Brasov County - Geography and history
Brasov County lies in central part of Romania, covering 5 363 km2 or 2.2% of the national area. It is surrounded by the following counties: Mures and Harghita to the north, Covasna at east, Prahova, Dâmbovita and Arges to the south, and Sibiu to the west. As of 31 December 2000 the administrative organisation of county's territory was the following: 4 municipalities and 5 towns, 43 communes and 150 villages.
The south boundaries of the county follow the curve of the highest mountains in the Carpathians: Bucegi, Ciucas and Fagaras, where are located Urlea and Podragul glacial lakes. The geography decreases gradually to the north, through alpine hills up to Bârsa plateau, while beyond Olt River it increases again towards the southern border of the Transylvania plateau.
The climate of Brasov County is temperate-continental depression-like. The average temperature of July is 180C, while of January's is -50C.
A wide hydrographical network crosses Brasov County, Olt River being the largest of all.
Traces of human life on these places dates since Palaeolithic and the Iron Époque richly represented here. The Dacian and Dacian-Roman settlements, whose existence was proved by the archaeological discoveries in Brasov, Râsnov, Zarnesti, Feldioara, Teliu, Rupea, witness for the Roman recession (271 AD) and the continuity of native population, that maintained also during the period of feudalist beginning and still exists today.
Since ancient times and especially since the beginning of the 14th century, due to its position, Brasov reached an important craft and merchandise centre having intense economic relationships with Walachia and Moldova.
In the settlement Scheii Brasovului about five centuries ago (1495) the first Romanian school was founded and here the deacon Coresi printed his first Romanian books in the 16th century.
Close by the settlement the imposing Black Church was erected, the easternmost gothic monument from Europe, appreciated for the oriental carpets collected during the 16th-17th century and the biggest pipe organ from the south-east of Europe, with 4 000 organ pipes.
The oldest documentary data attests to the existence of the city Brasov in 1234, by the name of "KORONA", then in 1252 by the name of "BARASU" and in 1288 by the name of "BRASO", the city developing in the conditions of the Tara Bârsei colonization with German population.
The Brasov County has two biosphere reservations: the Natural Park Bucegi and the Natural Park Piatra Craiului. Also exists 26 reservations and monuments of the nature: Bucegi (Abruptul, Bucsoiu, Malaiesti and Gaura), the Fossiliferous Place from Vama Strunga, Piatra Craiului, the Zarnesti, Gorges, the Basaltic Rock from la Rupea, the Basaltic Columns from Racos and Piatra, the Basaltic Micro Canyon Hoghiz, the Dopca Gorges, the Fossiliferous Place Ormenis, the Fossiliferous Place Carhanga, the Fossiliferous Place from Purcareni, the Bear Lair Cave, the Valley of the Borough Cave, the Bats Cave, the Rose of May Glades from Dumbrava Vadului, the Borough Hill - Lempes, the Harman Swamp, the Postavaru Mountain, the Turzun Bight, the Tâmpa Mountain, the Big Oakery, the Bogatii Forest, the eutrophic forest and swamps from Prejmer, the Comana Cave.
The mineral deposits include coal and lignite in Vulcan, marble in Sinca Veche and lime stones in Brasov and Cristian. Mineral waters can be found in Zizin, thermal waters in Codlea, and iodine-sodium waters in Persani, Rotbav and Homorod.
Economy
The economy of Brasov County is complex, with a strong industrial character. At the end of 2000 the number of the economical agents with integral or state majority capital reached 79, of which 6 autonomous organisations and 73 commercial companies. The number of active economical agents in 2000 was 11 749, of which over 99% were with private capital. The structure by activities of the 11 749 economical agents is the following: industry - 11, 4% (main branches are the machines building industry and metal processing industry, followed by the chemical industry); and over 81% commercial services.
In 2000, the machine building was the main industrial activity of the county, including almost the entire truck production, tractors, internal combustion engines and bearings production. An important part of the soft drinks and cosmetics production takes place in this county.
