Administrative divisions of Romania
Encyclopedia
Romania
's administration is relatively centralised and administrative subdivisions are therefore fairly simplified.
According to the Constitution of Romania
, its territory is organized administratively into communes, towns and counties:
Below communal or town level, there are no further formal administrative subdivisions. However, communes are divided into villages (which have no administration of their own). There are 13,092 villages in Romania. The only exception is Bucharest, which has six sectors
, each with an administration of its own.
, respectively ţinuturi of Moldavia
, dates back at least to the early 15th century. Each judeţ, respectively ţinut, was ruled by a jude, respectivelypârcălab, an officially appointed person who had administrative and judicial functions in a manner inspired from the organization of the late Byzantine Empire
.Transylvania
, when it was part of the historic Kingdom of Hungary
(in the Middle Ages), an independent Principality or a Habsburg
domain (in the modern era until World War I) was divided into royal counties
(Latin
:comitatus), headed by comes (royal counts) with administrative and judicial functions. The term judeţ became used in Romanian universally
for all principalities since mid 19th century.
After modern Romania was formed in 1859 through the union of Wallachia and rump Moldavia
, and then extended in 1918 through the union of Transylvania
, as well as Bukovina
and Bessarabia
(parts of Moldavia temporarily acquired by the Habsburgs, 1775–1918, respectively the Russian Tsars
, 1812–1917), the administrative division was modernized using the French departments system as an example. With the exception of the half of the Communist period
, this system remained in place. Since 1864, for each judeţ there exists a prefect
(from the Latin praefectus), a subordinate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who is the representative of the government in the county, and the head of the local administration in the areas not delegated to local authorities. Until 1948, each judeţ was further divided into a number of plăşi(singular plasă), with each administered by a pretor (from the Latin praetor
), appointed by the prefect.
In 1913, as a result of the Second Balkan War
, Romania acquired Southern Dobruja
from Bulgaria
, integrating this historical region within Romania's borders until 1940. In 1923 Romania adopted a new Constitution, and in 1927 it uniformized the traditional administrative systems of Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia with that of the Romanian Old Kingdom
. County borders were kept largely intact, with only a couple minor adjustments, as a total of 71 judeţe existed between 1927 and 1938.
In 1938, King Carol II
modified the Constitution
, and after that the law of administration of the Romanian territory. Ten "ţinuturi" (approx. translation: "lands") were created, ruled by "Rezidenţi Regali" (approx. translation "Royal Residents"), appointed directly by the Monarch
. The ţinuturi represented another layer of administration between counties and the country; county borders were not erased. But, due to World War II, the Second Vienna Award
, the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact and the loss of territory that Romania
suffered, this style of administration did not last, the administration at the "judeţ" level being reintroduced back until the establishment of communism in 1945-1947.
During World War II, the territory of Romania suffered very significant modifications. In 1940, Soviet Union occupied Bessarabia
, northern Bukovina
, and Herza region which after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, would become part of Republic of Moldova and of Ukraine
. Between 1941-1944, these territories together with Transnistria
, were administered by Romania briefly, as the country was governed by a military dictatorship allied with Nazi Germany. Transnistria
consisted of formerly proper Soviet territory between Dniester
and Southern Bug
rivers. Nowadays, most of it is in Ukraine
, with small parts in the Republic of Moldova (current Transnistria
). This territory was kept under Romanian military occupation, and was not annexed to Romania consisted of a further 13 counties.
After the war, the Communist Party
took over the administration of the country. In 1950, the party changed the administration model to the Russian model (regions and raion
s), but it reverted to the current system in 1968, although county borders were quite different from the interbelic period. In 1981 the former counties of Ilfov and Ialomiţa were re-organised into the present-day counties of Giurgiu, Călăraşi, Ialomiţa and Ilfov. The county borders introduced in 1968 are largely in place, but administrative reform during 1990s has devolved the functions of different authorities in line with transition from a totalitarian communist system to a modern democracy. The only territorial adjustment after 1989 occurred in 1995, when Ilfov County
was formed. Before that it was a dependency of the Municipality of Bucharest (Sectorul Agricol Ilfov).
