Timis County - Geography and history
Timis county is located in the west of the country, on the border with Yugoslavia. It has an area of 8 696.7 km2, representing 3.65% of the country's territory, ranking the first. As of 31 December 2000, the administrative organisation of this county's territory was as follows: 2 municipalities and 5 towns, 75 communes and 317 villages. It borders Arad county (to the north), Hunedoara county (to the east) and Caras-Severin county (to the south-east). The county's capital city is Timisoara.
The geography is characterised by a predominant plain in the central and western parts, continuing with a hilly area in the east, to the massif of the Poiana Rusca Mountain, with its highest peak Pades (1 380 m).
The county's territory is crossed by the Bega river (canalled on 38 km) and the Timis river from east to south-west, and in the northern part by the Aranca river, an old branch of the Mures river. The county's lakes have are small in area and depth. Many of them represent the remains of former marshes. In the neighbourhood of Satchinez several ornithological rare species can be found: small egrets, shovellers, and yellow herons. There are two 20oC thermal lakes, at Radmanesti and Forocici.
The county's climate is temperate, with Mediterranean influences, characterised by hot summers and tender winters. The absolute maximum temperature was 42°C at Teremia Mare in 1952, and the absolute minimum at Timisoara, -35.5°C (on 29 January 1963). The multiannual average temperature varies between 10-12°C and the annual rainfall between 500-600 mm.
Because of the diversified geography, soils vary, too. The north-western part is covered by chernozem, forest soils in the hilly areas, brown soils in the south-east and mountain soils in the east.
The history of Timis melted in the history of the whole Banat region. Archaeological materials prove the existence of this territory ever since the Palaeolithic period. Chronicles mention about the existence in the 11th century of a Romanian principality led by voivode Glad and later on by his descendent, Altum, having its capital city at Morisena (today's Cenad). Two centuries later, the existence of the Castrum Timissiensis city, today's Timisoara, is mentioned. Timisoara city, documentarily attested to in 1212, became one of the most important economic and military centres during the 14th century. In 1857 the Timisoara-Szeget railway was built, as an open door to Central Europe, and a few years later telegraphic and phone connections to Vienna were established. A bank was already functioning in Timisoara in 1790. Documents prove the existence of a school and several theatres since the first half of the 18th century. After the First World War, the first higher education institutions were founded, and the number of cultural institutions increased. Keeping alive the spirit of these lands, their traditions and people, December 1989 came up as a natural event that could not take place elsewhere.
December 1989 was the debut of the events leading to the fall of communism in Romania, Timisoara being the first free martyr city.
Timisoara county has rich and various natural resources: lignite ores (at Sinersig), basalt (at Lucaret-Sanovita), manganese (at Pietroasa), clay (at Biled, Carpinis, and Jimbolia), oil and natural gas (at Biled, Satchinez, and Ortisoara), sand (at Sag), glass sand (at Grosi-Faget, Tomesti, and Gladna), mineral waters (at Buzias, Calacea, Ivanda, Bogda, and Timisoara).
Economy
In 2000 there were 11 096 active companies in the county, of which over 98.8% with private capital. By their main activity, industry accounted for 14%, while services represented 77.8%.
The agricultural land of Timis county summed 702 326 ha, the arable area was 533 018 ha, pastures 126 149 ha, hays 29 505 ha, vineyards and win-growing nurseries 4 313 ha, orchards and fruit-growing nurseries 9 341 ha. Forests and other forest vegetation lands represent 109 048 ha, water lands 15 725 ha and other non-agricultural lands 42 566 ha.
The agricultural land of Timis county is the first among the other counties. The private agricultural sector hass 98.7% of the total agricultural arable land, the biggest share among the national economic activities.
The agricultural production at the main crops in 2000 was as follows: wheat and rye 244.8 thousand tons, barley and two-row barley 99.6 thousand tons, corn beans 285.3 thousand tons, sunflower seeds 36.1 thousand tons, beet root 7.2 thousand tons, autumn potatoes 59.6 thousand tons. The average productions per hectare of wheat and rye were 2 572 kg, over the 2 280 kg country average.
