Mureș County

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Mureș County (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmureʃ], Romanian: Județul Mures, Hungarian: Maros megye) is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș. The county was established in 1968, after the administrative reorganization that re-introduced the historical județ (county) system, still used today. This reform eliminated the previous Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region, which had been created in 1952 within the People's Republic of Romania. Mureș County has a vibrant multicultural fabric that includes Hungarian-speaking Székelys and Transylvanian Saxons, with a rich heritage of fortified churches and towns.

Mureș County
Județul Mures
Maros megye
The Saschiz fortified church
Coat of arms of Mureș County
Location of Mureș County
Coordinates: 46°35′N 24°37′E / 46.59°N 24.61°E / 46.59; 24.61
Country Romania
Development region1Centru
Historic regionTransylvania
County seatTârgu Mureș
Government
 • TypeCounty Board
 • President of the County BoardPéter Ferenc [ro] (RMDSZ [ro])
 • Prefect2Ciprian Dobre [ro]
Area
 • Total
6,714 km2 (2,592 sq mi)
 • Rank11th in Romania
Population
 (2021-12-01)[1]
 • Total
518,193
 • Rank12th in Romania
 • Density82/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code
54wxyz3
Area code+40 x654
Car platesMS5
GDP (nominal)US$ 8.120  billion (204)
GDP per capitaUS$ 7,068 (2015)
WebsiteCounty Board
County Prefecture
1The developing regions of Romania have no administrative role.
2 as of 2007, the Prefect is not a politician, but a public functionary. He (or she) is not allowed to be a member of a political party, and is banned to have any political activity in the first six months after the resignation (or exclusion) from the public functionary corps
3w, x, y, and z are digits that indicate the city, the street, part of the street, or even the building of the address
4x is a digit indicating the operator: 2 for the former national operator, Romtelecom, and 3 for the other ground telephone networks
5used on both the plates of the vehicles that operate only in the county limits (like utility vehicles, ATVs, etc.), and the ones used outside the county

Name

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In Hungarian, it is known as Maros megye ([ˈmɒroʃ ˈmɛɟɛ]), and in German as Kreis Mieresch. Under Kingdom of Hungary, a county with a similar name (Maros-Torda County, Romanian: Comitatul Mureş-Turda) was created in 1876. There was a county with the same name under the Kingdom of Romania, and a Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region (1960–1968) under the Socialist Republic of Romania.

Geography

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The county has a total area of 6,714 km2 (2,592 sq mi).

The northeastern side of the county consists of the Călimani and Gurghiu Mountains and the sub-Carpathian hills, members of the Inner Eastern Carpathians. The rest of the county is part of the Transylvanian Plateau, with deep but wide valleys.

The main river crossing in the county is the Mureș River. The Târnava Mare River and the Târnava Mică River also cross the county.

Mureș County is bordered by seven other counties: Suceava, Harghita, Brașov, Sibiu, Alba, Cluj and Bistrița-Năsăud.

Neighbours

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Demographics

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The ethnic map of Mureș county in 2002
 
The ethnic map of Mureș county in 2011

In 2022, the population of Mureș County was registered as 518,193 people, 22,39% of them living in Târgu Mureș, making it the sixteenth largest city in Romania, with a population of 116,033 people.

The next city in the county by number of people is Reghin, with 29,742 people, followed by Sighișoara, with 23,927 and then Târnăveni, with 20,604.[2]

Ethnic structure (2002)
Total Romanians Hungarians Roma Germans Other
580,851 309,375 228,275 40,425 2,045 731
100% 53.26% 39.30% 6.96% 0.35% 0.12%
Ethnic structure (2011)
Total Romanians Hungarians Roma Germans Other
550,846 277,372 200,858 46,947 1,478 792
100% 52.60% 38.09% 8.90% 0.28% 0.13%
Ethnic structure (2021)
Total Romanians Hungarians Roma Germans Other
518,193 252,400 165,014 44,880 904 617
100% 54.42% 35.58% 9.68% 0.19% 0.13%

In terms of religion:

Historical population
YearPop.±% p.a.
1930425,721—    
1948461,403+0.45%
1956513,261+1.34%
1966561,598+0.90%
1977605,345+0.68%
1992607,298+0.02%
2002580,851−0.44%
2011550,846−0.59%
2021518,193−0.61%