(called development regions) were created in 1998 in order to better co-ordinate regional development as Romania progressed towards accession to the European Union
, and consist of several counties each. These correspond to NUTS II
-level divisions in European Union member states, but do not actually have an administrative status and do not have a legislative or executive council or government. As of 2009, Romania
is divided into 41 counties and one municipality which are assigned as NUTS III-level
divisions. Currently, Romania has no NUTS-4 units, the counties being composed directly of cities
(some of which with municipality
status) and commune
s.
As in all modern democracies, the political power in Romania is divided into three independent branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The prefect and his administration have only executive prerogatives. However, the territorial districts of the Romanian judicial system overlap with county borders, thus avoiding further complication. At the same time with local elections (of mayors and councilors for the cities and communes), a Consiliu judeţean (County Council) is elected for each county. Since 2008 a President of the County Council is also elected by direct vote. As of now, the legislative powers of county councils are quite reduced, but there are plans for more decentralization. (These plans, however, call for introduction of Regional Councils for the 8 development regions
of the NUTS-2 level.)
made by the presidential commission tasked with the analysis of the political and constitutional regime. Most of these recommendations aim for the partial reestablishment of the counties in their pre-1950 form. The counties will be grouped into several regions (9 to 15) based on common historical and economic characteristics (NUTS II level
). The regions will be in their turn clustered into 4-6 macroregions (NUTS I level
). Furthermore, a NUTS IV
level division, called plasa or canton will probably be added in order to meet the EU statistical and administrative requirements.
Another proposal, based on 15 autonomous euro-regions (amongst them one ethnic based region with a consistent Hungarian majority made of the existing Mureş
, Harghita
and Covasna
counties) grouped into 5 statistical macroregions (NUTS I
), was made by the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
(UDMR).
An exception to this structure is the Municipality of Bucharest
, which is a secondary division (rather than a tertiary division like other municipalities) and is officially divided into six sectors
, each sector having a local government and counsil.
The eight development regions (specific territorial entities without administrative status or legal personality) represent the framework for collecting specific statistical data, according to the European regulations issued by Eurostat for the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
(NUTS) II territorial level. According to the Emergency Government Ordinance No 75/2001 on the functioning of the National Institute for Statistics, eight Directorates General for regional statistics have been created, and together with the 34 county directorates for statistics, aim at developing regional statistics. Officially, the eight regions are North-East, South-East, South, South-West, West, North-West, Center, and Bucharest. The criteria used by NCS for delimiting the regions is a combination of geographical location and homogeneity based on population density. Alternative historical names are also used, but remain unofficial.
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
's administration is relatively centralised and administrative subdivisions are therefore fairly simplified.
According to the Constitution of Romania
Constitution of Romania
The 1991 Constitution of Romania, adopted on 21 November 1991, voted in the referendum of 8 December 1991 and introduced on the same day, is the current fundamental law that establishes the structure of the government of Romania, the rights and obligations of the country's citizens, and its mode...
, its territory is organized administratively into communes, towns and counties:
- At the county level: 41 countiesCounties of RomaniaThe 41 judeţe and the municipality of Bucharest comprise the official administrative divisions of Romania. They also represent the European Union' s NUTS-3 geocode statistical subdivision scheme of Romania.-Overview:...
, and one city with special status (BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, the national capital) - At the town/commune level: 103 cities and 211 other towns (for urban areas), and 2827 communes (for rural areas). City (municipiu) status is accorded to larger towns, but it does not give their administrations any greater powers.
Below communal or town level, there are no further formal administrative subdivisions. However, communes are divided into villages (which have no administration of their own). There are 13,092 villages in Romania. The only exception is Bucharest, which has six sectors
Sectors of Bucharest
The Municipality of Bucharest is divided into six administrative sectors , each of which has their own mayor and council, and has responsibility over local affairs, such as secondary streets, parks, schools and the cleaning services.Each of the six sectors contains a number of informal districts ...
, each with an administration of its own.
Historic
The earliest organization into judeţe of the Principalities of WallachiaWallachia
Wallachia or Walachia is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Danube and south of the Southern Carpathians...
