár''; 60.6%) and Otvești (''Ötvösd''; 52.6%). Roma are the second largest minority, with 14,525 people (or 2.1% of the county's population) at the 2011 census, although unofficial estimates put the figure at 45,000. Măguri, a component locality of

municipality, is the only village in the county where the Roma have an absolute majority (69.4% in 2011). The largest communities of

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

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 ...

and

Bulgarians Bulgarians (, ) are a nation and South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and its neighbouring region, who share a common Bulgarian ancestry, culture, history and language. They form the majority of the population in Bulgaria, ...

in Romania also live in Timiș County. The number of Serbs living in Timiș exceeds 10,000. Most of them are located in Timișoara and in the localities near the border with

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

: Cralovăț (Краљевац/''Kraljevac''; 64.5%), Petrovaselo (Петрово Село/''Petrovo Selo''; 48.4%), Sânmartinu Sârbesc (Српски Семартон/''Srpski Semarton''; 35.6%), Cenei (Ченеј/''Čenej''; 24.2%), Diniaș (Дињаш/''Dinjaš''; 21.8%), etc. Up to the 20th century, the Germans (specifically

Banat Swabians The Banat Swabians are an Germans, ethnic German population in the former Kingdom of Hungary in Central Europe, Central-Southeast Europe, part of the Danube Swabians and Germans of Romania. They emigrated in the 18th century to what was then the ...

) were a very large community. They were colonized here at the end of the 17th century and during the 18th century, in three successive waves, during the reigns of Charles VI, Maria Theresa and Joseph II. They came from different areas of Germany, especially Rhineland, the Palatinate and Swabia, but also

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

, Lorraine,

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

, Westphalia,

Hesse Hesse or Hessen ( ), officially the State of Hesse (), is a States of Germany, state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt, which is also the country's principal financial centre. Two other major hist ...

, East Franconia and

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

. Deported to the

Soviet Union 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 ...

for forced labor after 1945 and subjected to

nationalization Nationalization (nationalisation in British English) is the process of transforming privately owned assets into public assets by bringing them under the public ownership of a national government or state. Nationalization contrasts with p ...

and

collectivization Collective farming and communal farming are various types of "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member- ...

during the communist period, most Germans in Timiș County left for

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

, with one last wave after 1990. At present, they account for merely of the number at the 1900 census, when the highest number of Germans was recorded. Banat Bulgarians, a Bulgarian Catholic minority, began settling in Banat in the late 17th century from the north and northwest of today's

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

. The largest communities of Banat Bulgarians in Timiș County live in Breștea (''Brešća''; 80.3%), Dudeștii Vechi (''Stár Bišnov''; 66.5%) and Denta (''Dénta''; 5.2%).

Religion

In Timiș County there are over 300 places of worship. Timisoara is the seat of the Archbishopric of Timișoara, the see of the Metropolis of Banat. The archbishopric has jurisdiction over the territory of Timiș County, which is divided into 273

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

es organized in six deaneries (Timișoara I, Timișoara II,

, Făget, Deta and Sânnicolau Mare). Timișoara is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishopric of Timișoara and the Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Timișoara and one of the nine deaneries of the Reformed Eparchy of Piatra Craiului. Lugoj is the seat of the Greek Catholic Archbishopric of Lugoj and one of the two deaneries of the Ukrainian Orthodox Vicarage.

Politics and administration

Timiș County is administered by a county council (''consiliu județean'') consisting of 36 councilors. Following the 2020 local elections, the council is chaired by from PNL, and the political composition of the council is as follows:

Administrative divisions

Timiș County is divided into two municipalities (''municipiu''), eight towns (''oraș'') and 89 communes (''comună'') with 313 villages: ;Municipalities *

– county seat; population: 319,279 (as of 2011) *

– population: 40,361 (as of 2011) ;Towns * Sânnicolau Mare – population: 12,312 (as of 2011) * Jimbolia – population: 10,808 (as of 2011) * Recaș – population: 8,336 (as of 2011) * Buziaș – population: 7,023 (as of 2011) * Făget – population: 6,761 (as of 2011) * Deta – population: 6,260 (as of 2011) * Gătaia – population: 5,861 (as of 2011) * Ciacova – population: 5,348 (as of 2011) ;Communes * Balinț * Banloc * Bara * Bârna * Beba Veche * Becicherecu Mic * Belinț * Bethausen * Biled * Birda * Bogda * Boldur * Brestovăț * Bucovăț * Cărpiniș * Cenad * Cenei * Checea * Chevereșu Mare * Comloșu Mare * Coșteiu * Criciova * Curtea *

Darova Darova ( or ''Darowa''; ) is a communes of Romania, commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Darova (commune seat), Hodoș and Sacoșu Mare. Ștefănești existed as a separate hamlet from 1885 to 1930, when it was merge ...

