Mureș County (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈmureʃ], Romanian: Județul Mureș, Hungarian: Maros megye) is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș. The county was established in 1968, after the administrative reorganization that re-introduced the historical județ (county) system, still used today. This reform eliminated the previous Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region, which had been created in 1952 within the People's Republic of Romania. Mureș County has a vibrant multicultural fabric that includes Hungarian-speaking Székelys and Transylvanian Saxons, with a rich heritage of fortified churches and towns.
Contents
Name
In Hungarian, it is known as Maros megye ([ˈmɒroʃ ˈmɛɟɛ]), and in German as Kreis Mieresch. Under Kingdom of Hungary, a county with a similar name (Maros-Torda County, Romanian: Comitatul Mureş-Turda) was created in 1876. There was a county with the same name under the Kingdom of Romania, and a Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region (1960–1968) under the Socialist Republic of Romania.
Geography
The county has a total area of 6,714 km2 (2,592 sq mi).
The northeastern side of the county consists of the Călimani and Gurghiu Mountains and the sub-Carpathian hills, members of the Inner Eastern Carpathians. The rest of the county is part of the Transylvanian Plateau, with deep but wide valleys.
The main river crossing in the county is the Mureș River. The Târnava Mare River and the Târnava Mică River also cross the county.
Mureș County is bordered by seven other counties: Suceava, Harghita, Brașov, Sibiu, Alba, Cluj and Bistrița-Năsăud.
Neighbours
Harghita County in the East.
Alba County and Cluj County in the West.
Bistrița-Năsăud County and Suceava County in the North.
Sibiu County and Brașov County in the South.
Demographics
In 2022, the population of Mureș County was registered as 518,193 people, 22,39% of them living in Târgu Mureș, making it the sixteenth largest city in Romania, with a population of 116,033 people.
The next city in the county by number of people is Reghin, with 29,742 people, followed by Sighișoara, with 23,927 and then Târnăveni, with 20,604.
In terms of religion:
Romanian Orthodox – 53.3%
Reformed Church – 27%
Roman Catholic Church – 9.5%
Other Christian denominations – 8.2%
Jewish, Muslim, Atheist, Non-religious, other, or undeclared – 1.9%
Tourism
Some of the main tourist attractions in the county are:
The old city of Târgu Mureș
The medieval city of Sighișoara
Sovata resort
The city of Reghin
The medieval fortified church of Saschiz
Călimani Mountains – Gurghiu Mountains
The Via Transilvanica long-distance hiking and biking trail, which crosses the county
Media
TV stations
The only cable provider in Târgu-Mureș is RCS&RDS, in Reghin is Gliga CATV, and in Sighișoara Teleson .
Cuvântul Liber
Zi de Zi
Ziarul de Mureș
Népújság
Krónika
Vásárhelyi Hírlap
Economy
The predominant industries in the county are:
Wood industry
Food industry
Textiles
Glass and ceramics
Construction materials
Musical instruments (Reghin)
Mureș County and Sibiu County together produce about 50% of the natural gas developed in Romania. Salt is also extracted in the county.
Politics
The Mureș County Council, renewed at the 2024 local elections, consists of 34 counsellors, with the following party composition:
2024-2028
2020 local elections results
Administrative divisions
Mureș County has 4 municipalities, 7 towns and 91 communes.
Municipalities
Târgu Mureș – county seat; population: 134,290 (as of 2011)
Reghin
Sighișoara
Târnăveni
Towns
Communes
Historical county
Historically, Mureş-Turda County was located in the central-northern part of Greater Romania, in the central part of Transylvania. The capital was Târgu Mureș. After the administrative unification law in 1925, it was renamed to Mureș County, and the territory was reorganized. It was bordered on the south by Târnava-Mică County, on the southwest by Turda County, on the west by Cluj County, on the north by Năsăud County, on the northeast with the counties of Câmpulung and Neamț, and on the southeast with the counties of Ciuc and Odorhei. Most of the territory of the historical county is found in the present Mureș County, except for the northeastern area, which is located in Harghita County, and the northwestern area in Bistrița-Năsăud County today.
History
Prior to World War I, the territory of the county belonged to Austria-Hungary and identical with the Maros-Torda County of the Kingdom of Hungary. The territory of Mureș County was transferred to Romania from Hungary as successor state to Austria-Hungary in 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 (approximate translation: "lands") were created (by merging the counties) to be ruled by rezidenți regali (approximate translation: "Royal Residents") – appointed directly by the King – instead of the prefects. Mureș County became part of Ținutul Mureș.
In 1940, the county was transferred back to Hungary with the rest of Northern Transylvania under the Second Vienna Award. Beginning in 1944, Romanian forces with Soviet assistance recaptured the ceded territory and reintegrated it into Romania, re-establishing the county. Romanian jurisdiction over the entire 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 re-established in 1968 when Romania restored the county administrative system.
Administration
The county originally consisted of seven districts (plăși):
Plasa Band, headquartered at Band
Plasa Miercurea Nirajului, headquartered at Miercurea Nirajului
Plasa Râciu, headquartered at Râciu
Plasa Reghin, headquartered at Reghin
Plasa Târgu Mureș (also called Plasa Mureș), headquartered at Târgu Mureș
Plasa Teaca, headquartered at Teaca
Plasa Toplița, headquartered at Toplița
A subsequent administrative adjustment added one district, divided Plasa Mureș into two, and divided Plasa Reghin into two, leaving ten districts:
Plasa Band, headquartered at Band
Plasa Gurhiu, headquartered at Gurghiu
Plasa Miercurea Nirajului, headquartered at Miercurea Nirajului
Plasa Mureș de Jos, headquartered at Mureșeni
Plasa Mureș de Sus, headquartered at Târgu Mureș
Plasa Râciu, headquartered at Râciu
Plasa Reghin de Jos, headquartered at Reghin
Plasa Reghin de Sus, headquartered at Suseni
Plasa Teaca, headquartered at Teaca
Population
According to the census data of 1930, the county's population was 289,546, of which 45.8% were Romanians, 42.6% Hungarians, 3.9% Germans, 3.9% Romanies, 3.4% Jews, as well as other minorities. By mother tongue, the county population consisted of 45.9% Hungarian speakers, 45.5% Romanian speakers, 3.9% German speakers, 2.2% Yiddish speakers, and 2.1% Romany speakers. In the religious aspect, the population consisted of 32.4% Greek Catholic, 30.3% Reformed, 14.5% Eastern Orthodox, 12.1% Roman Catholic, 3.9% Lutheran, 3.6% Jewish, 2.6% Unitarian, as well as other minorities.
In 1930, the urban population of the county was 47,807, of which 54.3% were Hungarians, 24.3% Romanians, 13.4% Jews, 6.0% Germans, 1.1% Romanies, as well as other minorities. As a mother tongue in the urban population, Hungarian was spoken by 61.2% of the population, followed by Romanian, spoken by 23.6% of the population as mother tongue, Yiddish (7.4%) and German (6.2%). From the religious point of view, the urban population was made up of 32.6% Reformed, 20.1% Roman Catholic, 14.2% Greek Catholic, 14.2% Jewish, 10% Eastern Orthodox, 5.9% Lutheran, 2.3% Unitarian, as well as other minorities.