, respectively ţinuturi of Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
, dates back at least to the early 15th century. Each judeţ, respectively ţinut, was ruled by a jude, respectivelypârcălab, an officially appointed person who had administrative and judicial functions in a manner inspired from the organization of the late Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
.Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, when it was part of the historic Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
(in the Middle Ages), an independent Principality or a Habsburg
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
domain (in the modern era until World War I) was divided into royal counties
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
(Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
:comitatus), headed by comes (royal counts) with administrative and judicial functions. The term judeţ became used in Romanian universally
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
for all principalities since mid 19th century.
After modern Romania was formed in 1859 through the union of Wallachia and rump Moldavia
United Principalities
The United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, also known as the Romanian Principalities, was the official name of Romania following the 1859 election of Alexandru Ioan Cuza as prince or domnitor of both territories...
, and then extended in 1918 through the union of Transylvania
Union of Transylvania with Romania
Union of Transylvania with Romania was declared on by the assembly of the delegates of ethnic Romanians held in Alba Iulia.The national holiday of Romania, the Great Union Day occurring on December 1, commemorates this event...
, as well as Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
and Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
(parts of Moldavia temporarily acquired by the Habsburgs, 1775–1918, respectively the Russian Tsars
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, 1812–1917), the administrative division was modernized using the French departments system as an example. With the exception of the half of the Communist period
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
, this system remained in place. Since 1864, for each judeţ there exists a prefect
Prefect (Romania)
A prefect in Romania represents the Government in each of the country's 41 counties, as well as the Municipality of Bucharest.-Attributes:The main attributes of prefects are defined at Article 123 of the Constitution of Romania:...
(from the Latin praefectus), a subordinate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who is the representative of the government in the county, and the head of the local administration in the areas not delegated to local authorities. Until 1948, each judeţ was further divided into a number of plăşi(singular plasă), with each administered by a pretor (from the Latin praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
), appointed by the prefect.
In 1913, as a result of the Second Balkan War
Second Balkan War
The Second Balkan War was a conflict which broke out when Bulgaria, dissatisfied with its share of the spoils of the First Balkan War, attacked its former allies, Serbia and Greece, on 29 June 1913. Bulgaria had a prewar agreement about the division of region of Macedonia...
, Romania acquired Southern Dobruja
Dobruja
Dobruja is a historical region shared by Bulgaria and Romania, located between the lower Danube river and the Black Sea, including the Danube Delta, Romanian coast and the northernmost part of the Bulgarian coast...
from Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, integrating this historical region within Romania's borders until 1940. In 1923 Romania adopted a new Constitution, and in 1927 it uniformized the traditional administrative systems of Transylvania, Bukovina and Bessarabia with that of the Romanian Old Kingdom
Romanian Old Kingdom
The Romanian Old Kingdom is a colloquial term referring to the territory covered by the first independent Romanian nation state, which was composed of the Danubian Principalities—Wallachia and Moldavia...
. County borders were kept largely intact, with only a couple minor adjustments, as a total of 71 judeţe existed between 1927 and 1938.
In 1938, King Carol II
Carol II of Romania
Carol II reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until 6 September 1940. Eldest son of Ferdinand, King of Romania, and his wife, Queen Marie, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria...
modified the Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, and after that the law of administration of the Romanian territory. Ten "ţinuturi" (approx. translation: "lands") were created, ruled by "Rezidenţi Regali" (approx. translation "Royal Residents"), appointed directly by the Monarch
Monarch
A monarch is the person who heads a monarchy. This is a form of government in which a state or polity is ruled or controlled by an individual who typically inherits the throne by birth and occasionally rules for life or until abdication...
. The ţinuturi represented another layer of administration between counties and the country; county borders were not erased. But, due to World War II, the Second Vienna Award
Second Vienna Award
The Second Vienna Award was the second of two Vienna Awards arbitrated by the Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Rendered on August 30, 1940, it re-assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania from Romania to Hungary.-Prelude and historical background :After the World War I, the multi-ethnic...
, the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact and the loss of territory that Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
suffered, this style of administration did not last, the administration at the "judeţ" level being reintroduced back until the establishment of communism in 1945-1947.