* Denta * Dudeștii Noi * Dudeștii Vechi * Dumbrava * Dumbrăvița * Fârdea * Fibiș * Foeni * Gavojdia * Ghilad * Ghiroda * Ghizela * Giarmata * Giera * Giroc * Giulvăz * Gottlob * Iecea Mare * Jamu Mare * Jebel * Lenauheim * Liebling * Livezile * Lovrin * Margina * Mașloc * Mănăștiur * Moravița * Moșnița Nouă * Nădrag * Nițchidorf * Ohaba Lungă * Orțișoara * Otelec * Parța * Pădureni * Peciu Nou * Periam * Pesac * Pietroasa * Pișchia * Racovița * Remetea Mare * Sacoșu Turcesc * Saravale * Satchinez * Săcălaz * Sânandrei * Sânmihaiu Român * Sânpetru Mare * Secaș * Șag *

Șandra Șandra (until 1882 Alexandria; ; Banat Swabian: ''Schanderhaas''; ) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borde ...

* Știuca * Teremia Mare * Tomești * Tomnatic * Topolovățu Mare *

* Traian Vuia * Uivar * Variaș * Vălcani * Victor Vlad Delamarina * Voiteg

Official symbols

The flag of Timiș County has a rectangular shape, with its width equal to two-thirds of its length and consists of the county coat of arms superimposed on a white background. White chosen for the flag signifies purity and peace. Above the coat of arms is inscribed in capital letters in vermilion the word "Romania", and below it is inscribed with the same characters in cobalt blue the words "Timiș County". The county flag was approved in 2021. The coat of arms was approved in 2002 and consists of a cut shield; at the top, on the red field, a golden lion coming out of the battlements of a wall of built gold; the lion holds a bent sword, with a wide point, made of silver; in the upper right-hand corner is a golden sun, and in the upper left, a rising silver moon. At the bottom, on the blue field, is a wavy silver band. The lion with armed arm, characteristic of Banat of Temeswar, symbolizes the defenders of the land and of Christianity against the Ottoman armies; the lion carries the victorious sword of Pál Kinizsi, Count of Temes County. The gold wall symbolizes the fortress of Timișoara. The golden sun symbolizes, through its position, the lofty goals for which the heroes of this land fought. The silver moon represents the pair of the sun. The wavy silver band on the blue field symbolizes the Timiș River, which gives the county its name. ;Historical variants File:Interbelic Timis-Torontal County CoA.png, In the interwar period File:RSR Jud Timis.png, During the communist period

Economy

Timiș County has one of the most dynamic economies in Romania. The county's economy gradually transformed from a predominantly industrial one, sometimes with significant losses due to the non-use of labor and capital endowments, into a tertiary one (based mainly on services). The specialization of Timiș County stands out in the computer, automotive and electrical equipment industry, these registering high values of the location quotient (as of 2019). In 2021, Timiș County had a GDP per capita of 31,519 euros, 40% above the national average, and an annual growth rate of 5–10%. At national level, it ranks third in terms of GDP, reaching 62.5 billion lei in 2021, with a contribution of 6.5% of Romania's total GDP, having a developed economy and among the highest entrepreneurial rates in the country (36 SMEs per 1,000 inhabitants in 2019). The most important sector represented locally is the

automotive industry The automotive industry comprises a wide range of company, companies and organizations involved in the design, Business development, development, manufacturing, marketing, selling, Maintenance, repairing, and Custom car, modification of motor ve ...

, supported by large companies such as Continental, Delphi Packard, Hella, Mahle, Dräxlmaier, Flex, etc. In recent years, certain

high tech High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the state of the art, cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the ...

know-how-intensive services, such as IT&C, have seen strong growth. Timiș has one of the lowest

unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...

s in the country – 0.8% in 2019. Most employees are in manufacturing (27%), trade (15.2%) and agriculture (15.1%). Timiș stands out as the second business pole at national level, after Bucharest–Ilfov, with a turnover of companies of 72 billion lei, which constitutes about 5% of the turnover of 1,400 billion lei of all companies in Romania. The county's exports stood at over 39.05 billion lei, Timiș being among the few counties in the country with a positive trade balance. Timiș County's exports consist mainly of the following groups of goods: electrical machines, appliances and

equipment Equipment most commonly refers to a set of tool A tool is an Physical object, object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many Tool use by ...

