# Bacău County

Bacău County (Romanian pronunciation: ) is a county (județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia, with its capital city at Bacău. It has one commune, Ghimeș-Făget, in Transylvania.

## Geography

This county has a total area of 6,621 km$^2$ (2,556 sq mi).
In the western part of the county there are mountains from the Eastern Carpathian group. Here, along the valleys of the Oituz River and Trotuș River, there are two important links between Moldavia and Transylvania. On the East side, the heights decrease and the lowest point can be found on the Siret River valley which crosses the county from North to South down the middle. On the East side there is the Moldavian Plateau crossed by many small rivers.

### Flora and fauna

Bears, wolves, foxes, wild boars, and squirrels inhabit Bacău County's mountains, particularly in its rural Slănic-Moldova region; the remnants of the local deer are preserved in Mănăstirea Cașin.

### Neighbours

* Vaslui County in the East.
* Harghita County and Covasna County in the West.
* Neamț County in the North.
* Vrancea County in the South.

## Economy

The county of Bacău was one of the most industrialized regions in the communist period and it remained Moldavia's most important industrial center ever since. There are two large oil refineries at Onești and Dărmănești. Following the collapse of the communist regime, Bacău continued to be the region's most important GDP supplier, but the county became more famous for the controversial figures involved in the local economy than for its performance.
The predominant industries in the county are:
* The chemical and oil industry.
* Food industry.
* Construction materials industry.
* Wood and paper industry.
* Textile industry.
* Mechanical components industry.
* Aeronautics industry.
In Bacău County there are important reserves of oil and salt. Also coal is exploited.

## Tourism

The main tourist destinations in the county are:
* The cities of Bacău and Onești.
* The resorts:
** Poiana Sărată
** Poiana Uzului
** Slănic-Moldova
** Târgu Ocna
* The Nemira Mountains [ro].

## Demographics

| Year | County population | Population density | Romanians | Romani people | Hungarians |
| 1948 | 414,996 | | | | |
| 1956 | 507,937 | | | | |
| 1966 | 598,321 | | | | |
| 1977 | 667,791 | | | | |
| 1992 | 737,512 | | | | |
| 2002 | 706,623 | 113 / km$^2$ | 97.5% | 1.7% | 0.7% |
| 2011 | 616,168 | 93 / km$^2$ | 96.1% | 1.7% | 0.68% |
| 2021 | 601,387 | 91 / km$^2$ |
Some estimates put the total number of Csángós at around 70,000 in 1987.

## Politics

The Bacău County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 36 councillors, with the following party composition:
| Party | Seats |
| Social Democratic Party (PSD) | 17 |
| National Liberal Party (PNL)-Save Romania Union (USR) Alliance | 13 |
| People's Movement Party (PMP) | 3 |
| PRO Romania (PRO) | 3 |

## People

* Gabriela Adameșteanu
* Vasile Alecsandri
* George Bacovia
* Radu Beligan
* Nadia Comăneci
* Loredana Groza
* Ioan Măric
* Vasile Pârvan
* Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu
* Radu R. Rosetti
* Tristan Tzara

## Administrative divisions

Bacău County has 3 municipalities, 5 towns, and 85 communes
* Municipalities
** Bacău – capital city; population: 136,087 (as of 2021)
** Moinești
** Onești
* Towns
** Buhuși
** Comănești
** Dărmănești
** Slănic-Moldova
** Târgu Ocna
* Communes
** Agăș
** Ardeoani
** Asău
** Balcani
** Berești-Bistrița
** Berești-Tazlău
** Berzunţi
** Bârsănești
** Blăgești
** Bogdănești
** Brusturoasa
** Buciumi
** Buhoci
** Cașin
** Căiuți
** Cleja
** Colonești
** Corbasca
** Coțofănești
** Dămienești
** Dealu Morii
** Dofteana
** Faraoani
** Filipeni
** Filipești
** Găiceana
** Ghimeș-Făget
** Gârleni
** Glăvănești
** Gioseni
** Gura Văii
** Helegiu
** Hemeiuș
** Huruiești
** Horgești
** Izvoru Berheciului
** Itești
** Letea Veche
** Lipova
** Livezi
** Luizi-Călugăra
** Măgirești
** Măgura
** Mănăstirea Cașin
** Mărgineni
** Motoșeni
** Negri
** Nicolae Bălcescu
** Odobești
** Oituz
** Oncești
** Orbeni
** Palanca
** Parava
** Pâncești
** Parincea
** Pârgărești
** Pârjol
** Plopana
** Podu Turcului
** Poduri
** Prăjești
** Racova
** Răcăciuni
** Răchitoasa
** Roșiori
** Sascut
** Sănduleni
** Sărata
** Săucești
** Scorțeni
** Secuieni
** Solonț
** Stănișești
** Strugari
** Ștefan cel Mare
** Tamași
** Tătărăști
** Târgu Trotuș
** Traian
** Ungureni
** Urechești
** Valea Seacă
** Vultureni
** Zemeș

## Politics

Bacău became famous after electing Ilie Ilașcu of the Greater Romania Party as their Senator, while he was held in prison in Transnistria.

## Historical county

Between the world wars, Bacău County had a different territorial extent. The county was located in the east central part of Greater Romania, in the center of Moldavia. Its territory included the central part of the current Bacău County. It bordered on the west with the counties of Trei Scaune and Ciuc, in the north with Neamț and Roman counties, in the east with the counties of Tutova and Tecuci, and in the south with Putna County.

### Administration

The county was originally divided into five districts (plăși):
* Plasa Bistrița
* Plasa Muntele, headquartered in Moinești
* Plasa Oituz, headquartered in Oituz
* Plasa Siret, headquartered in Siret
* Plasa Tazlău, headquartered in Tazlău
Subsequently, two more districts were established:
* Plasa Răcăciuni, headquartered in Răcăciuni
* Plasa Traian, headquartered in Traian

### Population

According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 260,781, comprising 88.6% Romanians, 5.3% Jews, 3.3% Hungarians, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, 75.8% were Eastern Orthodox, 18.1% Roman Catholics, 5.5% Jewish, as well as other minorities.

#### Urban population

In 1930, the county's urban population was 50,342, of which 70.1% were Romanians, 23.9% were Jews, 2.2% were Hungarians, as well as other minorities. From a religious point of view, the urban population consisted of 64.9% Eastern Orthodox, 24.4% Jewish, 9.3% Roman Catholic, as well as other minorities.