Mureș County (, , ) 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.
Name In Hungarian, it is known as Maros megye (), and in German as Kreis Mieresch. Under Kingdom of Hungary, a county with a similar name (Maros-Torda County, ) 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 .
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.
Ethnic structure (2002) Total Romanians Hungarians Roma Germans Other580,851 309,375 228,275 40,425 2,045 731 100% 53.26% 39.30% 6.96% 0.35% 0.12% Ethnic structure (2011) Total Romanians Hungarians Roma Germans Other550,846 277,372 200,858 46,947 1,478 792 100% 52.60% 38.09% 8.90% 0.28% 0.13% Ethnic structure (2021) Total Romanians Hungarians Roma Germans Other518,193 252,400 165,014 44,880 904 617 100% 54.42% 35.58% 9.68% 0.19% 0.13% 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 ChannelNameNetworkLaunch dateNotes1TVR 1Romanian Public Television1956Public channel2TVR 2Romanian Public Television1968 (hiatus 1985–1990)Public channel3Pro TV Târgu-MureșPro TV1997Affiliated stadion4Antena 1 Târgu-MureșAntena 11998Affiliated stadion5Prima TV Târgu-MureșPrima TV2008Affiliated station26TTMNone2006Local news channel25Știi TVNone2008Local news channel57DIGI24 HD Cluj-NapocaRCS&RDS2013Regional news channel63TVR Târgu-MureșRomanian Public Television2008Regional stationGliga TV ReghinGliga CATV2001Local news channel in ReghinDaReghinNone2009Local news channel in ReghinTârnava TVNone2008Local news channel in Sighișoara and Târnăveni The only cable provider in Târgu-Mureș is RCS&RDS, in Reghin is Gliga CATV, and in Sighișoara Teleson .
Radio stations
Târgu-Mureș stations FrequencyNameLaunch dateFormatNotesFM 102.9 Radio România Târgu-Mureș1958Public / news – musicRegional stationFM 89.1PRO FM1997Commercial radioBucharestFM 90.3Kiss FM2003Commercial radioBucharestFM 90.7Europa FM2002Commercial radioBucharestFM 88Radio "GaGa"1994Commercial radioTargu MuresFM 88.4Rock FM1997BucharestFM 92.7Radio 212002BucharestFM 93.6Radio România Actualități1928BucharestFM 97.1Erdély FM2007FM 98Radio Zu2008BucharestFM 100.6Național FM2004OradeaFM 101.2Magic FM2000BucharestFM 101.6Radio InfoPRO2005BucharestFM 105.6Radio SON2007Sighișoara
Print Newspapers and magazines 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
Party Seats Current Council Democratic Alliance of Hungarians (UDMR/RMDSZ) 14 Social Democratic Party (PSD) 9 National Liberal Party (PNL) 8 Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) 3
2020 local elections results
Party Seats Current Council Democratic Alliance of Hungarians (UDMR/RMDSZ) 16 National Liberal Party (PNL) 9 Social Democratic Party (PSD) 7 People's Movement Party (PMP) 2
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
Iernut Luduș Miercurea Nirajului Sângeorgiu de Pădure Sărmașu Sovata Ungheni
Communes
Acățari Adămuș Albești Aluniș Apold Ațintiș Bahnea Band Batoș Băgaciu Băla Bălăușeri Beica de Jos Bereni Bichiș Bogata Brâncovenești Breaza Ceuașu de Câmpie Chețani Chibed Chiheru de Jos Coroisânmărtin Corunca Cozma Crăciunești Cucerdea Crăiești Cristești Cuci Daneș Deda Eremitu Ernei Fântânele Fărăgău Gălești Gănești Gheorghe Doja Ghindari Glodeni Gornești Grebenișu de Câmpie Gurghiu Hodac Hodoșa Ibănești Iclănzel Ideciu de Jos Livezeni Lunca Lunca Bradului Mădăraș Măgherani Mica Miheșu de Câmpie Nadeș Neaua Ogra Papiu Ilarian Pănet Păsăreni Petelea Pogăceaua Râciu Răstolița Rușii-Munți Sâncraiu de Mureș Sângeorgiu de Mureș Sânger Sânpaul Sânpetru de Câmpie Sântana de Mureș Sărățeni Saschiz Solovăstru Stânceni Suplac Suseni Șăulia Șincai Tăureni Valea Largă Vânători Vărgata Vătava Vețca Viișoara Voivodeni Zagăr Zau de Câmpie
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):Portretul României Interbelice – Județul Mureș 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 Plasa Toplița, headquartered at Toplița
The county had two urban localities: Târgu Mureş (a city) and Reghin (urban commune).
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.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 290-297 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.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 666-669
Urban population 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.
References
External links Euro Maros Mediatica News Mureş Info Mureş online