CLUJ COUNTY - Geography and history
Cluj county is located in the north-western half of the country. It lies on an area of 6 674 km2 (ranking13th, covering 2.8% of the country's area) spread over the junction region consisting of three representative natural units: the Apuseni Mountains, the Somes plateau and the Transylvania Plain and borders to the north-east the Maramures and Bistrita-Nasaud counties, to the east the Mures county, to the south the Alba county, and to the west the Bihor and Salaj counties. As of 31 December 2000 the administrative organisation of the county's territory was the following: one municipality and five towns, 74 communes and 420 villages.
In general, the geography is hilly and mountainous; the extreme elevations were in the Vladeasa (1 842 m) and Big Mountain (1 826 m) massifs. Actually, plains are missing; one can only find the Aries and Somes river meadows. The hilly region is located in the south-east of the Somes Plateau, in the north-west of the Transylvanian Plain and in the Feleac Massif, which makes the connection to the mountain region.
The Cluj county has a temperate-continental climate. Characteristic to the zone are the geographic modifications, respectively the appearance of the foehn phenomenon - even attenuated - in the lowlands belonging to the eastern and northern periphery of the Apuseni Mountains (Huedin, the Capus-Gilau-Cluj-Napoca couloir, Hasdate, Iara, Turda), due to the downward air coming from west, after surmounting the Bihor Peak.
The hydrographical network consists of rivers (the Little Somes, Aries and Crisul Repede), lakes and underground waters. There are few natural lakes and with a low economical importance, but interesting as genesis and scientific value, of which two were declared natural reservations: The Stone Lake and Lacul Legii Reservations. The anthropic saline lakes are known by their depth and therapeutic properties. The most important are the terramare complexes of Turda, Cojocna, Sic, and Ocna-Dejului. The most representative category by siye and importance is formed by the barrier lakes of the hydro-power establishments within the mountain area: Gilau, the Warm Somes, Târnita, Fântânele, and Dragan. Considering its position, the county has a temperate-continental climate, characteristic for the western and north-western regions of the country.
The archaeological discoveries in the area prove the existence of a civilisation integrated a long time ago in the European life and culture. The oldest Neolithic relics were discovered in the region called Gura Baciului (5 000 B.C.). A flourishing Thracian civilisation existed here in the second century B.C. During the conquest of Dacia by Roman Empire, Potaissa (Turda) and Napoca (Cluj) were declared municipals; the latter became the capital of Dacia Porolissensis, which accordingly to his first documentary attestation.
In 1437, at Bobâlna, the peasants turned against unjustness and oppression, with tragic consequences for the insurgent population. Since 1683, Cluj was occupied by the Austrians and remained under their direct control until 1699. In 1848, revolutionary movements, insurrections took placein the capital of the Hapsburg Empire, Vienna, , which spread over Romania, in Transylvania, in the same year, this revolution being a reaction to the Austro-Hungarian administration and played the role of a catalyst of the battle for Romania's unification. Cluj participated in the Revolution of 1848, the national hero Avram Iancu, one of the revolution's leaders, appeared at that time.
The geologic variety of the mountain and hill regions subsists in the important subsoil resources: lignite (at Aghires), turf (in the Big Mountain Massif, the Somesul Cald coalfield and Calatele), and marsh gas.
Economy
In 2000, there were 13 397 active companies, over 99% with private capital. Of the total number, industry represented 17%, while services accounted for 81.4% .
The predominance of the arable land, pastures and hays led to the traditional practice of agriculture and animal breeding. The pastures and hays cover over 50% of the agricultural land, a higher percentage than the national average, offering optimal conditions for animal breeding. The horse breeding represents an important and traditional occupation.
At the end of 2000, the agricultural land of Cluj county was 423 984 ha, divided into 41.9% of arable area, 56. 5% for pastures and hays, and the arable area per tractor was 36 ha. The livestock at the end of 2000 reached 98.0 thousand cattle, 219.6 thousand pigs, 266.5 thousand sheep, 9.5 thousand goats, 20.5 thousand horses and 1 247 thousand poultry.
In 2000, the vegetal agricultural production of the main crops represented: 175.8 thousand tons grain cereals, 0.7 thousand tons grain vegetables, 80.6 thousand tons vegetables, 2.9 thousand tons sunflower, 37.6 thousand tons sugar beet and 146.3 thousand tons potatoes.