At the end of 2000 the livestock was as follows: 62.6 thousand cattle, 318.7 thousand pigs, 351.3 thousand sheep and goats and 1 912 thousand poultry.
The following industrial products represent the county's industry: meat products, beer, soda drinks, textiles and footwear, 0.25 KW and more electric engines, hydraulic and pneumatic equipments, and furniture.
Timis county has a road and railway network with a density higher than the country average. The public roads at the end of 2000 were 2 901 km long (33.4 km/100 km2 of territory), 44 km longer than in 1996. Two European roads cross Timis county: E70 from Yugoslavia, through the border city of Moravita, to Timisoara and E671 Timisoara-Arad, providing country's exit to Hungary and Central Europe.
The railway network was 786 km long, of which 111 km were electrified, with a railway density of 90.4 km in 1 000 km2, obviously superior to the country average (46.2 km in 1 000 km2 of territory).
The International Airport of Timisoara, the second by importance and size, can host any type of airship, having direct connections to Vienna, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Chicago.
In 2000 there were 50 tourist accommodation structures in Timis county, as follows: 24 hotels, 2 motels, 1 inn, 12 villas, 1 chalet, 6 pensions, 1 camping area and 3 school camps. The total accommodation capacity was 4 125 places, of which 2 732 were places in hotels and motels. The capacity usage index was 43%, superior to the national average (35.2%).
Population and social environment
The county's stable population as of 1 July 2000 was 688 575 persons, with a density of 79.2 inhabitants/km2. The young population (0-24 years) in 2000 represented 33.4%, under the country's level, a decrease from 35.5% in 1996.
The population of 65 years and over represented 12.7%, compared to 13.3% the country's total, and to 12.1% in 1996, resulting in a population aging process. Timis county's population average age was 37.2 years, equal to the country's average.
In 2000 the birth rate was 9.3 live births per 1 000 inhabitants, an increase from 9.2 in 1996, but under the country's average.
In 2000 the overall mortality rate was 11.3 deaths per 1 000 inhabitants, resulting in a negative natural increase of 2 persons per 1 000 inhabitants.
The infant mortality was 23.5 deaths of children under 1 year per 1 000 live births, 26.3% over the country's average.
In 2000 the marriage rate was 6.1 per 1 000 inhabitants (6.5 in 1996) and the divorce rate was 0.94 per 1 000 inhabitants (1.99 in 1996).
The life expectancy between 1998 and 2000 was 66,9 years for males and 74 years for females, under the country's average, for both males and females.
At the end of 2000, the labour force of Timis county totalled 424.8 thousand persons (50.6% females). The activity rate of the labour force was 75.1%, 3% over the national activity rate. The labour force employment rate in 2000 was 69.4% (68.8% for males, 70% for females). The employed civil population was 294.9 thousand persons (51% females), with a relatively balanced distribution by sectors: 35.2% in agricultural activities, 30.3% in industry and construction and 34.5% in services.
58.6% of the total employed civil population were employees. The employees earned 1 943.3 thousand lei per month and per employee in 2000, their average net salary being 9.2% under the country's average and 4.8% under the West Region's average.
The economic restructuration, personnel dismissals in industry and inability of the other economic sectors to absorb the dismissed labour force led to the increase of the unemployment rate and the fall of employment. In 1996 there were 7.6 thousand unemployed persons and an unemployment rate of 2.5%. Until 1999, the unemployment rate had an increasing evolution, reaching 25.7 thousand persons and an unemployment rate of 8.4%. At the end of 2000, the number of the registered unemployed was 24.3 thousand persons and the unemployment rate was 7.6% (2.9% under the country's average), slightly higher for males (8.1%) than for females (7.2%).
The educational system of Timis county had in the 2000/2001 school year an institutional infrastructure consisting of 732 units of all educational levels: 342 kindergartens, 324 primary and secondary schools, 52 high schools, 3 vocational schools, 2 apprentice schools and 9 higher education institutions.
The healthcare network consisted of 16 hospitals, 30 clinics, 33 medical consultation centres, 4 health centres, 27 nurseries and 186 pharmacies.
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