During World War II, the territory of Romania suffered very significant modifications. In 1940, Soviet Union occupied Bessarabia
Bessarabia
Bessarabia is a historical term for the geographic region in Eastern Europe bounded by the Dniester River on the east and the Prut River on the west....
, northern Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
, and Herza region which after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, would become part of Republic of Moldova and of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. Between 1941-1944, these territories together with Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
, were administered by Romania briefly, as the country was governed by a military dictatorship allied with Nazi Germany. Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
consisted of formerly proper Soviet territory between Dniester
Dniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
and Southern Bug
Southern Bug
The Southern Bug, also called Southern Buh), is a river located in Ukraine. The source of the river is in the west of Ukraine, in the Volyn-Podillia Upland, about 145 km from the Polish border, and flows southeasterly into the Bug Estuary through the southern steppes...
rivers. Nowadays, most of it is in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, with small parts in the Republic of Moldova (current Transnistria
Transnistria
Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the Dniester River and the eastern Moldovan border to Ukraine...
). This territory was kept under Romanian military occupation, and was not annexed to Romania consisted of a further 13 counties.
After the war, the Communist Party
Romanian Communist Party
The Romanian Communist Party was a communist political party in Romania. Successor to the Bolshevik wing of the Socialist Party of Romania, it gave ideological endorsement to communist revolution and the disestablishment of Greater Romania. The PCR was a minor and illegal grouping for much of the...
took over the administration of the country. In 1950, the party changed the administration model to the Russian model (regions and raion
Raion
A raion is a type of administrative unit of several post-Soviet countries. The term, which is from French rayon 'honeycomb, department,' describes both a type of a subnational entity and a division of a city, and is commonly translated in English as "district"...
s), but it reverted to the current system in 1968, although county borders were quite different from the interbelic period. In 1981 the former counties of Ilfov and Ialomiţa were re-organised into the present-day counties of Giurgiu, Călăraşi, Ialomiţa and Ilfov. The county borders introduced in 1968 are largely in place, but administrative reform during 1990s has devolved the functions of different authorities in line with transition from a totalitarian communist system to a modern democracy. The only territorial adjustment after 1989 occurred in 1995, when Ilfov County
Ilfov County
Ilfov is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest...
was formed. Before that it was a dependency of the Municipality of Bucharest (Sectorul Agricol Ilfov).
Current status
Eight regional divisionsDevelopment regions of Romania
The development regions of Romania refer to the eight regional divisions created in Romania in 1998 in order to better co-ordinate regional development as Romania progressed towards accession to the European Union. The development regions correspond to NUTS II-level divisions in European Union...
(called development regions) were created in 1998 in order to better co-ordinate regional development as Romania progressed towards accession to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, and consist of several counties each. These correspond to NUTS II
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
-level divisions in European Union member states, but do not actually have an administrative status and do not have a legislative or executive council or government. As of 2009, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
is divided into 41 counties and one municipality which are assigned as NUTS III-level
NUTS of Romania
In the NUTS codes of Romania , the three levels are:-NUTS codes:In the NUTS codes of Romania , the three levels are:...
divisions. Currently, Romania has no NUTS-4 units, the counties being composed directly of cities
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
(some of which with municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
status) and commune
Commune
Commune may refer to:In society:* Commune, a human community in which resources are shared* Commune , a township or municipality* One of the Communes of France* An Italian Comune...
s.
As in all modern democracies, the political power in Romania is divided into three independent branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The prefect and his administration have only executive prerogatives. However, the territorial districts of the Romanian judicial system overlap with county borders, thus avoiding further complication. At the same time with local elections (of mayors and councilors for the cities and communes), a Consiliu judeţean (County Council) is elected for each county. Since 2008 a President of the County Council is also elected by direct vote. As of now, the legislative powers of county councils are quite reduced, but there are plans for more decentralization. (These plans, however, call for introduction of Regional Councils for the 8 development regions
Development regions of Romania
The development regions of Romania refer to the eight regional divisions created in Romania in 1998 in order to better co-ordinate regional development as Romania progressed towards accession to the European Union. The development regions correspond to NUTS II-level divisions in European Union...
of the NUTS-2 level.)
