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Botoșani County

Coordinates: 47°50′N 26°49′E / 47.84°N 26.82°E / 47.84; 26.82
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Botoșani County
Județul Botoșani
County
Church of Saint Nicholas in Dorohoi; Old Prefecture of Botoșani, Wooden Church of Brăești; Monument of the 1907 peasants' revolt in Flămânzi; Gothic-style bell tower in Săveni; George Enescu; Ștefan Luchian
Church of Saint Nicholas in Dorohoi; Old Prefecture of Botoșani, Wooden Church of Brăești; Monument of the 1907 peasants' revolt in Flămânzi; Gothic-style bell tower in Săveni; George Enescu; Ștefan Luchian
Flag of Botoșani County
Flag
Coat of arms
Location of Botoșani County in Romania
Location of Botoșani County in Romania
Coordinates: 47°50′N 26°49′E / 47.84°N 26.82°E / 47.84; 26.82
Country Romania
Development region1Nord-Est
Historic regionNortheastern Moldavia
Capital city (Reședință de județ)Botoșani
Government
 • TypeCounty Council
 • President of the County CouncilValeriu Iftime (PNL)
 • Prefect2Dan Nechifor [ro]
Area
 • Total
4,986 km2 (1,925 sq mi)
 • Rank29th in Romania
Population
 (2021-12-01)[1]
 • Total
392,821
 • Rank22nd in Romania
 • Density78.78/km2 (204.1/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code
71wxyz3
Area code+40 x314
Car PlatesBT5
GDPUS$1.726 billion (2015)
GDP per capitaUS$4,180 (2015)
WebsiteCounty Council
County Prefecture
1 as of 2007, the Prefect is not a politician, but a public functionary. He (or she) is not allowed to be a member of a political party, and is banned to have any political activity in the first six months after the resignation (or exclusion) from the public functionary corps
2w, x, y, and z are digits that indicate the city, the street, part of the street, or even the building of the address
3x is a digit indicating the operator: 2 for the former national operator, Romtelecom, and 3 for the other ground telephone networks
4used on both the plates of the vehicles that operate only in the county limits (like utility vehicles, ATVs, etc.), and the ones used outside the county

Botoșani County (Romanian pronunciation: [botoˈʃanʲ] ⓘ) is a county (județ) of Romania, in Western Moldavia (encompassing a few villages in neighbouring Suceava County from Bukovina to the west as well), with the county seat at Botoșani.

Demographics

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As of 1st of December 2021, it had a population of 392,821 and the population density was 91/km2.

Year County population[2][3]
1948 385,236 Steady
1956 428,050 Increase
1966 452,406 Increase
1977 451,217 Decrease
1992 458,904 Increase
2002 452,834 Decrease
2011 412,626 Decrease
2021 392,821 Decrease

Geography

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  • Botoșani County is situated between the rivers Siret and Prut, in the northeastern part of Romania, bordering Ukraine to the north and Moldova to the east. To the west and south it has borders with Suceava and Iași counties.
  • It has a total area of 4,986 km2 (1,925 sq mi), comprising 2.1% of the Romanian territory.
  • The relief is a high plain, between the valleys of the Siret and the Prut, and the latter's affluent, the Jijia River.
  • It has a temperate climate, influenced by the eastern air masses of the continent.

Neighbours

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Romanian Counties

Economy

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The Stânca-Costești Dam

This is a predominantly agricultural county; the main industries are the textile industry, the food industry, the electrical components industry, and the glass and porcelain industry.

The Stânca–Costești Hydroelectric Power Station [ro] is one of the largest hydroelectric power plants in Romania. Work on it started in 1973, and it was completed in 1978, at the same time as the Stânca-Costești Dam. They are both situated on the Prut River, between Stânca in Botoșani County and Costești, Rîșcani.

