Prahova County

Prahova County (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈprahova]) is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploiești.

Prahova County
Județul Prahova
County
Coat of arms of Prahova County
Coat of arms
Administrative map of Romania with Prahova county highlighted
Coordinates: 45.1°N 26.02°E / 45.1; 26.02
CountryRomania
Development regionSud
Historical regionMuntenia
CapitalPloiești
Government
 • PrefectIulian Dumitrescu (PNL)
Area
 • Total4,716 km2 (1,821 sq mi)
 • Rank33rd
Population
 (2021-12-01)[1]
 • Total695,119
 • Rank3rd
 • Density150/km2 (380/sq mi)
Telephone code(+40) 244 or (+40) 344[2]
ISO 3166 codeRO-PH
GDP (nominal)US$ 7.012 billion (2015)
GDP per capitaUS$ 9,191 (2015)
WebsiteCounty Council
Prefecture

Demographics

In 2011, it had a population of 762,886 and the population density was 161/km². It is Romania's third most populated county (after the Municipality of Bucharest and Iași County),[3] having a population density double that of the country's mean.

Year County population[5]
1948 557,776 Steady
1956 623,817 Increase (1.41%)
1966 701,057 Increase (1.17%)
1977 817,168 Increase (1.40%)
1992 873,229 Increase (0.44%)
2002 829,945 Decrease (−0.51%)
2011 762,886 Decrease (−0.93%)
2021 695,119 Decrease (−0.93%)

The county received an inflow of population who have moved here due to the industrial development.

Geography

This county has a total area of 4,716 km².

The relief is split in approximately equal parts between the mountains, the hills and the plain. In the North side there are mountains from the southern end of the Eastern Carpathians - the Curvature Carpathians group; and the Bucegi Mountains the Eastern end of the Southern Carpathians group. The two groups are separated by the Prahova River Valley.

The south side of the county is a plain, on the North West side of the Romanian Plain.

The main river is the eponymous Prahova River. It flows from the mountains, through the Prahova Valley collecting many other rivers - the Doftana River, the Teleajen River and others.

Neighbours
Romanian Counties

Economy

The area contains the main oil reserves in Romania, with a longstanding tradition in extracting and refining the oil. The county is heavily industrialised, more than 115,000 people being involved in industrial activities. It contributes to over 8% of the country's industrial production. Some of the biggest international corporations like Coca-Cola, Unilever, InBev, Johnson Controls, Cameron, Weatherford, Michelin, Timken and others have invested heavily in the recent years.

The predominant industries in the county are:

  • Oil industry - almost 50% of the county's industrial production.
  • Oil extracting equipment.
  • Chemical industry.
  • Rubber industry.
  • Mechanical components industry.
  • Food and beverages industry.
  • Textile industry.

Agriculture is also developed - in the southern part mainly extensive agriculture and the hills area is well suited for wines and fruit orchards. In total it realises about 3% of the country's agricultural production.

Tourism

The Prahova Valley is one of the areas with the highest tourist potential in the country having one of the best tourism facilities in Romania.

The main tourist destinations are:

Politics

The Prahova County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 36 counsellors, with the following party composition:[6]

    Party Seats Current County Council
  PNL-USR PLUS Alliance 20                                        
  Alliance For Prahova (PSD) 11                                        
  People's Movement Party (PMP) 3                                        
  Prahova In Action Party 2                                        

Administrative divisions

Prahova County has 2 municipalities, 12 towns and 90 communes

Ploiești

Municipalities

  • Câmpina - population: 32,935 (as of 2011)
  • Ploiești - capital city; population: 209,945 (as of 2011)

Towns

Communes

Historical county
Județul Prahova
County (Județ)
The building of the Prahova County court from the interwar period, now the Ploiești Palace of Culture.
The building of the Prahova County court from the interwar period, now the Ploiești Palace of Culture.
Coat of arms of Județul Prahova
Coat of arms
Country Romania
Historic regionMuntenia
Capital city (Reședință de județ)Ploiești, then spelt Ploești
Area
 • Total5,040 km2 (1,950 sq mi)
Population
 (1930)
 • Total477,750
 • Density95/km2 (250/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Historically, the county was located in the south central part of Greater Romania, in the central part of the historical region of Muntenia. Its capital was Ploiești (then spelt Ploești). The interwar county territory comprised a large part of the current Prahova County, except the town of Mizil and several nearby villages that were then in Buzău County. In addition to the current county's territory, the interwar county contained several communes in its western part (including Dărmănești, I.L. Caragiale, and Moreni), currently in Dâmbovița County, and some territory northwest of Predeal, now in Brașov County.

Administration
Map of Prahova County as constituted in 1938.

The county was originally divided into seven administrative districts (plăși):[7]

  1. Plasa Câmpina, headquartered at Câmpina
  2. Plasa Drăgănești, headquartered at Drăgănești
  3. Plasa Filipești, headquartered at Filipești
  4. Plasa Ploiești, headquartered at Ploești
  5. Plasa Sinaia, headquartered at Sinaia
  6. Plasa Urlați, headquartered at Urlați
  7. Plasa Văleni, headquartered at Văleni

Subsequently, the county established three more districts:

  1. Plasa Câmpu, headquartered at Câmpu
  2. Plasa Podgoria, headquartered at Podgoria
  3. Plasa Vărbilău, headquartered at Vărbilău

Population

According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 477,750 inhabitants, ethnically divided as follows: 95.0% Romanians, 1.5% Gypsies, 0.9% Jews, 0.8% Hungarians, 0.7% Germans, as well as other minorities.[8] From the religious point of view, the population was 96.0% Eastern Orthodox, 1.2% Roman Catholic, 1.0% Jewish, 0.6% Lutherans, 0.5% Greek Catholic, as well as other minorities.[9]

Urban population

In 1930, the county's urban population was 105,098 inhabitants, comprising 88.8% Romanians, 3.5% Jews, 1.9% Hungarians, 1.7% Germans, 1.4% Romanies, as well as other minorities.[8] From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of 89.2% Eastern Orthodox, 3.6% Jewish, 3.3% Roman Catholic, 1.5% Lutheran, 1.3% Greek Catholic, 0.6% Reformed, as well as other minorities.[9]

See also

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Prahova County.
  1. "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  2. The number used depends on the numbering system employed by the phone companies on the market.
  3. "Population at 20 October 2011" (in Romanian). INSSE. 5 July 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2013.
  4. National Institute of Statistics, "Populația după etnie" Archived 2009-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
  5. National Institute of Statistics, "Populația la recensămintele din anii 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 și 2002" Archived 2006-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Rezultatele finale ale alegerilor locale din 2020" (Json) (in Romanian). Autoritatea Electorală Permanentă. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  7. Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Prahova
  8. Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 338-339
  9. Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 690
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