Sibiu County

Sibiu () is a county (judeţ) of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.

Neighbours

Braşov County in the East.
Alba County in the West.
Mureş County in the North.
Vâlcea County and Argeş County in the South.

Demographics

In 2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the population density was 78/km².

At the 2002 census the county has the following population indices:

Romanians - 90,6% (or 382,061)
Hungarians - 3,6% (or 15,344)
Romas - 4,1% (or 17,125)
Germans - 1,6% (or 6,554)
Other - 0,1% (or 640)

official statistics

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Religion:

Orthodox - 88,9%
Greek catholics - 2,3%
Reformed - 2,0%
Catholics - 1,5%
Pentecostals - 1,1%
Baptists 0,9%
Other - 3,3%

Urbanisation - 5'th most urbanised county in Romania:

City dwellers: 277,574 (or 65,8%)
Village dwelers: 144,150 (or 34,2%)

Traditionally, the biggest minority in the county were Germans, but their numbers have decreased in recent history.

The south side of the county, closer to the mountains was mainly inhabited by Romanians (Mărginimea Sibiului), and the north side of the country - the Transylvanian Plateau was inhabited evenly by Germans and Romanians, but most Saxon villages are now deserted. The Roma population, mainly from southern Romania was placed close to the villages in the communist period and have since increased their numbers.

Geography

This county has a total area of 5,432 km².

In the South side there are the Carpathian Mountains (Southern Carpathians) - Făgăraş Mountains with heights over 2500 m, Lotru and Cindrel which make up to 30% of the county's surface. The Olt River crosses the mountains over to the South of Romania in Sibiu County forming one of the most accessible link between Transylvania and Wallachia. In the North side there is the Transylvanian Plateau.

The most important rivers crossing the county are the Olt River in the South with Cibin its main affluent, and the Târnava River in the North.

Economy

Sibiu County has one of the most dynamical economies in Romania, being one of the regions with the highest level of foreign investment.

The predominant industries in the county are:

Machine and automotive components.
Food industry.
Textile industry.
Wood industry.

The biggest natural resource in the county is natural gas, especially in the north side, having one of the largest sources in the country.

In Copşa Mică during the communist period there were two chemical industrial complexes which polluted the environment heavily with carbon black, heavy metals and other chemical substances. That's why the area is still considered one of the most polluted communities in Europe. Fortunately, after 1989 many of the industrial complexes were shut down and the area is slowly recovering.

Tourism

The main tourist attractions in the county are:

The city of Sibiu with its medieval fortifications and its historic centre.
The medieval city of Mediaş.
The medieval Saxon fortified churches and villages from Transylvania, some of them being UNESCO World Heritage Sites:
- Biertan.
- Valea Viilor.
- Cisnădie.
- Cisnădioara.
- Slimnic.
- Agnita.
The abbey of Cârţa
The Făgăraş Mountains.
- The Bâlea Valley and the Transfăgărăşan.
- The Negoiu Peak.
Păltiniş mountain resort and the Cindrel Mountains.
Ocna Sibiului, Bazna and Miercurea Sibiului Spa towns.
The Mărginimea Sibiului rural area.

People

Administrative divisions

The county has 2 municipalities, 9 towns and 53 communes.

Municipalities

Sibiu - capital city; population: 170,038
Mediaş

Towns