DOLJ County - Geography and history
Located in the south of the country, Dolj county has 7 414 km2 of area, representing 3.1% of Romania's territory, being the 7th county of the country. As of 31 December 2000, the administrative organisation of this county's territory was the following: 3 towns and 2 municipalities, 94 communes and 380 villages. The county's capital city is Craiova. It borders the following counties: Gorj, Vâlcea (in the north), Olt (in the east) and Mehedinti (in the west). The Danube river crosses the southern area of the county on 150 km, also representing the natural border with Bulgaria.
The Walachian Plain dominates the geography, but there are also hilly areas in the north.
The climate is temperate-continental, with submediterranean influences.
The hydrographical network is represented by the Danube river that runs across this county between Cetate and Dabuleni, the Jiu river, running across the county from Filiasi to Zaval on 154 km, and several lakes and ponds (the Bistret, Fântâna Banului, Maglavit, Govleti, and Ciuperceni Lake).
The first documentary attestation dates since 1444, under the name of Judetul de Balta (Lake County), bordered by Blahnita Lake to the north, now belonging to Mehedinti county and Bistret Lake to the south.
The first known human communities in this area are archeologically attested by the discoveries made at the Amarasti, Farcas and Dobromira communes, the Vârvoru de Jos commune belonging to the end of the ancient age of the country. Much richer are the living traces dating since the Neolithic period. In the Cârcea and Cosoveni communes, the oldest phase of this age was identified, and is characterised, among others, by painted ceramics competing from an artistic point of view with the polychromatic ceramics of the Aegean-Anatolian Neolithic period.
The inhabitation density, originality of material and spiritual culture, as well as the artistic refinement individualising the Neolithic period are vastly illustrated by the discovery of numerous settlements on the county's territory: Simnic, Verbita, Verbicioara, Padea, Leu, Rast, Salcuta (showing a lot of Neolithic cultures), Cerat.
At the end of the 15th century, a 1 June 1475 act mentioned Craiova, today's capital city of the county. During this period the great Principality of Oltenia was also founded, becoming an important military basis against the Ottoman Empire, comprising the forces from the right of the Olt river.
In the middle of the 18th century, as a consequence to the intensification of economical and fiscal exploitation, Dolj county and entire Oltenia became the area of strong social movements. Thus, Dolj and a great part of Oltenia became the scene of military operations carried out by the great empires (Ottoman, Habsburg and Russian). Taking place between historical ages, the 1821 Revolution, led by Tudor Vladimirescu and the 1848 Revolution were for the inhabitants of Dolj county and Craiova city an opportunity to stand up for the fight for national and social freedom.
For a long time Dolj county was considered deprived of useful mineral resources. Only rocks used as construction materials, such as sands, stones, and argyles were considered important.
Methodical research and explorations proved the existence deep in the north of the county of greatly valuable deposits for the future economic development in the area. It is about the natural gas resources to the north of the city of Craiova, in the Ghercesti, Simnic section. Apparently surprising, the presence of mineral waters in the vast Plain of Dolj was signalised.
Economy
In 2000 the county had 10 022 active companies, over 99% with with private capital. By their main activity, industry represented 9.2% of the total, while services accounted for 84% of the total.
Although the number of the industrial companies is not very big, Dolj county has a remarkable industrial potential, with a significant share in the national economy. Production includes cars, power transformers, electric engines, high voltage tools and farming tractors. Food industry is well represented, producing edible oil, sugar, and beer.
The industrial sector also produces 99.4% of the country's 0.25 kW transformers production, 15.2% of the electric engines, 15.3% of the total volume of chemical fertilizers produced at a national level and 32.8% of the total number of cars. The food industry produces 18.3% of Romania's edible oil production.
In 2000 the farming area of Dolj county was 588 944 ha (increasing by 372 ha compared to 1996), of which: 83% (82.5% in 1996) arable land, 12.3% (12.6% in 1996) pastures and natural hays and 4.7% (4.9% in 1996) vineyards and orchards.
The share of the private sector in the total cultivated area for main crops is as follows: 91.2% wheat, 72.2% barley, 97.1% corn beans, 79.4% sunflower seeds, 96% potatoes, 97.1% field vegetables and 84.3% vineyards, vineyard and hop nurseries.
In 2000 the production of grains was 394.1 thousand tons, of which wheat and rye 280.5 thousand tons and corn 88.4 thousand tons.
At the end of 2000 the livestock totalled 62.4 thousand cattle, 129.8 thousand pigs, 269.6 thousand sheep and goats and 3 053 poultry. The private sector accounted at the end of 2000 for 96.6% of the cattle, 95.5% of pigs, 98.9% of sheep and goats and almost 100% of the poultry. The 1 286 thousand hl milk production was the biggest in the South-West Region.
At the end of 2000, the localities of Dolj county had a 707.6 km long drinking water distribution pipes, 514 km of sanitary sewerage pipes, 399.7 km of gas distribution pipes, 577 km of urban streets, 1 299 ha of green spaces.
At the end of 2000 Dolj county had a 221 km long functional railway network (with a density of 29.8 km per 1000 km2 of territory) and 2 190 km of public roads, of which 423 km were national roads and 1 767 km were county and communal roads.
The number of tourist accommodation structures of the county as of 31 July 2000 was 16, of which: 10 hotels and motels, and the total accommodation capacity of the county was 975 places, with 872 places in hotels and motels.
Population and social environment
Between 1996 and 2000, the population of Dolj county featured a continuous decrease, from 751 938 inhabitants in 1996 to 744 243 inhabitants in 2000.
The population density in 2000 was 100.4 inhabitants/km2, compared to 94.1 inhabitants/km2 at a national level.
The population structure by ages in Dolj county presents significant mutations reflecting a constant demographic aging process, determined by adult and old population rise, simultaneously with the decrease of young population.
In 2000, the population's average age was 38.9 years, 1.7 years above the country's population average age.
The birth rate increased from 9.7 per 1 000 inhabitants in 1996 to 10.4 in 2000 and the overall mortality rate decreased from 14.5 per 1 000 inhabitants in 1996 to 12.8 in 2000. The natural population growth remained negative (-4.8 per 1 000 inhabitants in 1996 compared to -2.4 in 2000).
The infant mortality rate decreased from 23.9 deaths of children under 1 year per 1 000 live births in 1996 to 20.9 in 2000.
In 2000 the marriage rate was 5.5 per 1 000 inhabitants and the divorce rate was 0.69 per 1 000 inhabitants.
The population activity rate (the ratio between the active civil population and the total population) was 45.9% (43.1% at the end of 1996).
The employment rate (the ratio between the active employed civil population and the total labour force) was 69.1% at the end of 2000.
In 2001 there were 298.8 thousand employed persons (145.6 thousand females), a decrease by 1.4 thousand persons compared to the end of 1996. According to the National Employment Agency, in 2000 there were 42 thousand unemployed persons, compared to 23.8 thousand unemployed persons in 1996.
During the 2000/2001 school year the number of educational units was 632, 27.8% less compared to 1996/1997 school year.
In 2000 the public healthcare system totalled 12 hospitals (91.7% in the urban area), 8 health centres (100% in the rural area), 5 clinics (100% in the urban area), 49 medical consultation centres (95.9% in the urban area), a tuberculosis sanatorium (in the rural area), 9 nurseries (100% in the urban area), 16 pharmacies (75% in the urban area), 2 drugstores (50% in the urban area), a preventorium (in the rural area), 297 private medical cabinets (individual and in association (35.4% in the urban area) and 57 private dentist clinics (grouped and in association (52.6% in the urban area).
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