(37%), plastics and

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Types of polyisoprene ...

(14%), means of transport (11%),

footwear Footwear refers to garments worn on the feet, which typically serve the purpose of protective clothing, protection against adversities of the environment such as wear from rough ground; stability on slippery ground; and temperature. *Shoes and si ...

(9%), optical instruments and appliances (7%),

furniture Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., Stool (seat), stools, chairs, and sofas), eating (table (furniture), tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furnitur ...

(5%). Timiș County is also the largest importer of consumer goods, after Bucharest.

Industry

The industry of Timiș County is strong and diversified, due to the high rate of greenfield and brownfield investments, the western location of the county, the high qualification of the labor force, as well as the entrepreneurial tradition. The most significant share in the total production of the county is held by the manufacturing industry, having as sub-branches:

electronics industry The electronics industry is the industry (economics), industry that produces electronic devices. It emerged in the 20th century and is today one of the largest global industries. Contemporary society uses a vast array of electronic devices that ar ...

, food industry, chemical industry,

textile industry The textile industry is primarily concerned with the design, production and distribution of textiles: yarn, cloth and clothing. Industry process Cotton manufacturing Cotton is the world's most important natural fibre. In the year 2007, th ...

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

and wood processing industry and

construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

. Although with only 8% of the number of companies in Timiș, the manufacturing industry registers a turnover of 40% of the county's total.

Agriculture

Timiș County ranks first in the country in terms of both agricultural and arable land. Timiș County has an agricultural area of 691,299 ha, of which 531,472 ha is arable land, 118,671 pastures, 28,632 hayfields, 4,121

vineyard A vineyard ( , ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines. Many vineyards exist for winemaking; others for the production of raisins, table grapes, and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is kno ...

s and vine nurseries and 8,403

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit tree, fruit- or nut (fruit), nut-producing trees that are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also so ...

s and fruit nurseries. One of the oldest and most important agricultural activities in the county, with favorable climatic conditions, is the cultivation of cereals and technical plants, and

is practiced in most of the communes in the plain and hill area of the county. Places like Recaș, Buziaș and Giarmata are renowned for their wine production. The production of vegetables in individual micro-farms is also a traditional economic activity, especially in the rural localities in the vicinity of urban centers. By cultivated area, the main crops are

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

(165,643 ha),

wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...

and rye (133,657 ha), sunflower (78,242 ha), perennial fodder (38,060 ha) and

soybeans The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean. Soy is a staple crop, the world's most grown legume, and an important animal feed. Soy is a key source of f ...

(21,200 ha). Livestock farming is also an important, traditional branch of Timiș agriculture, and in recent years there has been a significant increase in the number of animals in the private sector. As of 2019, livestock in Timiș County consisted of 1,524,625

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s, 612,638 sheep, 605,619 swine, 45,332 bee families, 37,305 cattle, 21,890

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a species of Caprinae, goat-antelope that is mostly kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the ...

s and 5,659

horse The horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') is a domesticated, one-toed, hoofed mammal. It belongs to the taxonomic family Equidae and is one of two extant subspecies of ''Equus ferus''. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 mi ...

s. Unlike industry, trade and construction, which also generates a large part of the gross value added (GVA) of the county economy, agriculture stands out with a very high share of employment correlated with a low share in GDP (5%), although that it places the county on the first place at national level from the perspective of the GVA obtained in agriculture.

Banking

With several units of national and international banks operating here ( BCR, Raiffeisen Bank, BT, BRD, CEC Bank, OTP Bank, UniCredit Bank, Alpha Bank, Citibank, Credit Europe Bank, Garanti BBVA, ING Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank, etc.), Timiș County is a national leader in the field of financial intermediation. As of 2021, the turnover of companies with financial and insurance activities was 69 million euros in Timișoara alone.

Tourism

The geographical position of the county in the immediate vicinity of the border with Hungary and Serbia leads to a high transit tourism, but with short and medium length of stay. The main form of tourism practiced in the county is business tourism, followed by recreational, shopping and gastronomic tourism. The tourist infrastructure of Timiș County consists of 56

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

s, 14 hostels, two

motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the Parking lot, parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central Lobby (room), lo ...

s, a

campsite Campsite, campground, and camping pitch are all related terms regarding a place used for camping (an overnight stay in an outdoor area). The usage differs between British English and American English. In British English, a ''campsite'' is an ...

