Bacău County

Bacău County is a place in Romania, located in a region called Western Moldavia. The main city, or capital, of this county is Bacău. Bacău County is special because it includes one commune named Ghimeș-Făget, which is actually found in a different region called Transylvania. This makes Bacău County unique, as it has a part that reaches into another area of Romania.

Geography

Bacău County covers an area of 6,621 km². In the western part of the county, you can find mountains from the Eastern Carpathian group. Two important valleys, the Oituz River and the Trotuș River, connect Moldavia and Transylvania. On the eastern side, the land becomes lower, with the Siret River running from north to south. The area also includes the Moldavian Plateau, which has many small rivers.

The climate here is temperate-continental, meaning it has warm summers and cold winters. Temperatures can vary a lot depending on the height above sea level. In the mountains, average temperatures are around 2°C, while in lower areas they are between 8°C and 10°C. The county has a mix of windy conditions, mostly from the north, northwest, and northeast.

Bears, wolves, foxes, wild boars, and squirrels live in the county’s mountains, especially around the Slănic-Moldova region. Some deer can still be found in Mănăstirea Cașin.

The county borders Vaslui County to the east, Harghita County and Covasna County to the west, Neamț County to the north, and Vrancea County to the south.

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Economy

Bacău County was a very important industrial area, especially during the communist period. Today, it still plays a big role in the economy of the region. The county has two large oil refineries in Onești and Dărmănești.

The main industries in Bacău County include chemical and oil production, food production, construction materials, wood and paper products, textiles, mechanical parts, and aeronautics. The county also has important reserves of oil and salt, and coal is mined there as well.

Tourism

The main places visitors like to see in Bacău County are the cities of Bacău and Onești. There are also several nice spots to relax, such as Poiana Sărată, Poiana Uzului, Slănic-Moldova, and Târgu Ocna. Additionally, the Nemira Mountains are a popular area to explore.

Demographics

Some estimates suggest there were about 70,000 people called Csángós living in the area back in 1987.

Politics

The Bacău County Council was renewed during the 2024 local elections. It has 36 councilors, and their party composition is shown below.

People

Bacău County is the homeplace of many famous people. Some well-known individuals from the area include Gabriela Adameșteanu, Vasile Alecsandri, poet George Bacovia, actor Radu Beligan, gymnast Nadia Comăneci, singer Loredana Groza, and writer Tristan Tzara. Others from this county are Ioan Măric, historian Vasile Pârvan, political figure Lucrețiu Pătrășcanu, and author Radu R. Rosetti, along with Nicu Enea.

Administrative divisions

Bacău County has 3 big cities, 5 smaller towns, and 85 communities where people live.

The big cities are:

• Bacău – the main city; about 136,087 people lived there in 2021
• Moinești
• Onești

The towns are:

• Buhuși
• Comănești
• Dărmănești
• Slănic-Moldova
• Târgu Ocna

And there are many communities such as Agăș, Ardeoani, and Ghimeș-Făget, among others.

Politics

Bacău became well-known for choosing Ilie Ilașcu from the Greater Romania Party to be their Senator, even though he was in prison in Transnistria at the time.

Historical county

Between the world wars, Bacău County had a different size and shape. It was in the east central part of Greater Romania, in the middle of Moldavia. The area included the central part of what is now Bacău County. It shared borders with several other counties.

The county was originally divided into five districts, called plăși. Later, two more districts were added.

According to the 1930 census, the county had a population of 260,781 people. Most were Romanians, with small groups of other groups living there too.