The industry, mostly concentrated in Cluj-Napoca municipality, but also in the other towns of the county, is represented through several branches: the food industry, chemical industry, construction materials industry, cellulose and paper industry, electric and thermal industry, leather, fur, footwear, glass, china, and pottery industry. The Câmpia-Turzii Industria Sârmei Unit has been functioning since 1919, while forestry, the wood, cellulose and paper processing started in the 19th century, as well as the Ursus beer production.
At the end of 2000 the length of the railways crossing the county represented 232 km, of which 122 km represented electric line. Throughout Câmpia-Turzii-Cluj-Huedin villages the main road Bucharest-Bihor Bishopric passes, making the connection between the Central and Western European countries.
At the end of 2000, Cluj county had a dense public road network of 2 639 km, of which 343 km were national roads. Of these, 546 km were modernised roads.
From Cluj-Napoca Airport flying-in plains take off both on national and international lines. To the tourist treasure also belongs the Cluj-Napoca's Botanical Garden, the best known and the best organised garden in the South-Eastern Europe, with art and architectural monuments from all the towns of the county, with a rich and expressive ethnographical and folk variety gathered from all the villages.
Concerning the accommodation capacity, in 2000 Cluj county owned: 23 hotels, 1 inn, 2 motels, 7 tourist chalets, 3 campings, 26 tourist villas, 4 pre-school and school camping areas and 18 pensions.
Population and social environment
As of 1 July 2000, the population of the county was 719 864 persons, of which 350 947 were males (48.8%) and 368 917 females (51.2%). Compared to 1996 this represents a lower number, by almost 1%.
The population density was 107.9 inhabitants per km2 in 2000, a 1% decrease as compared to 1996. Of the total population 494 130 inhabitants lived in urban areas, the degree of demographical urbanization is 68.6%, next to the level of 1996 (68.8%). The average age of the county's population is 38.0 years, 0.8 years higher than the national average. In 2000 the infant mortality rate was 14.5 deaths of children under 1 year per 1 000 live births. In 2000 the birth rate was 8.8 live births per 1 000 inhabitants, under the national average (10.5); the overall mortality rate was 12.0 per 1 000 inhabitants. The life expectancy between 1998 and 2000 was 68.2 years for males and 74.8 for females, over the national average both for males and females.
The number of marriages in 2000 was 4 283, 350 less than in 1996, and the marriage rate was 6.1 per 1 000 inhabitants.
In 2000 the number of the divorces was 839, 33 cases more than in 1996, and the divorce rate was 1.19 per 1 000 inhabitants.
The working age population (16-59 years - males and 16-54 years - females) at the end of 2000 was 432.1 thousand persons (52.1% were males). Some 297.1 thousand persons of the civil active population were employed, while 37,8 thousand were unemployed. Of the total number of the employed, 107.0 thousand persons worked in agriculture and forestry, 70.3 thousand persons in industry, 15.8 thousand persons in construction and 26.3 thousand persons in trade.
Of the total number of the civil employed population, employees held a share of 57.2%. In 2000, the average net monthly salary was 2 097.1 thousand lei, 9.7% higher than the average of the North-West Region and 2% under the national average.
The unemployed number increased by 8.6 thousand persons in 2000 compared to1996. At the end of 2000, the number of unemployed persons was 37.8 thousand (18.4 thousand females), being 11.3%, higher than the 1996 figure (29.1 thousand persons, of which 17.2 thousand females).
During the 2000/2001 school year, the educational system of Cluj county consisted of 624 units, of which 153 were pre-school education units , 387 elementary and secondary units, 63 high schools with different specialities, 3 vocational schools, 8 schools for secondary special and vocational education and 10 public high schools.
Cluj is also a famous medical centre, oferring assistance also for people from many Transylvanian counties and even from other areas of the country. In 2000, the healthcare system included 20 hospitals with 7 776 beds, a tuberculosis sanatorium (105 beds), 4 clinics belonging to the public healthcare system, a preventorium (95 beds), numerous private cabinets and 8 private clinics. The medical-sanitary activity involved 3 748 physicians and dentists and 5 020 sanitary personnel with a medium medical training level, and the patient-per-physician ratio was of almost 221 persons.
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