, four tourist villas, 49 tourist pensions, 27 agritourism pensions and two camps for students and preschoolers with an accommodation capacity of 7,746 places. In 2019, Timiș County had 396,644 tourists, of which 30% were foreigners. Cultural-historical tourism includes many objectives in historical and archeological sites, architectural monuments and museums.

has the largest architectural ensemble of historic buildings in Romania (about 14,500), consisting of the urban heritage of the Cetate, Iosefin, Fabric and Elisabetin districts. In addition, there are 31 castles and mansions in Timiș County. Notable are the Swabian-specific localities in the western Banat Plain ( Jimbolia, Sânnicolau Mare,

, Lovrin, Lenauheim, etc.), in the past important settlements of colonists from the German lands of the Habsburg Empire. Religious tourism includes many places of worship, churches and historic monasteries. Among the monastic ensembles are the historic wooden churches in Țara Făgetului, all built after the liberation of Banat from Ottoman occupation (1716), the 11th-century Morisena Monastery (the first monastery in Romania), the 14th-century Partoș Monastery with the relics of St. Joseph of Partoș, the 15th-century Săraca Monastery, the 15th-century Serbian Orthodox St. George Monastery of Birda, the 18th-century Cebza Monastery and, more recently, the Izvorul Miron Monastery (1912; nicknamed the " Voroneț of Banat") and the Timișeni Monastery (1944).

Ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of nature-oriented tourism intended to contribute to the Ecological conservation, conservation of the natural environment, generally defined as being minimally impactful, and including providing both contributions to conserv ...

is practiced mainly in the mountainous area in the east of the county, where Lake Surduc is located (the largest lake in western Romania), but also a series of waterfalls and caves. Areas with a rich hunting fund, as well as those with a diversified fishing fund are suitable for sport

hunting Hunting is the Human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, and killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to obtain the animal's body for meat and useful animal products (fur/hide (sk ...

and

. On the territory of Timiș County there are 86 hunting funds and 30 fishing funds.

Canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. In some parts of Europe, canoeing refers to both canoeing and kayaking, with a canoe being called an 'open canoe' or Canadian. A few of the recreational ...

and

kayaking Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits fac ...

can be practiced on the Bega Canal, and

rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

on the Timiș River. Spa tourism is practiced in Buziaș (declared a spa resort in 1911),

, Deta, as well as Călacea, Teremia Mare and Lovrin. Wine tourism is represented by the Recaș– Buziaș area, renowned both in the country and abroad for its wines.

Culture

Music

Timiș County has a rich musical history. Notable in this respect are the choirs of Banat ''Bauer''. Banat choirs have their origins in church music, learned in schools, where the teacher was both organist, choir conductor, and not infrequently, composer. The choirs, which were to become a real movement in Banat, were an important means of national manifestation of the people of Banat, through which the Romanian language and culture were promoted. The oldest Romanian choir in Banat was the plowmen's vocal choir, founded in 1857 in Chizătău, which was born from the old church choir. It was also the most famous and appreciated choral formation in the area, which had resounding success at various competitions and festivals, along with other Banat choirs. Banat choirs had a rich repertoire, consisting of national, folk songs or choral works composed by Ion Vidu, Filaret Barbu or Iosif Velceanu. Timișoara was a reputed city of music in the 19th century. Many famous musicians performed here, including

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

(1846), Johann Strauss II (1847), David Popper (1867), Leopold Auer (1867), Pablo de Sarasate (1877), Henryk Wieniawski (1877),

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; ; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period (music), Romantic period. His music is noted for its rhythmic vitality and freer treatment of dissonance, oft ...

(1879) and Joseph Joachim (1879). The only

philharmonic An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * String instruments, such as the violin, viola, cello, a ...

in the county, the Banatul Philharmonic, was founded in 1947 and organizes, in addition to the music season, events in unconventional spaces and successful festivals, such as ''Timișoara muzicală'', the longest-lived cultural festival in Timișoara, which debuted in 1968. The first

music school A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger in ...

in the county was founded by the Hungarian administration in 1907 in Timișoara. Until 1907, music education was exclusively private.