Politics

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The Botoșani County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 32 counsellors, with the following party composition:[4]

    Party Seats Current County Council
  National Liberal Party (PNL) 15                              
  Social Democratic Party (PSD) 15                              
  PRO Romania (PRO) 2                              

Administrative divisions

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Botoșani
Dorohoi

Botoșani County has 2 municipalities, 5 towns and 71 communes:

Municipalities

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Towns

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Communes

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Historical county

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Județul Botoșani
County (Județ)
The Botoșani County Prefecture building from the interwar period, currently the county museum.
The Botoșani County Prefecture building from the interwar period, currently the county museum.
Coat of arms of Județul Botoșani
Coat of arms
Country Romania
Historic regionMoldavia
Capital city (Reședință de județ)Botoșani
Area
 • Total
3,077 km2 (1,188 sq mi)
Population
 (1930)
 • Total
218,258
 • Density70.93/km2 (183.7/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

During the years between the world wars, the county extended over different territory than currently. It was located in the northeastern part of Romania, in the northeast of the region or Moldavia. The county included the southern part of the present county and the northern part of the current Iași County. It was bordered to the west by the counties of Suceava and Baia, to the north by Dorohoi, to the east by Bălți, and to the south with Iași.

Administration

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Map of Botoșani County as it existed in 1938.

In 1930, the county was divided into three districts (plăși):[5]

  1. Plasa Botoșani
  2. Plasa Jijia
  3. Plasa Siret

Administration was re-organized in 1938, comprising 4 districts:

  1. Plasa Bucecea (with 52 villages, headquartered in Târgu Bucecea)
  2. Plasa Răchiți (with 73 villages, headquartered in Botoșani)
  3. Plasa Sulița (with 49 villages, headquartered in Hârlău)
  4. Plasa Ștefănești (with 77 villages, headquartered in Ștefănești)

Population

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According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 218,258 inhabitants, ethnically, 88.8% were Romanians, 9.0% were Jews, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, 89.4% were Eastern Orthodox, 9.2% Jewish, 0.7% Roman Catholic, as well as other minorities.

Urban population

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In 1930, the county's urban population was 50,320 inhabitants, comprising ethnically 64.9% Romanians, 31.3% Jews, 0.9% Germans, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of Eastern Orthodox (64.5%), Jewish (32.3%), Roman Catholic (2.1%), as well as other minorities.

Notable people

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Natives of the county include:

Archaeology

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In 2026, archaeologists excavating the prehistoric settlement of Stăuceni-Holm uncovered a large communal building associated with the Cucuteni–Trypillia culture. The structure covers around 350 square metres, making it more than three times larger than the surrounding dwellings within a settlement of about 45 houses. Geophysical surveys and excavations revealed foundation ditches, large postholes, and a substantial clay floor, while the absence of domestic features such as cooking or storage installations distinguished it from ordinary residences. Archaeologists recovered pottery fragments, lithic remains, charred grains, and seeds of black henbane, but found no evidence of elite occupation or specialized household activities. The building is therefore interpreted as a communal or public structure that may have served as a meeting place, ceremonial space, or location for collective activities. According to the researchers, the discovery contributes to research on the social organization of Cucuteni–Trypillia communities and indicates that large communal buildings were present not only in major settlements but also in smaller communities.[6][7][8]

See also

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Notes

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References

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Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Botoșani County.
  1. ^ "2021 Romanian census". National Institute of Statistics. 1 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Tab1. Populația la recensămintele din anii 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992, 2002 și 2011 – categorii de localități și județe". Archived from the original on 10 June 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Populaţia României pe localitati la 1 ianuarie 2016" (in Romanian). INSSE. 6 June 2016. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  4. ^ "Rezultatele finale ale alegerilor locale din 2020" (Json) (in Romanian). Autoritatea Electorală Permanentă. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  5. ^ Portretul României Interbelice – Județul Botoșani
  6. ^ Mischka, Doris; Mischka, Carsten; Kovács, Adela; Aparaschivei, Constantin; Marinova, Elena (27 March 2026). "The mega-structure at Stăuceni-'Holm', Botoşani county, Romania and the debate about the governing of Cucuteni-Trypillia-settlements". PLOS ONE. 21 (3) e0343603. Bibcode:2026PLoSO..2143603M. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0343603. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 13028477. PMID 41894361.
  7. ^ Tuhin, Muhammad (16 April 2026). "Archaeologists Uncovered a Massive 6,000 Year Old Mystery Building in Romania". Science News Today. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  8. ^ Milligan, Mark (27 May 2026). "Ancient mega-structure discovered in Romania". HeritageDaily - Archaeology News. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
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