Future developments
As of 2010 there have been several proposals for the administrative reorganization of RomaniaRomania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
made by the presidential commission tasked with the analysis of the political and constitutional regime. Most of these recommendations aim for the partial reestablishment of the counties in their pre-1950 form. The counties will be grouped into several regions (9 to 15) based on common historical and economic characteristics (NUTS II level
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
). The regions will be in their turn clustered into 4-6 macroregions (NUTS I level
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
). Furthermore, a NUTS IV
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
level division, called plasa or canton will probably be added in order to meet the EU statistical and administrative requirements.
Another proposal, based on 15 autonomous euro-regions (amongst them one ethnic based region with a consistent Hungarian majority made of the existing Mureş
Mures County
Mureș is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș.-Geography:The county has a total area of 6,714 km²....
, Harghita
Harghita County
Harghita is a county in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Miercurea-Ciuc.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 326,222 and a population density of 52/km².*Hungarians- 85%...
and Covasna
Covasna County
Covasna is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Sfântu Gheorghe.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 222,449 and the population density was 60/km².*Hungarians – 73.79% *Romanians – 23.28%...
counties) grouped into 5 statistical macroregions (NUTS I
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
), was made by the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania
The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, is the main political organisation representing the ethnic Hungarians of Romania....
(UDMR).
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS)
For statistical and development purposes, Romania, in the NUTS scheme, is divided into:- NUTS I level: 4 macroregions (macroregiune in RomanianRomanian languageRomanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
), used for appropriation of European development funds - NUTS II level: 8 development regionsDevelopment regions of RomaniaThe development regions of Romania refer to the eight regional divisions created in Romania in 1998 in order to better co-ordinate regional development as Romania progressed towards accession to the European Union. The development regions correspond to NUTS II-level divisions in European Union...
, with an average population of 2.8 million inhabitants per region, although not administrative divisions per se, have been used for decades for statistical purposes by the Romanian National Commission of Statistics (NCS). Recently they also exist to co-ordinate regional development and appropriation of European development funds - NUTS III level: 41 countiesCounties of RomaniaThe 41 judeţe and the municipality of Bucharest comprise the official administrative divisions of Romania. They also represent the European Union' s NUTS-3 geocode statistical subdivision scheme of Romania.-Overview:...
and one municipality (BucharestBucharestBucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, the national capital) reflecting Romania's official administrative-territorial structure - LAU I level: not used, as territorial units associations have not been identified yet;
- LAU II level: 211 cities and 103 municipalitiesMunicipalities of RomaniaA municipiu is a level of administrative subdivision in Romania, roughly equivalent to city in some English-speaking countries. This status is given to towns that are quite large and urbanized...
(for urban areas), and 2,827 communes (for rural areas), according to some sources, or 265 cities and towns and 2,686 communes with 13,092 villages, according to others.
An exception to this structure is the Municipality of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, which is a secondary division (rather than a tertiary division like other municipalities) and is officially divided into six sectors
Sectors of Bucharest
The Municipality of Bucharest is divided into six administrative sectors , each of which has their own mayor and council, and has responsibility over local affairs, such as secondary streets, parks, schools and the cleaning services.Each of the six sectors contains a number of informal districts ...
, each sector having a local government and counsil.
The eight development regions (specific territorial entities without administrative status or legal personality) represent the framework for collecting specific statistical data, according to the European regulations issued by Eurostat for the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics
The Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics is a geocode standard for referencing the subdivisions of countries for statistical purposes...