At the end of the 2000 there was over 297 397 ha agricultural land, representing 55.5% of the total lands of Brasov County, the rest being covered by forests, waters and other usage categories. The agricultural land cover 118 179 ha, pastures 119 890 ha, and hays, vineyards and orchards 20% of the din agricultural land (59 328 ha).
In the agriculture of the Brasov County animal breeding is highly represented, especially in the private sector. At the end of 2000 the livestock included, 62.2 thousand cattle, 92.9% belonging to family farms; 97.7 thousand pigs, 58.3% in family farms; 222.9 thousand sheep and goats, of which 98.7% in family farms; 1 747 thousand poultry, of which 25.5% in family farms. The private sector also owned big shares in the total vegetal production, such as: wheat, 86.3%, barley and two-row barley, 84.7%, oat, 97.4%, potatoes, 93.1%, sweet beet, 94.7%, these constituted representative crops for Brasov County.
In Brasov County there are 13 centres for specialised research in the agricultural domain (sweet beet, potatoes, pastures), as well as in the automotive field and refractory products and metals. There were also private research centres set up in the fields of archaeology and medicine.
At the end of 2000 the railways network from Brasov County totalled 333 km, of which 165 km were electrified lines. The lines' density was 62.1 km per 1 000 km2, bigger than the national average (46.2 km/1000 km2). The public roads totalled 1 492 km and 434 km of them were modernised roads. From the total number of the public roads, 396 km were national roads and 1 096 km were county and communal roads.
Brasov County is famous for his tourism opportunities in every season. In 2000 the county had 308 units of accommodations, 21 more than in 1996, of which 38 were hotels (from this point of view it is occupying the second place in the country, after the Constanta County). The tourist accomodation capacity increased from 9 818 places in 1996 to 10 549 places in 2000.
Population and social environment
The population of Brasov County knows a continuously decreasing trend from 637.5 thousand inhabitants, at 1st of July 1996 to 628.6 thousand inhabitants in the middle of 2000, this determining a decrease of the population density, from 118.9 inhabitants/km2 in 1996 to 117.2 inhabitants/km2 in 2000.
The average age of the population in the county in 2000 was 36.2 years, 1 year less than the national average age.
The birth rate in 2000 was 9.2 live births per 1 000 inhabitants, below the national average.
The overall mortality of 9.2 deaths per 1 000 inhabitants in 2000 was also below the national average.
The infant mortality was 14.7 deaths of children under 1 year per 1 000 live births, lower than the national level.
The marriage rate was 6.3 marriages per 1 000 inhabitants in 2000, and the divorce rate was 1.76 divorces per 1 000 inhabitants.
The life expectancy between 1998 and 2000 was 67.8 years at male and 74.9 years at female, over national average for both male and female.
Due to industrial agglomeration from the communist period, but also due to geography, the county is strongly urbanised, the urban population representing 75.6% of the total population in 2000 against 76.2% in 1996.
Besides, the Brasov County is among the counties with younger population, in 2000 the persons under 25 years representing 38.4% of the total county's population, and the population aged 65 and over representing only 10.8%. In the same year, the number of the retired persons (under 140 thousand) was lower than the employees number (168 thousand).
The active civilian population is decreasing, from 46.3% of the total county's population in 1996 to 43.2% in 2001.
The county's labour force was concentrated in 2000 in industry (38.1%), in services (36.5%, with 11.2% in trade), in agriculture (20.2%) and in constructions (5.2%).
A part of the employees dismissed from industry could orientate towards other economic sectors (especially trade, where salaries are lower). However, these sectors could not take over all of them, and in consequence, a dramatic increase of unemployment took place, from 4.1% in 1996 to 11.4% in 2000. The number of unemployed rose from 11.3 thousand in 1996 to 30.7 thousand in 2000.
The educational activity took place in 2000/2001 within a network including 492 units: 232 in pre-school education, 203 in primary education and gymnasium, 47 high schools, 3 vocational schools vocational schools, 3 units of post high school and master workmen education and 4 higher educational establishments.
The health care in 2000 was provided by 15 hospitals, 5 clinics, 18 medical consultation centres, 7 nurseries, 137 pharmacies and over 990 other sanitary units.
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