Satu Mare County
Satu Mare County is a county of Romania, on the border with Hungary and Ukraine. The capital city is Satu Mare.
Name
In Hungarian, it is known as Szatmár megye, in German as Kreis Sathmar, in Ukrainian as Сату-Маре, and in Slovak as Satmárska župa.Geography
Satu Mare County has a total area of.In the north are the Oaș Mountains, part of the Eastern Carpathians. This makes up around 17% of the area. The remainder is hills, forming 20% of the area, and plains. The western part of the county takes up the Eastern part of the Pannonian Plain.
The county is crossed by the Someș River, the Tur River, and Crasna River.
The county lies partly in the historical region of Maramureș and partly in the historical region of Crișana.
Neighbours
- Maramureș County in the East.
- Hungary in the West – Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.
- Ukraine in the North – Zakarpattia Oblast.
- Bihor County and Sălaj County in the South.
Demographics
According to the 2021 census, the county had a population of 330,668 and the population density was.| Year | County population |
| 1948 | 312,672 |
| 1956 | 337,531 |
| 1966 | 359,393 |
| 1977 | 393,840 |
| 1992 | 400,789 |
| 2002 | 367,281 |
| 2011 | 344,360 |
| 2021 | 330,668 |
Satu Mare is a culturally diverse county, with a population mix of Romanians, Hungarians, Roma, Germans, and other ethnicities. The county's largest ethnic minority, Hungarians mostly reside along the border with Hungary, but some are also scattered throughout the whole county. Historically, Hungarians were concentrated in the cities, where administration resides, while the Romanian population was larger in the villages throughout the county. In 1930, the Hungarians represented 41.9% of the urban population in Satu Mare County and only 20.0% of the population in the villages according to census data.
The proportion of different ethnic groups varied throughout history, due to regime and political changes. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Hungarian population increased its proportion greatly, in 1880 representing 44.4% and in 1910 reaching 55.1% of the county population, according to Árpád E. Varga. After World War I the Hungarian and German population declined.
Economy
Satu Mare County benefits from its position, close to the border of Romania with Hungary and Ukraine, and it is one of the places which attracts foreign investment in industry and agriculture.The predominant industries in the county are:
- Textiles industry;
- Machine and automotive components;
- Food industry;
- Wood and furniture industry.
Tourism
- The "Oaș Country", with its strong Romanian folk traditions, on the North Eastern side of the county;
- The Oaș Mountains;
- The cities of Satu Mare and Carei;
- Tășnad Resort;
- The fortifications from Ardud and Medieșu Aurit.
Politics
Administrative divisions
Satu Mare County has 2 municipalities, 4 towns, and 59 communes:- Municipalities
- *Satu Mare – county seat; 102,441
- *Carei
- Towns
- *Ardud
- *Livada
- *Negrești-Oaș
- *Tășnad
- Communes
- *Acâș
- *Agriș
- *Andrid
- *Apa
- *Bătarci
- *Beltiug
- *Berveni
- *Bixad
- *Bârsău
- *Bogdand
- *Botiz
- *Călinești-Oaș
- *Cămărzana
- *Cămin
- *Căpleni
- *Căuaș
- *Cehal
- *Certeze
- *Ciumești
- *Craidorolț
- *Crucișor
- *Culciu
- *Doba
- *Dorolț
- *Foieni
- *Gherța Mică
- *Halmeu
- *Hodod
- *Homoroade
- *Lazuri
- *Medieșu Aurit
- *Micula
- *Moftin
- *Odoreu
- *Orașu Nou
- *Păulești
- *Petrești
- *Pir
- *Pișcolt
- *Pomi
- *Porumbești
- *Racşa
- *Sanislău
- *Santău
- *Săcășeni
- *Săuca
- *Socond
- *Supur
- *Tarna Mare
- *Terebești
- *Tiream
- *Târșolț
- *Turț
- *Turulung
- *Urziceni
- *Valea Vinului
- *Vetiș
- *Viile Satu Mare
- *Vama
Historical county
Administration
In 1930, the county was divided into eight districts :- Plasa Arded
- Plasa Baia Mare
- Plasa Mănăștur
- Plasa Oașiu
- Plasa Satu Mare
- Plasa Seini
- Plasa Șomcuta Mare
- Plasa Ugocea
History
Prior to World War I, the territory of the county belonged to Austria-Hungary and mostly was contained in the Szatmár County of the Kingdom of Hungary. In the aftermath of the war and the ensuing Hungarian–Romanian War, the Romanian Army entered the county in early 1919, and its administration passed to the Kingdom of Romania. The territory of Satu Mare County was transferred to Romania from Hungary as successor state to Austria-Hungary in June 1920 under the Treaty of Trianon.In 1938, King Carol II promulgated a new Constitution, and subsequently he had the administrative division of the Romanian territory changed. 10 ținuturi were created to be ruled by rezidenți regali - appointed directly by the King - instead of the prefects. Satu Mare County became part of Ținutul Crișuri.
At the end of August 1940, the county was transferred back to Hungary with the rest of Northern Transylvania under the Second Vienna Award. In October 1944, Romanian forces with Soviet assistance recaptured the ceded territory, with the Battle of Carei marking the complete reintegration of Northern Transylvania into Romania. Romanian jurisdiction over the county per the Treaty of Trianon was reaffirmed in the Paris Peace Treaties, 1947. The county was disestablished by the communist government of Romania in 1950, and its territory became part of Baia Mare Region, which in turn was renamed the Maramureș Region in 1960. Satu Mare County was re-established in 1968, when Romania restored the county administrative system.