Maramureș County Județul Maramureș |
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County | ||
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Country | Romania | |
Development region | Nord-Vest | |
Historical region | Maramureș | |
Capital | Baia Mare | |
Area | ||
• Total | 6,304 km2 (2,434 sq mi) | |
Area rank | 15th | |
Population (2006) | ||
• Total | 516,562 | |
• Rank | 17th | |
• Density | 82/km2 (210/sq mi) | |
Telephone code | (+40) 262 or (+40) 362 | |
ISO 3166 code | RO-MM | |
Website |
County Council Prefecture |
Maramureș (Romanian pronunciation: [maraˈmureʃ]) is a county (județ) of Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare.
In Hungarian, it is known as Máramaros megye, in Ukrainian as Мараморо́щина, and in German as Kreis Marmarosch.
Maramureș County as an administrative division within Romania was formed following the union of Transylvania with Romania. During World War II, it was ceded to Hungary, and after the war returned to Romania (see History of Maramureș).
In 2011, the county had a population of 461,290 and a population density of 73.17 inhabitants per square kilometre (189.5/sq mi).
In 1910, 18.4% of the county were Jewish.
Maramureș County is situated in the northern part of Romania, and has a border with Ukraine. This county has a total area of 6,304 square kilometres (2,434 sq mi), of which 43% is covered by the Rodna Mountains, with its tallest peak, Pietrosul, at 2,303 metres (7,556 ft) altitude. Together with Gutâi and Țibleș mountain ranges, the Rodna mountains are part of the Eastern Carpathians. The rest of the county are hills, plateaus, and valleys. The county is crossed by Tisa River and its main tributaries: Iza, Vișeu, and Mara rivers.
Maramureș is known for its pastoral and agricultural traditions, largely unscathed by the industrialisation campaign that had been carried on during Romania's communist period. Ploughing, planting, harvesting, and hay making and handling are mostly done through manual labour. The county is also home to a strong mining industry of extraction of metals other than iron. The industrial plants built around Baia Mare during the communist period heavily polluted the area in the past, but recently, due to the decline of the city's industrial activity, the area is less polluted.