Cuisine

Banat cuisine has been strongly influenced by the Austro-Hungarian one, but to a large extent by Greek, Italian and French cuisines too. The dishes prepared in Banat are mostly made of

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig animal husbandry, husbandry dating back to 8000–9000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooke ...

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

or beef, with vegetables fried in lard or oil, with flour sauces, to make them more consistent, seasoned with pepper,

thyme Thyme () is a culinary herb consisting of the dried aerial parts of some members of the genus ''Thymus (plant), Thymus'' of flowering plants in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are native to Eurasia and north Africa. Thymes have culinary, medici ...

, paprika or caraway. Broadly speaking, Banat cuisine is characterized by fatty, wholesome and tasty food; it can be individualized by the unusual association of salty and sweet taste, by the prevalence of

soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot – though it is sometimes served chilled – made by cooking or otherwise combining meat or vegetables with Stock (food), stock, milk, or water. According to ''The Oxford Compan ...

to the detriment of

stew A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in Soup, liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients can include any combination of vegetables and may include meat, especially tougher meats suitable for ...

and by showy desserts with multiple influences. Among the traditional dishes in this area are

noodle soup Noodle soup refers to a variety of soups with noodles and other ingredients served in a light broth. Noodle soup is a common dish across East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Himalayan states of South Asia. Various types of noodles are used, such as ...

, goulash, , sauerkraut, sarme, pljeskavica, rasol, cotoroage and fresh pork preparations and semi-preparations (, sângerete, maioș,

sausage A sausage is a type of meat product usually made from ground meat—often pork, beef, or poultry—along with salt, spices and other flavourings. Other ingredients, such as grains or breadcrumbs, may be included as fillers or extenders. ...

s, slănină, șonc, tobă, etc.). Desserts include krofne, scovergi, bejgli with walnuts or poppy seeds, Cremeschnitte, Apfelküchle, knedles, dobostorta, and .

Education

In the school year 2019/2020, Timiș County had a school population of 177,301: 25,266 children in pre-school education, 97,934 pupils in pre-university education and 54,101 students in

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

, post-university, academic and

continuing education Continuing education is the education undertaken after initial education for either personal or professional reasons. The term is used mainly in the United States and Canada. Recognized forms of post-secondary learning activities within the d ...

. In Timiș County, 617 educational units are accredited and authorized, of which 580 are state-funded.

is one of the four national university centers, together with

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 ...

Cluj-Napoca 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 ( ...

and Iași, as established by the Ministry of Education, gathering about 8% of the total number of students at national level.

Higher education Tertiary education (higher education, or post-secondary education) is the educational level following the completion of secondary education. The World Bank defines tertiary education as including universities, colleges, and vocational schools ...

takes place in eight universities in the county, four

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

and four private:

Healthcare

At the county level, there are 22

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

s (15 public and seven private), five medical dispensaries, three mental health centers, 522 medical offices (school, student and family medicine), 846 dental offices, 115 medical laboratories, 87 dental laboratories and a transfusion center. Regarding the pharmaceutical network in Timiș County, in 2019 there were 295 pharmacies (16 public and 279 private), seven pharmaceutical points and 34 pharmaceutical warehouses. Timișoara is nationally recognized as a center of excellence in medicine. Timișoara has made several breakthroughs in Romanian medicine, including the first in vitro fertilization, the first laser heart surgery and the first stem cell transplant. The Pius Brînzeu County Emergency Clinical Hospital and the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases from Timișoara were included by the Ministry of Health in the first class of competence (out of five possible). Première Hospital, run by Regina Maria private health network, is the largest private hospital in the west of the country.

Transport

Road transport

Timiș County is connected to the European transport network by the Central and Global TEN-T networks, so the main corridor that serves it is the Rhine–Danube Corridor, which provides the connection with

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. ...

, with the central-southern part of

(

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

and

Nuremberg Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...

and with

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

. The Orient/East–Med Corridor also crosses the county's territory and connects with

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 ...

. Inter- and intra-county connections are provided by the main and secondary national roads from which a dense network of local roads emerges. The public road network of Timiș County has a length of about 2,930 km, with a density of 33.7 km/100 km². More detailed, there are about 563 km of national roads, 1,145 km of county roads and 1,222 km of communal roads. Also, Timiș County is served by almost 108 km of motorways, represented by the A1 and A6 motorways. In 2019, Timiș County had a motorization index of 361.64 vehicles/1,000 inhabitants, being among the highest in the country.