Tourism

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Some of the main tourist attractions in the county are:

Media

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TV stations

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Channel Name Network Launch date Notes
1 TVR 1 Romanian Public Television 1956 Public channel
2 TVR 2 Romanian Public Television 1968 (hiatus 1985–1990) Public channel
3 Pro TV Târgu-Mureș Pro TV 1997 Affiliated stadion
4 Antena 1 Târgu-Mureș Antena 1 1998 Affiliated stadion
5 Prima TV Târgu-Mureș Prima TV 2008 Affiliated station
26 TTM None 2006 Local news channel
25 Știi TV None 2008 Local news channel
57 DIGI24 HD Cluj-Napoca RCS&RDS 2013 Regional news channel
63 TVR Târgu-Mureș Romanian Public Television 2008 Regional station
Gliga TV Reghin Gliga CATV 2001 Local news channel in Reghin
DaReghin None 2009 Local news channel in Reghin
Târnava TV None 2008 Local news channel in Sighișoara and Târnăveni

The only cable provider in Târgu-Mureș is RCS&RDS, in Reghin is Gliga CATV, and in Sighișoara Teleson .

Radio stations

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Târgu-Mureș stations

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Frequency Name Launch date Format Notes
FM 102.9 Radio România Târgu-Mureș 1958 Public / newsmusic Regional station
FM 89.1 PRO FM 1997 Commercial radio Bucharest
FM 90.3 Kiss FM 2003 Commercial radio Bucharest
FM 90.7 Europa FM 2002 Commercial radio Bucharest
FM 88 Eadio GaGa 1994
FM 88.4 Rock FM 1997 Bucharest
FM 92.7 Radio 21 2002 Bucharest
FM 93.6 Radio România Actualități 1928 Bucharest
FM 97.1 Erdély FM 2007
FM 98 Radio Zu 2008 Bucharest
FM 100.6 Național FM 2004 Oradea
FM 101.2 Magic FM 2000 Bucharest
FM 101.6 Radio InfoPRO 2005 Bucharest
FM 105.6 Radio SON 2007 Sighișoara

Print

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Newspapers and magazines

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  • Cuvântul Liber
  • Zi de Zi
  • Ziarul de Mureș
  • Népújság
  • Krónika
  • Vásárhelyi Hírlap

Economy

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The predominant industries in the county are:

Mureș County and Sibiu County together produce about 50% of the natural gas developed in Romania. Salt is also extracted in the county.

Politics

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The Mureș County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 34 counsellors, with the following party composition:[3]

    Party Seats Current Council
  Democratic Alliance of Hungarians (UDMR/RMDSZ) 16                                
  National Liberal Party (PNL) 9                                
  Social Democratic Party (PSD) 7                                
  People's Movement Party (PMP) 2                                

Administrative divisions

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The Cultural Palace built between 1911 and 1913, Târgu Mureș (German: Neumarkt am Mieresch)
 
Sighișoara (German: Schäßburg)
 
Reghin (German: Sächsisch Regen)
 
Luduș (German: Ludasch)
 
Saschiz (German: Keisd or Hünenburg)

Mureș County has 4 municipalities, 7 towns and 91 communes.

Municipalities

Towns

Communes

Historical county

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Județul Mureș
County (Județ)
 
The Mureș County Prefecture building of the interwar period.
 
 
Country  Romania
Historic regionTransylvania
Capital city (Reședință de județ)Târgu Mureș
Established1925
Area
 • Total
4,856 km2 (1,875 sq mi)
Population
 (1930)
 • Total
289,456
 • Density60/km2 (150/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Historically, Mureş-Turda County was located in the central-northern part of Greater Romania, in the central part of Transylvania. The capital was Târgu Mureș. After the administrative unification law in 1925, it was renamed to Mureș County, and the territory was reorganized. It was bordered on the south by Târnava-Mică County, on the southwest by Turda County, on the west by Cluj County, on the north by Năsăud County, on the northeast with the counties of Câmpulung and Neamț, and on the southeast with the counties of Ciuc and Odorhei. Most of the territory of the historical county is found in the present Mureș County, except for the northeastern area, which is located in Harghita County, and the northwestern area in Bistrița-Năsăud County today.

