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Nord-Vest (development region)
Encyclopedia
Nord-Vest is a development region
in Romania
, created in 1998. As other development regions, it does not have any administrative powers, its main function being to co-ordinate regional development projects and manage funds from the European Union
.
The economy of Nord-Vest is mainly agricultural (46% of its population having agriculture as their main occupation), even though there is some heavy and light industry in the major regional industrial centres of Cluj-Napoca
, Oradea
, Baia Mare
, Bistriţa
, Satu Mare and Zalau
.
There are also several mining centres in Maramureş county
and in the Apuseni Mountains
. Many of these mining areas have been partly shut down, resulting in significant local unemployment, even though unemployment in the Nord-Vest region is at approximately 4%, below the Romanian national average of 5.5%. Many mining areas have been classified by the government as defavourised zones, with incentives given to investors who plan to create jobs in these areas and diversify the economy.
The region's GDP per capita is slightly below the Romanian average (approximately 90% of the Romanian average), despite the fact that the major cities – Cluj-Napoca
and Oradea
– are some of the most prosperous in Romania.
, Sălaj
and Bihor
counties in the region. Nord-Vest also it has an extensive railway infrastructure connecting most of the important towns.
The region has four airports – Cluj-Napoca
, Oradea
, Satu Mare
and Baia Mare
. Currently, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea and Baia Mare airports have international flights, while Satu Mare airport only handles domestic flights.
. Hungarians are mainly concentrated in urban centres, especially those near the Hungarian border, such as Oradea
and Satu Mare. The third largest minority are Roma people, who make up 3.5%, slightly above the national average. Roma people are spread relatively evenly throughout the region, even though the highest proportions are in Bihor county
, where approximately 5% of the population is Roma.
Romanian
is the most widely spoken language, spoken as a main language by 76.6% of the inhabitants of the region. The other important languages is Hungarian
, spoken by 19.9% of the population as a main language. Religion is mainly based on ethnic groups, with the largest religion being Romanian Orthodoxy
, observed by 68.38% of the population, mostly ethnic Romanians. Other important religions are the Reformed Church (12.70%), Roman Catholicism (6.86%) and Greek Catholicism (4.20%).
2,687 people, or 0.10% of the population, has dual citizenship.
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...
in 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...
, created in 1998. As other development regions, it does not have any administrative powers, its main function being to co-ordinate regional development projects and manage funds from 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...
.
Counties
The Nord-Vest region is made up of the following counties:- BihorBihor CountyBihor 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:...
- Bistriţa-NăsăudBistrita-Nasaud CountyBistrița-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%...
- ClujCluj CountyCluj ; 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:...
- MaramureşMaramures CountyMaramureș 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...
- Satu MareSatu Mare CountySatu 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:...
- SălajSalaj CountySălaj 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 ....
Economy
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
, Baia Mare
Baia Mare
Baia Mare is a municipality in northwestern Romania and the capital of Maramureş County. The city is situated about 600 kilometres from Bucharest, the capital of Romania, 70 kilometres from the border with Hungary and 50 kilometres from the border with Ukraine...
, Bistriţa
Bistrita
Bistrița is the capital city of Bistriţa-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is situated on the Bistriţa River. The city has a population of approximately 80,000 inhabitants, and it administers six villages: Ghinda, Sărata, Sigmir, Slătiniţa, Unirea and Viişoara.-History:The earliest sign of...
, Satu Mare and Zalau
Zalau
Zalău is the seat of Sălaj County, Transylvania, Romania. In 2004, its estimated population was 62,900.- Ancient times :Zalău is situated in the area inhabited by "Free Dacians", 8 kilometers away from the historical landmark of Porolissum, a well-preserved Roman Castrum with an imposing fortress,...
.
There are also several mining centres in 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...
and in the Apuseni Mountains
Apuseni Mountains
The Apuseni Mountains is a mountain range in Transylvania, Romania, which belongs to the Western Carpathians, also called Occidentali in Romanian. Their name translates from Romanian as Mountains "of the sunset" i.e. "western". The highest peak is "Cucurbăta Mare" - 1849 metres, also called Bihor...
. Many of these mining areas have been partly shut down, resulting in significant local unemployment, even though unemployment in the Nord-Vest region is at approximately 4%, below the Romanian national average of 5.5%. Many mining areas have been classified by the government as defavourised zones, with incentives given to investors who plan to create jobs in these areas and diversify the economy.
The region's GDP per capita is slightly below the Romanian average (approximately 90% of the Romanian average), despite the fact that the major cities – Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
and Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
– are some of the most prosperous in Romania.
Infrastructure
The region is crossed by five European roads – E60, E81, E79, E671 and E58. Additionally, the A3 freeway is currently in construction and will cross ClujCluj 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:...
