Harghita County
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| Harghita | |||
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| Country |  Romania |
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| Development region1 | Centru | ||
| Historic region | Transylvania | ||
| Capital city (Reşedinţă de judeţ) | Miercurea-Ciuc | ||
| Government | |||
| - Type | County Board | ||
| - President of the County Board | Levente Zoltán Bunta (UDMR) | ||
| - Prefect2 | Constantin Strujan | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 6,639 km² (2,563.3 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2002) | |||
| - Total | 326,222 | ||
| - Density | 52/km² (134.7/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
| Postal Code | 53wxyz3 | ||
| Area code(s) | +40 x664 | ||
| Car Plates | HR5 | ||
| 1The developing regions of Romania have no administrative role. They were formed just to attract funds from the European Union 2 as of 2007, the Prefect is not a politician, but a public functionary. He (or she) is not allowed to be a member of a political party, and is banned to have any political activity in the first six months after the resignation (or exclusion) from the public functionary corps 3w, x, y, and z are digits that indicate the city, the street, part of the street, or even the building of the address 4x is a digit indicating the operator: 2 for the former national operator, Romtelecom, and 3 for the other ground telephone networks 5used on both the plates of the vehicles that operate only in the county limits (like utility vehicles, ATVs, etc.), and the ones used outside the county |
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| Website: County Board County Prefecture |
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Harghita (IPA: [har.'gi.ta]; Romanian: Judeţul Harghita; Hungarian: Hargita megye) is a county (judeţ) in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Miercurea-Ciuc.
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[edit] Demographics
In 2002, it had a population of 326,222[1] and a population density of 52/km².
- Hungarians- 84.6% (or 276,038)[2]
- Romanians - 14.1% (or 45,870)
- Roma - 1.2% (or 3,835), and others.
Harghita county has the highest percentage of Hungarians in Romania, just ahead of Covasna county. The primary Hungarian group, the Székely (Szeklers, Secui in Romanian), form the majority of the population in most of the county's municipalities, with Romanians concentrated in the northern part of the county, particularly Topliţa and Bălan.
The Székely are mostly Roman Catholic, while Romanians are primarily Orthodox, and the other Hungarian groups are Reformed and Unitarian. By religion, the county is divided roughly as follows:
- Roman Catholic (65%)
- Orthodox (13%)
- Reformed (13%)
- Unitarian (7%)
- Other (2%)
Demographic evolution 
[edit] Geography
Harghita County has a total area of 6,639 km².
Harghita consists primarily of mountains, connected to the Eastern Carpathians, such as the Ciuc and Harghita Mountains; volcanic plateaux, foothills, and the more densely populated river valleys.
The mountains are volcanic in origin, and the region is known for its excellent hot mineral springs. Harghita is known as one of the coldest regions in Romania, although summers can be quite warm.
It is in this county that two of the most important rivers in Romania, the Mureş and the Olt, originate. These rivers' origins, near the villages of Izvoru Mureşului and Sândominic, are only a few miles apart; yet the Mureş flows west to the Tisza, while the Olt flows south to the Danube. In the western part of the county the two Târnava rivers (Târnava Mare and Târnava Mică) flow to the Târnava Plateau, which is part of the Transylvania Plateau.
Harghita's many spectacular natural scenery include Sfanta Ana Lake, a volcanic crater lake near the town of Băile Tuşnad; Lacu Roşu a mountain lake in the northeast near the town of Gheorgheni, and Cheile Bicazului, a dramatic, narrow canyon formed by the Bicaz stream. The county is renowned for its spa resorts and mineral waters.
[edit] Neighbours
- Neamţ County and Bacău County to the East.
- Mureş County to the West.
- Suceava County to the North.
- Braşov County and Covasna County to the South.
[edit] Economy
The county's main industries:
- Wood industry – up to 30%;
- Foods and beverages industry;
- Textile and leather processing;
- Mechanical components.
[edit] Tourism
The main tourist attractions in Harghita county are
- The cities of Miercurea Ciuc, Odorheiu Secuiesc, Gheorgheni, Topliţa.
- The mountain resorts of
- Băile Tuşnad
- Borsec
- Lacu Roşu
- Izvorul Mureşului
- Harghita Băi
[edit] Politics
The Harghita County Assembly has 31 members:
| Political Party | Number of Seats |
|---|---|
| Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania | 22 |
| People's Action | 3 |
| Social Democratic Party | 3 |
| Democratic Party | 2 |
| Independent | 1 |
[edit] Administrative divisions
The county has 4 municipalities, 5 towns, and 58 communes.
[edit] Municipalities
- Miercurea Ciuc – county seat; population: 42,029
- Gheorgheni
- Odorheiu Secuiesc
- Topliţa
[edit] Towns
[edit] Communes
[edit] References
- ^ National Institute of Statistics, "Populaţia la recensămintele din anii 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 şi 2002"
- ^ National Institute of Statistics, "Populaţia după etnie" ("Population by ethnicity")
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