Sibiu County
Sibiu (;
Hungarian:
Szeben) is a county (
judeţ) of
Romania, in the historical region
Transylvania, with the capital city
Sibiu.
*
Braşov County in the East.
*
Alba County in the West.
*
Mureş County in the North.
*
Vâlcea County and
Argeş County in the South.
In
2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the
population density was 78/km².
At the
2002 census the county has the following population indices:
*
Romanians - 90,6% (or 382,061)
*
Hungarians - 3,6% (or 15,344)
*
Romas - 4,1% (or 17,125)
*
Germans - 1,6% (or 6,554)
*Other - 0,1% (or 640)
official statisticsedrcReligion:
*
Orthodox - 88,9%
*
Greek catholics - 2,3%
*
Reformed - 2,0%
*
Catholics - 1,5%
*
Pentecostals - 1,1%
*
Baptists 0,9%
*Other - 3,3%
Urbanisation - 5'th most urbanised county in
Romania:
*City dwellers: 277,574 (or 65,8%)
*Village dwelers: 144,150 (or 34,2%)
Traditionally, the biggest minority in the county were
Germans, but their numbers have decreased in recent history.
The south side of the county, closer to the mountains was mainly inhabited by Romanians (
Mărginimea Sibiului), and the north side of the country - the
Transylvanian Plateau was inhabited evenly by Germans and Romanians, but most Saxon villages are now deserted. The Roma population, mainly from southern
Romania was placed close to the villages in the
communist period and have since increased their numbers.
This county has a total area of 5,432 km².
In the South side there are the
Carpathian Mountains (
Southern Carpathians) -
Făgăraş Mountains with heights over 2500 m, Lotru and
Cindrel which make up to 30% of the county's surface. The
Olt River crosses the mountains over to the South of Romania in Sibiu County forming one of the most accessible link between
Transylvania and
Wallachia. In the North side there is the
Transylvanian Plateau.
The most important rivers crossing the county are the
Olt River in the South with
Cibin its main affluent, and the
Târnava River in the North.
Sibiu County has one of the most dynamical economies in
Romania, being one of the regions with the highest level of foreign investment.
The predominant industries in the county are:
* Machine and automotive components.
* Food industry.
* Textile industry.
* Wood industry.
The biggest natural resource in the county is
natural gas, especially in the north side, having one of the largest sources in the country.
In
Copşa Mică during the
communist period there were two chemical industrial complexes which polluted the environment heavily with carbon black, heavy metals and other chemical substances. That's why the area is still considered one of the most polluted communities in Europe. Fortunately, after
1989 many of the industrial complexes were shut down and the area is slowly recovering.
The main tourist attractions in the county are:
*The city of
Sibiu with its medieval fortifications and its historic centre.
*The medieval city of
Mediaş.
*The medieval
Saxon fortified churches and villages from
Transylvania, some of them being
UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
**
Biertan.
**
Valea Viilor.
**
Cisnădie.
**
Cisnădioara.
**
Slimnic.
**
Agnita.
*The
abbey of
Cârţa*The
Făgăraş Mountains.
** The Bâlea Valley and the
Transfăgărăşan.
** The
Negoiu Peak.
*
Păltiniş mountain resort and the
Cindrel Mountains.
*
Ocna Sibiului,
Bazna and
Miercurea Sibiului Spa towns.
*The
Mărginimea Sibiului rural area.
*
Emil Cioran*
Octavian GogaThe county has 2 municipalities, 9 towns and 53 communes.
Municipalities
*
Sibiu - capital city; population: 170,038
*
MediaşTowns
*
Agnita*
Avrig*
Cisnădie*
Copşa Mică*
Dumbrăveni*
Miercurea Sibiului*
Ocna Sibiului*
Sălişte*
TălmaciuCommunes