(NUTS) II territorial level. According to the Emergency Government Ordinance No 75/2001 on the functioning of the National Institute for Statistics, eight Directorates General for regional statistics have been created, and together with the 34 county directorates for statistics, aim at developing regional statistics. Officially, the eight regions are North-East, South-East, South, South-West, West, North-West, Center, and Bucharest. The criteria used by NCS for delimiting the regions is a combination of geographical location and homogeneity based on population density. Alternative historical names are also used, but remain unofficial.
| no | type | name | area, km2 | population (mid-2007 official estimate) | municipalities | other cities | communes | villages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North-East development region | 36,850 | 17 | 29 | 505 | 2,414 | ||
| 1 | county | Bacău County Bacau County Bacău is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with its capital city at Bacău. It has one commune, Ghimeş-Făget, in Transylvania.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 706,623 and the population density was 113/km².... |
6,621 | 719,844 | 3 | 5 | 85 | 491 |
| 2 | county | Botoşani County Botosani County Botoșani is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with the capital city at Botoșani.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 452,834 and the population density was 91/km2.*Romanians – – the highest percentage of Romanians in Romania... |
4,986 | 454,167 | 2 | 5 | 71 | 333 |
| 3 | county | Iaşi County Iasi County Iași is a county of Romania, in Moldavia, with the administrative seat at Iași.-Demographics:As of 1 July 2007, Iași County had a population of 825,100, making it the second most populous county in Romania after Bucharest, with a population density of 150/km².*Romanians - 98.1%*Roma -... |
5,476 | 825,100 | 2 | 3 | 93 | 418 |
| 4 | county | Neamţ County Neamt County Neamț is a county of Romania, in the historic region of Moldavia, with the county seat at Piatra Neamț. It has three communes, Bicaz-Chei, Bicazu Ardelean and Dămuc in Transylvania.-Demographics:... |
5,896 | 566,059 | 2 | 3 | 78 | 344 |
| 5 | county | Suceava County Suceava County Suceava is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Moldavia and few villages in Transylvania, with the capital city at Suceava.- Demographics :... |
8,553 | 705,878 | 5 | 11 | 97 | 379 |
| 6 | county | Vaslui County Vaslui County Vaslui is a county of Romania, in the historical region Moldavia, with the seat at Vaslui.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 455,049 and the population density was 86/km².*Romanians - over 98%*Romas, other-Geography:... |
5,318 | 455,594 | 3 | 2 | 81 | 449 |
| 2 | South-East development region | 35,762 | 11 | 24 | 354 | 1,447 | ||
| 7 | county | Brăila County Braila County Brăila is a county of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Brăila.- Demographics :In 2002, Brăila had a population of 373,174 and the population density was 78/km².*Romanians – 98%*Romas, Russians, Lipovans, Aromanians and others.... |
4,766 | 365,628 | 1 | 3 | 40 | 140 |
| 8 | county | Buzău County Buzau County Buzău is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Buzău.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 496,214 and the population density was 81/km².*Romanians – 97%*Roma – under 3% declared, and others.... |
6,103 | 488,763 | 2 | 3 | 82 | 475 |
| 9 | county | Constanţa County Constanta County Constanța is the name of a county in the Dobruja region of Romania. Its capital city is also named Constanța.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 715,151 and the population density was 101/km². The degree of urbanization is much higher than the Romanian average. In recent years the... |
7,071 | 718,330 | 3 | 9 | 58 | 188 |
| 10 | county | Galaţi County Galati County Galaţi is a county of Romania, in Moldavia region, with the capital city at Galaţi.-History:Historically Galaţi is part of Moldavia... |
4,466 | 614,449 | 2 | 2 | 60 | 180 |
| 11 | county | Tulcea County Tulcea County Tulcea is a county of Romania, in the historical region Dobruja, with the capital city at Tulcea.-Demographics:In 2002, Tulcea County had a population of 256,492... |
8,499 | 250,641 | 1 | 4 | 46 | 133 |
| 12 | county | Vrancea County Vrancea County Vrancea is a county in Romania, with its seat at Focşani. It is mostly in the historical region of Moldavia but the southern part, below the Milcov River, is in Muntenia.-Demographics:... |
