Comanesti
Encyclopedia
Comăneşti is a town in Bacău County
, Romania
, with a population of 26,230. It is situated on the Trotuş River
, which flows between the Ciuc and the Tarcău
mountains (10 km (6 mi) of its course pass through Comăneşti).
The town administers two villages, Podei and Vermeşti.
period - Neolithic remains were found in the Vermeşti area of the town. The name is derived from the Cumans
who once ruled the region. Its first written record dates from 1657, and its first presence on a map from the 1696 Sanson Map
.
From the late 18th century onwards, the town was in the domain of the Ghica family
of boyars, who remained an important presence in the area until the middle of the 20th century. The Ghica Palace (now housing the local museum), the park in front of the museum, and the railway stations are testimonies to their presence in the town.
During the summers of 2004, 2005, and 2006, Comăneşti has suffered severe flooding of the Trotuş.
The town is in the centre of a large coal field and there are also smaller amounts of oil in the area. The coal mine, which in 1989 employed 5,000 people, was finally closed down in 2005, leaving the last group of miners (260 in all) unemployed. The other major industry of the town is forestry
, but the large lumberyard and factory were also closed; this area of enterprise is now dominated by small businesses.
There have been new initiatives in recent months to attract investment into the area in both the industrial and tourism sectors.
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....
, 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...
, with a population of 26,230. It is situated on the Trotuş River
Trotus River
The Trotuş River in eastern Romania emerges from the Ciuc Mountains in the Eastern Carpathians and joins the Siret River after passing through Comăneşti and Oneşti in Bacău County...
, which flows between the Ciuc and the Tarcău
Tarcău Mountains
The Tarcău Mountains are a mountain range, part of the Moldavian-Muntenian Carpathians of the Outer Eastern Carpathians.The range is located between the latitudes 46025 and 46057 N and between the longitudes 25052 and 26028 E...
mountains (10 km (6 mi) of its course pass through Comăneşti).
The town administers two villages, Podei and Vermeşti.
History
The area of the town of Comăneşti has been inhabited since the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
period - Neolithic remains were found in the Vermeşti area of the town. The name is derived from the Cumans
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
who once ruled the region. Its first written record dates from 1657, and its first presence on a map from the 1696 Sanson Map
Nicolas Sanson
Nicolas Sanson was a French cartographer, wrongly termed by some the creator of French geography. He was born of an old Picardy family of Scottish descent, at Abbeville, on the 20th of December 1600, and was educated by the Jesuits at Amiens.In 1627 he attracted the attention of Richelieu by a...
.
From the late 18th century onwards, the town was in the domain of the Ghica family
Ghica family
The Ghica family were a Romanian noble family, active in Wallachia, Moldavia and in the Kingdom of Romania. In the 18th century, several branches of the family went through a process of Hellenization...
of boyars, who remained an important presence in the area until the middle of the 20th century. The Ghica Palace (now housing the local museum), the park in front of the museum, and the railway stations are testimonies to their presence in the town.
During the summers of 2004, 2005, and 2006, Comăneşti has suffered severe flooding of the Trotuş.
Industry
As of 2003, it had an unemployment rate of 18.1%, much higher than the country's average, and the town was declared an underdeveloped region.The town is in the centre of a large coal field and there are also smaller amounts of oil in the area. The coal mine, which in 1989 employed 5,000 people, was finally closed down in 2005, leaving the last group of miners (260 in all) unemployed. The other major industry of the town is forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, but the large lumberyard and factory were also closed; this area of enterprise is now dominated by small businesses.
There have been new initiatives in recent months to attract investment into the area in both the industrial and tourism sectors.