History

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Prior to World War I, the territory of the county belonged to Austria-Hungary and identical with the Maros-Torda County of the Kingdom of Hungary. The territory of Mureș County was transferred to Romania from Hungary as successor state to Austria-Hungary in 1920 under the Treaty of Trianon.

In 1938, King Carol II promulgated a new Constitution, 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. Mureș County became part of Ținutul Mureș.

In 1940, the county was transferred back to Hungary with the rest of Northern Transylvania under the Second Vienna Award. Beginning in 1944, Romanian forces with Soviet assistance recaptured the ceded territory and reintegrated it into Romania, re-establishing the county. Romanian jurisdiction over the entire county per the Treaty of Trianon was reaffirmed in the Paris Peace Treaties, 1947. The county was disestablished by the communist government of Romania in 1950, and re-established in 1968 when Romania restored the county administrative system.

Administration

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Map of Mureș County as constituted in 1938.

The county originally consisted of seven districts (plăși):[4]

  1. Plasa Band, headquartered at Band
  2. Plasa Miercurea Nirajului, headquartered at Miercurea Nirajului
  3. Plasa Râciu, headquartered at Râciu
  4. Plasa Reghin, headquartered at Reghin
  5. Plasa Târgu Mureș (also called Plasa Mureș), headquartered at Târgu Mureș
  6. Plasa Teaca, headquartered at Teaca
  7. Plasa Toplița, headquartered at Toplița

A subsequent administrative adjustment added one district, divided Plasa Mureș into two, and divided Plasa Reghin into two, leaving ten districts:

  1. Plasa Band, headquartered at Band
  2. Plasa Gurhiu, headquartered at Gurghiu
  3. Plasa Miercurea Nirajului, headquartered at Miercurea Nirajului
  4. Plasa Mureș de Jos, headquartered at Mureșeni
  5. Plasa Mureș de Sus, headquartered at Târgu Mureș
  6. Plasa Râciu, headquartered at Râciu
  7. Plasa Reghin de Jos, headquartered at Reghin
  8. Plasa Reghin de Sus, headquartered at Suseni
  9. Plasa Teaca, headquartered at Teaca
  10. Plasa Toplița, headquartered at Toplița

The county had two urban localities: Târgu Mureş (a city) and Reghin (urban commune).

Population

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According to the census data of 1930, the county's population was 289,546, of which 45.8% were Romanians, 42.6% Hungarians, 3.9% Germans, 3.9% Romanies, 3.4% Jews, as well as other minorities. By mother tongue, the county population consisted of 45.9% Hungarian speakers, 45.5% Romanian speakers, 3.9% German speakers, 2.2% Yiddish speakers, and 2.1% Romany speakers.[5] In the religious aspect, the population consisted of 32.4% Greek Catholic, 30.3% Reformed, 14.5% Eastern Orthodox, 12.1% Roman Catholic, 3.9% Lutheran, 3.6% Jewish, 2.6% Unitarian, as well as other minorities.[6]

Urban population

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In 1930, the urban population of the county was 47,807, of which 54.3% were Hungarians, 24.3% Romanians, 13.4% Jews, 6.0% Germans, 1.1% Romanies, as well as other minorities. As a mother tongue in the urban population, Hungarian was spoken by 61.2% of the population, followed by Romanian, spoken by 23.6% of the population as mother tongue, Yiddish (7.4%) and German (6.2%). From the religious point of view, the urban population was made up of 32.6% Reformed, 20.1% Roman Catholic, 14.2% Greek Catholic, 14.2% Jewish, 10% Eastern Orthodox, 5.9% Lutheran, 2.3% Unitarian, as well as other minorities.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  2. ^ "HARTĂ INTERACTIVĂ Populația României în fiecare localitate din țară – Recensământul 2021 vs. 2011 / Cele mai mari creșteri, cele mai drastice scăderi" (in Romanian). 2 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Rezultatele finale ale alegerilor locale din 2020" (Json) (in Romanian). Autoritatea Electorală Permanentă. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  4. ^ Portretul României Interbelice – Județul Mureș
  5. ^ Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 290-297
  6. ^ a b Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 666-669
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