Argeș County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Muntenia, with the county seat at Pitești.
Demographics At the 2021 census, the county had a population of 569,932 and the population density was . At the 2011 census, it had a population of 612,431 and the population density was .
Romanians – 97% Roma (Gypsies) and other ethnic groups – 3%
Year County populationNational Institute of Statistics, "Populaţia la recensămintele din anii 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992, 2002" 1948 448,964 1956 483,741 1966 529,833 1977 631,918 1992 680,574 2002 652,625 2011 612,431 2021 569,932
Geography
This county has a total area of . The landforms can be split into 3 distinctive parts. In the north side there are the mountains, from the Southern Carpathians group – the Făgăraș Mountains with Moldoveanu Peak (2,544 m), Negoiu Peak (2,535 m) and Vânătoarea lui Buteanu peak (2,508 m) towering the region, and in the North-East part the Leaotă Mountains. Between them there is a pass towards Brașov, the Rucăr–Bran Pass. The heights decrease, and in the center there are the sub-carpathian hills, with heights around , crossed with very deep valleys. In the south there is the northern part of the Wallachian Plain.
The main river that crosses the county is the Argeș River in which almost all the other rivers coming from the mountains flow. In the south the main rivers are the Vedea River and the Teleorman River.
Neighbours
Dâmbovița County in the east. Vâlcea County and Olt County in the west. Sibiu County and Brașov County in the north. Teleorman County in the south.
Economy
The county is one of the most industrialized counties in Romania. There is one oil refinery and two automobile plants at Mioveni – the Dacia Renault car plant, and at Câmpulung the ARO plant.
The predominant industries in the county are: Automotive Chemical Electrical equipment Home appliances Food Textiles Construction materials
Oil is being extracted in the center and in the south. Also there are a few coal mines and close to Mioveni there is a nuclear research and production facility making nuclear fuels for the Cernavodă Nuclear Electric Power Plant. On the Argeș River there are a great number of hydroelectric power plants, the most impressive being the Vidraru power plant and dam.
The hillsides are well suited for wines and fruit orchards, and the south is suited for cereal crops.
Tourism
The main tourist destinations are: The city of Pitești The city of Curtea de Argeș, where one of the best-known monasteries in Romania is located The Câmpulung – Rucăr area The Făgăraș Mountains – the Transfăgărășan The Leaota Mountains The Poienari Castle The Cotmeana monastery The town of Ștefănești, including Vila Florica.
Politics The Argeș County Council, renewed at the 2024 local elections, consists of 34 counselors, with the following party composition:
Party Seats Current County Council Social Democratic Party (PSD) 16 National Liberal Party (PNL) 8 United Right Alliance (ADU) 5 Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) 5
Administrative divisions
Argeș County has 3 cities, 4 towns, and 95 communes: Municipalities Câmpulung Curtea de Argeș Pitești – county seat; population: 141,275 (as of 2021) Towns Costești Mioveni Ștefănești Topoloveni
Communes Albeștii de Argeș Albeștii de Muscel Albota Aninoasa Arefu Băbana Băiculești Bălilești Bârla Bascov Beleți-Negrești Berevoești Bogați Boteni Boțești Bradu Brăduleț Budeasa Bughea de Jos Bughea de Sus Buzoești Căldăraru Călinești Căteasca Cepari Cetățeni Cicănești Ciofrângeni Ciomăgești Cocu Corbeni Corbi Coșești Cotmeana Cuca Dâmbovicioara Dârmanești Davidești Dobrești Domnești Drăganu Dragoslavele Godeni Hârsești Hârtiești Izvoru Leordeni Lerești Lunca Corbului Mălureni Mărăcineni Merișani Micești Mihăești Mioarele Miroși Morărești Moșoaia Mozăceni Mușătești Negrași Nucșoara Oarja Pietroșani Poiana Lacului Poienarii de Argeș Poienarii de Muscel Popești Priboieni Râca Rătești Recea Rociu Rucăr Sălătrucu Săpata Schitu Golești Slobozia Stâlpeni Ștefan cel Mare Stoenești Stolnici Șuici Suseni Teiu Tigveni Țițești Uda Ungheni Valea Danului Valea Iașului Valea Mare-Pravăț Vedea Vlădești Vulturești
Historical county
The county was located in the central-southern part of the Greater Romania, in the western part of the historic Muntenia region. Its territory comprised a large part of the current county, and a piece of the western part of the present Vâlcea County. It was bordered on the west by the counties of Olt and Vâlcea, to the north by the counties Făgăraș and Sibiu, to the east by the counties Muscel and Dâmbovița, and to the south by the counties Teleorman and Vlașca.
Administration
The county was originally (to 1925) divided administratively into five districts (plăși):Portretul României Interbelice – Județul Argeș Plasa Argeș, headquartered at Curtea de Argeș Plasa Dâmbovnic, headquartered at Rociu Plasa Oltul, headquartered at Jiblea Veche Plasa Teleorman, headquartered at Costești Plasa Uda, headquartered at Uda
Subsequently, Plasa Uda was divided into two districts, and some territory was transferred from Plasa Oltul:Plasa Cuca, headquartered at Cuca, which town was formerly in Plasa Oltul Plasa Pitești, headquartered at Pitești
Population According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 257,378 inhabitants, out of which 97.6% were ethnic Romanians.Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 16-17 From the religious point of view, the population was 99.1% Eastern Orthodox, 0.3% Roman Catholic, 0.3% Jewish, as well as other minorities.
Urban population In 1930, the county's urban population was 26,341 inhabitants, comprising 90.4% Romanians, 2.2% Jews, 2.0% Hungarians, 1.7% Romanies, 1.1% Germans, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of 93.0% Eastern Orthodox, 2.4% Roman Catholic, 2.4% Jewish, 0.7% Reformed, 0.7% Lutheran, as well as other minorities.
References