4,857 | 392,619 | 2 | 3 | 68 | 331 |
| 3 | South development region | 34,453 | 16 | 32 | 519 | 2,019 | ||
| 13 | county | Argeş County Arges County Argeș is a county of Romania, in Wallachia, with the capital city at Pitești.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 652,625 and the population density was 95/km².*Romanians – 96%*Roma , and other.-Geography:... |
6,826 | 644,236 | 3 | 4 | 95 | 576 |
| 14 | county | Călăraşi County Calarasi County Călărași is a county of Romania, in Muntenia, with the county seat at Călărași.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 324,617 and a population density of 64/km².*Romanians – 95%*Roma and others.-List of cities by population:... |
5,088 | 315,187 | 2 | 3 | 50 | 160 |
| 15 | county | Dâmboviţa County Dâmbovita County Dâmbovița ; also spelt Dîmbovița is a county of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Târgoviște.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 541,763 and the population density was 134/km²... |
4,054 | 533,330 | 2 | 5 | 82 | 353 |
| 16 | county | Giurgiu County Giurgiu County Giurgiu is a county of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Giurgiu.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 297,859 and the population density was 84/km².* Romanians – over 96%* Roma – 3.5%, and others.- Geography :... |
3,526 | 283,408 | 1 | 2 | 51 | 167 |
| 17 | county | Ialomiţa County Ialomita County Ialomița is a county of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Slobozia.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 296,572 and the population density was 67/km².... |
4,453 | 290,563 | 3 | 4 | 59 | 127 |
| 18 | county | Prahova County Prahova County Prahova is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploieşti.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 829,945 and the population density was 176/km². It is Romania's most populated county, having a population density double than the country's mean... |
4,716 | 821,013 | 2 | 12 | 90 | 405 |
| 19 | county | Teleorman County Teleorman County Teleorman is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with its capital city at Alexandria.The name Teleorman is of Cumanic origin. It literally means crazy forest and, by extension, "thick and shadowy forest" in the Cuman language... |
5,790 | 413,064 | 3 | 2 | 92 | 231 |
| 4 | South-West development region | 29, 212 | 11 | 29 | 408 | 2,066 | ||
| 20 | county | Dolj County Dolj County Dolj -Jiu, "lower Jiu", toward Gorj ) is a county of Romania, in Oltenia, with the capital city at Craiova .- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 734,231 and a population density of 99/km².... |
7,414 | 712,187 | 3 | 4 | 104 | 378 |
| 21 | county | Gorj County Gorj County Gorj is a county of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 387,308 and its population density was 69/km².* Romanians – over 98%* Rromas, others.- Geography :... |
5,602 | 381,643 | 2 | 7 | 61 | 411 |
| 22 | county | Mehedinţi County Mehedinti County Mehedinţi is a county of Romania. It is mostly located in the historical province of Oltenia, with one municipality and three communes located in the Banat... |
4,933 | 298,741 | 2 | 3 | 61 | 344 |
| 23 | county | Olt County Olt County Olt is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia . The capital city is Slatina.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 489,274 and the population density was 89/km².... |
5,498 | 475,702 | 2 | 6 | 104 | 377 |
| 24 | county | Vâlcea County Vâlcea County Vâlcea is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia... |
5,765 | 411,576 | 2 | 9 | 78 | 556 |
| 5 | West development region | 32,034 | 12 | 30 | 278 | 1,327 | ||
| 25 | county | Arad County Arad County Arad is an administrative division of Romania roughly translated into county in the western part of the country on the border with Hungary, mostly in the region of Crişana and few villages in Banat. The administrative center of the county lies in the city of Arad... |
7,754 | 457,713 | 1 | 9 | 68 | 270 |
| 26 | county | Caraş-Severin County Caras-Severin County Caraș-Severin is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Banat and few villages in Transylvania, with the county seat at Reșița.-Demographics:The county is part of the Danube-Kris-Mureș-Tisza euroregion.... |
8,520 | 327,579 | 2 | 6 | 69 | 287 |