, Sălaj
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 ....
and Bihor
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:...
counties in the region. Nord-Vest also it has an extensive railway infrastructure connecting most of the important towns.
The region has four airports – Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca International Airport
Cluj-Napoca International Airport serves the city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It was initially known as Someşeni Airport as it is located east of the city centre in the Someşeni area, which is now within the Cluj-Napoca city limits. In terms of traffic, it is the fourth airport in Romania, after...
, Oradea
Oradea International Airport
-Accidents and incidents:On 4 February 1970, an Antonov 24B operated by TAROM crashed into the mountains near Oradea while inbound from Bucharest Otopeni InternationalOn 27 May 1971, an Ilyushin 14 operated by TAROM was hijacked after departure from Oradea...
, Satu Mare
Satu Mare International Airport
Satu Mare International Airport is located in north west Romania, it is located south of Satu Mare municipality and county. The airport is located in a "high density" airports area, with many airports on an radius ....
and Baia Mare
Baia Mare Airport
Baia Mare Airport is situated in northwest Romania, located in Tăuţii-Măgherăuş, west of Baia Mare municipality and in the historic region of Maramureş....
. Currently, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea and Baia Mare airports have international flights, while Satu Mare airport only handles domestic flights.
Demographics
Romania's Nord-Vest development region has a total population of 2,740,064. Its population density is 80.21/km², lower than the national average of 91.3/km². 1,336,425 (48.77%) of the population is male, while 1,403,639 (51.23%) is female. The region is one of the most ethnically-diverse in Romania, with 25% of the population coming from a minority group. After Romanians, who make up 75% of the population, the largest minority group are Hungarians, who comprise slightly less than 20% of the population. This is mainly due to area's history as part of Austria-HungaryAustria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Hungarians are mainly concentrated in urban centres, especially those near the Hungarian border, such as Oradea
Oradea
Oradea is the capital city of Bihor County, in the Crișana region of north-western Romania. The city has a population of 204,477, according to the 2009 estimates. The wider Oradea metropolitan area has a total population of 245,832.-Geography:...
and Satu Mare. The third largest minority are Roma people, who make up 3.5%, slightly above the national average. Roma people are spread relatively evenly throughout the region, even though the highest proportions are in 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:...
, where approximately 5% of the population is Roma.
Romanian
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...
is the most widely spoken language, spoken as a main language by 76.6% of the inhabitants of the region. The other important languages is Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, spoken by 19.9% of the population as a main language. Religion is mainly based on ethnic groups, with the largest religion being Romanian Orthodoxy
Romanian Orthodox Church
The Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
, observed by 68.38% of the population, mostly ethnic Romanians. Other important religions are the Reformed Church (12.70%), Roman Catholicism (6.86%) and Greek Catholicism (4.20%).
Age and fertility
The Nord-Vest region has the following age structure, according to the 2002 census:| Age group | Population | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| 0–4 years | 141,716 | 5.17% |
| 5–9 years | 150,276 | 5.48% |
| 10–14 years | 203,598 | 7.43% |
| 15–19 years | 212,004 | 7.74% |
| 20–24 years | 227,866 | 8.32% |
| 25–29 years | 216,387 | 7.90% |
| 30–34 years | 227,990 | 8.32% |
| 35–39 years | 161,025 | 5.88% |
| 40–44 years | 183,859 | 6.71% |
| 45–49 years | 196,137 | 7.16% |
| 50–54 years | 175,698 | 6.41% |
| 55–59 years | 142,898 | 5.22% |
| 60–64 years | 142,089 | 5.19% |
| 65–69 years | 127,960 | 4.67% |
| 70–74 years | 106,870 | 3.90% |
| 75+ years | 123,691 | 4.51% |
| Total | 2,740,064 | 100.00% |
Language
- 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...
: 2,098,639 (76.6%) - HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
: 545,055 (19.9%) - Romany: 44,984 (1.6%)
- UkrainianUkrainian languageUkrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
: 35,079 (1.3%)
Religion
- Romanian OrthodoxRomanian Orthodox ChurchThe Romanian Orthodox Church is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church. It is in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox churches, and is ranked seventh in order of precedence. The Primate of the church has the title of Patriarch...
: 1,873,647 (68.38%) - Reformed: 347,857 (12.70%)
- Roman Catholic: 187,988 (6.86%)
- Greek Catholic: 114,978 (4.20%)
- Pentecostal: 106,959 (3.90%)
- Baptists: 54,800 (2%)
- AtheistAtheismAtheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
/No religion: 5,244 (0.19%)
Citizenship
99.9% of the population of Nord-Vest region has Romanian citizenship. There are 2,343 residents, or 0.09% of the population, of foreign citizenship, including:- Moldovan citizenship: 621
- Italian citizenship: 298
- Ukrainian citizenship: 156
2,687 people, or 0.10% of the population, has dual citizenship.