Rail transport

The railway network totals 795 km, of which 113 are electrified railways. With 91.4 km of railway per 1,000 km², Timiș County has the densest railway network in the country. On the territory of Timiș County, the railway network consists of a main line ( 900) and 18 secondary lines belonging to the CFR lines 900 (

–

), 200 (

Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...

– Curtici) and 300 (

– Episcopia Bihor). The railway line 900, whose route is

(north)– Roșiori (north)–

Craiova Craiova (, also , ) is the largest city in southwestern Romania, List of Romanian cities, the seventh largest city in the country and the capital of Dolj County, situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia. It i ...

– Filiași– Caransebeș–

(north), crosses the county on the

–

relation. It is part of the Pan-European Corridor IV. In Timiș County there are 133 stations operated by state and private railway operators such as Căile Ferate Române (CFR), Astra Trans Carpatic and Regio Călători. The busiest of them is Timișoara North, with over 1.7 million passengers in 2011.

Air transport

Timiș County is served by Traian Vuia International Airport, located northeast of

, about 10 km from the city center. With 1.5 million passengers in 2019, it is the third busiest Romanian airport, after

's Henri Coandă International Airport and

's Avram Iancu International Airport. Traian Vuia Airport concentrates 17.2% of the total number of passengers boarded at Romanian airports, 35.5% of the total tons of goods loaded and 13.7% of the total number of flights. Cioca Airfield, used as an airport for a short period of time, between 1941 and 1942, serves today as

airfield An aerodrome, airfield, or airstrip is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for public or private use. Aerodromes in ...

for recreational aircraft, air taxis and

utility aircraft A utility aircraft is a general-purpose light airplane or helicopter, usually used for transporting people, freight, or other supplies, but also used for other duties when more specialized aircraft are not required or available. The term can al ...

and venue for various festivals. It is located in the northwest of Timișoara, about 5 km from it.

Naval transport

Timiș County is crossed by one of the few artificially arranged waterways in Romania, the Bega Canal. The Bega Canal is part of the Rhine–Main–Danube system, making possible the connection between the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

and the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

. The length of the canal on the Romanian territory is about 44.5 km and 74 km on the Serbian territory. The navigable part of the canal starts from Timișoara from where it continues to the southwest until it flows into the Tisza, located on Serbian territory. The Bega Canal is the first navigable canal built in Romania. Originally built for the sanitation of floodplains around Timișoara, it was later arranged for navigation. Timișoara is the only Romanian city with

public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

by water, made with vaporetto-like boats along the nine stations on the Bega Canal.

Notable people

File:Arsa Teodorović, Dositej Obradović, 1818, oil on canvas, National Museum of Serbia.jpg,

Dositej Obradović Dositej Obradović ( sr-Cyrl, Доситеј Обрадовић, ; 17 February 1739 – 7 April 1811) was a Serbian writer, biographer, diarist, philosopher, pedagogue, educational reformer, linguist and the first minister of education of Se ...

File:Matevž Langus - Nikolaus Lenau.jpg, Nikolaus Lenau File:Traian Vuia.jpg, Traian Vuia File:Béla Bartók (1881-1945).jpg,

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hunga ...

File:Lugosi Béla fortepan 14652 (cropped).jpg, Bela Lugosi File:Johny Weissmuller-publicity.JPG, Johnny Weissmuller File:Herta Müller 1.jpg, Herta Müller *

(1739–1811), educator, writer and reformer * Nikolaus Lenau (1802–1850), poet * Ion Ivanovici (1845–1902), military band conductor and composer * Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza (1854–1924), Commander-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Army * Traian Vuia (1872–1950), inventor and aviation pioneer *

(1881–1945), composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist * Bela Lugosi (1882–1956), actor * Károly Kerényi (1897–1973), scholar and philologist * Johnny Weissmuller (1904–1984), Olympic swimmer, water polo player and actor * Ștefan Kovács (1920–1995), football player and coach * György Kurtág (b. 1926), composer and pianist * Josef Posipal (1927–1997), footballer * Iolanda Balaș (1936–2016), Olympic athlete * Ana Blandiana (b. 1942), writer and civic activist * Daniel Ciobotea (b. 1951), Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (2007–present) * Herta Müller (b. 1953), writer and recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Literature * Cosmin Contra (b. 1975), football player and manager * Edina Gallovits-Hall (b. 1984), tennis player * Gabriel Torje (b. 1989), footballer

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timis County Timiș County Counties of Romania 1968 establishments in Romania States and territories established in 1968