| 27 | county | Hunedoara County Hunedoara County Hunedoara is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Deva.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 485,712 and the population density was 69/km².*Romanians - 92%*Hungarians - 5%*Romas - 2%*Germans under 1%.... |
7,063 | 472,284 | 7 | 7 | 55 | 457 |
| 28 | county | Timiş County Timis County Timiș , , Banat Bulgarian: ) is a county of western Romania, in the historical region Banat, with the county seat at Timișoara. It is the largest county in Romania in terms of land area.... |
8,697 | 666,866 | 2 | 8 | 86 | 313 |
| 6 | North-West development region | 34,159 | 15 | 28 | 401 | 1,799 | ||
| 29 | county | Bihor County Bihor County Bihor is a county of Romania, in Crişana, with capital city at Oradea. Together with Hajdú-Bihar County in Hungary it constitutes the Biharia Euroregion.-Demographics:... |
7,544 | 594,131 | 4 | 6 | 90 | 429 |
| 30 | county | Bistriţa-Năsăud County Bistrita-Nasaud County Bistrița-Năsăud is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Bistrița.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 311,657 and the population density was 58/km².*Romanians – 90.3%*Hungarians – 5.9%*Roma – 3.6%... |
5,355 | 316,689 | 1 | 3 | 58 | 235 |
| 31 | county | Cluj County Cluj County Cluj ; is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Cluj-Napoca.-Demographics:In 2007, it had a population of 692,316 and a population density of 104/km².*Romanians – 80%*Hungarians – 17.5%*Roma – 2.5%-Geography:... |
6,674 | 692,316 | 5 | 1 | 75 | 420 |
| 32 | county | Maramureş County Maramures County Maramureș is a county of Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare.- History :* The 10th century frontier county of Borsova was founded by Stephen I of Hungary. Since then Máramaros served as the north-eastern border of the Hungarian Kingdom until 1920, the Trianon Peace... |
6,304 | 513,000 | 2 | 11 | 63 | 214 |
| 33 | county | Satu Mare County Satu Mare County Satu Mare County is a county of Romania. The capital city is Satu Mare. Besides Romanians , Satu Mare features a significant ethnic minority of Hungarians .-Demographics:... |
4,418 | 366,270 | 2 | 4 | 58 | 220 |
| 34 | county | Sălaj County Salaj County Sălaj is a county of Romania, in the historical regions of Crișana and Transylvania, with the capital city at Zalău.-Geography:Sălaj county has a total area of .... |
3,864 | 243,157 | 1 | 3 | 57 | 281 |
| 7 | Center development region | 34,100 | 20 | 37 | 357 | 1,788 | ||
| 35 | county | Alba County Alba County Alba is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, its capital city being Alba-Iulia with a population of 66,406.- Demographics :In 2002, it had a population of 382,747 and the population density was 61/km².* Romanians - 90.4%* Hungarians - 5.4%... |
6,242 | 376,086 | 4 | 7 | 67 | 656 |
| 36 | county | Braşov County Brasov County Brașov ; ) is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Brașov. The county incorporates within its boundaries most of the Medieval "lands" Burzenland and Făgăraș Land.-Demographics:... |
5,363 | 593,928 | 4 | 6 | 48 | 149 |
| 37 | county | Covasna County Covasna County Covasna is a county of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Sfântu Gheorghe.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 222,449 and the population density was 60/km².*Hungarians – 73.79% *Romanians – 23.28%... |
3,710 | 223,364 | 2 | 3 | 40 | 122 |
| 38 | county | Harghita County Harghita County Harghita is a county in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Miercurea-Ciuc.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 326,222 and a population density of 52/km².*Hungarians- 85%... |
6,639 | 325,611 | 4 | 5 | 58 | 235 |
| 39 | county | Mureş County Mures County Mureș is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș.-Geography:The county has a total area of 6,714 km².... |
6,714 | 581,759 | 4 | 7 | 91 | 464 |
| 40 | county | Sibiu County Sibiu County Sibiu is a county of Romania, in the historical region Transylvania, with the capital city Sibiu.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 421,724 and the population density was 78/km².... |
5,432 | 423,156 | 2 | 9 | 53 | 162 |
| 8 | Bucharest-Ilfov development region | 1,821 | 1 | 8 | 32 | 91 | ||
| 41 | county | Ilfov County Ilfov County Ilfov is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest... |
1,583 | 294,094 | - | 8 | 32 | 91 |
| 42 | municipality | Bucharest Bucharest Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River.... |
238 | 1,931,838 | 1 | - | - | - |
| Total | 238,391 | N/A | 103 | 217 | 2,854 | 12,951 | ||