View source for Maramureș

{{Short description|Geographical, historical and ethno-cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine}}
{{Other uses|Maramureș (disambiguation)}}
{{More citations needed|date=March 2010}}
[[File:Maramures Reg.svg|thumb|right|300px|Map of [[Romania]] with Maramureș region highlighted]]
[[File:Maramureș in Zakarpattia Oblast.svg|thumb|300px|Northern Maramureș as part of the [[Zakarpattia Oblast]] of Ukraine]]

'''<span lang="Fr">Maramureș</span>''' ({{langx|ro|Maramureș}} {{IPA|ro|maraˈmureʃ|pron|Ro-Maramureș.ogg}}; {{langx|uk|Мармарощина|Marmaroshchyna}}; {{langx|hu|Máramaros}} {{IPA-hu|ˈmaːrɒmɒroʃ|}}) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern [[Romania]] and western [[Ukraine]]. It is situated in the northeastern [[Carpathian Mountains|Carpathians]], along parts of the upper [[Tisza River]] drainage basin; it covers the Maramureș Depression and the surrounding Carpathian mountains.

Alternatively, the term ''Maramureș'' is also used for the [[Maramureș County]] of Romania, which contains the southern section of the historical region.

== Name in other languages ==

Alternative names for Maramureș include {{langx|uk|Мармарощина}} (''Marmaroshchyna''), {{langx|rue|Мараморош}} (''Maramoroš''), {{langx|ru|Мармарош}} (''Marmarosh''), {{langx|hu|Máramaros}}, {{langx|de|Maramuresch or Marmarosch}} and {{langx|la|Marmatia}}. In Yiddish it is מאַרמאַראָש.

==Geography==
Maramureș is a valley enclosed by the Oaș, Gutâi, Țibleș and Rodnei mountains (the northern section of the [[Inner Eastern Carpathians]]) to the west and south, the [[Maramureș Mountains]] and the central section of the [[Outer Eastern Carpathians]] to the east and north. The valley is drained through a narrow opening, the Khust Gate, at [[Khust]]. Several dozen small mountain rivers and creeks flow into the river [[Tisza|Tisa]]. It is forested and not easily accessible.

The limits of the region are between the parallels of 47°33' N and 47°02' N and the meridians of 23°15' E and 25°03' E. Maramureș represents one of the largest depressions in the Carpathians, covering an area of about 10,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.

Its length from [[Khust]] to [[Prislop Pass]] is about 150&nbsp;km and width from North to South is up to 80&nbsp;km.

The main mountain passes linking Maramureș with the neighboring regions are high and in the past were hardly accessible in the winter. The Prislop Pass (1,416 m high) links the east of the region with Moldavia, Dealul Ștefăniței (1,254 m) links the south to Transylvania, the Pintea Pass (987 m) towards Baia Mare, Fărgău (587 m) in the west links the region to Oaș Country, while Frasini Pass ([[Yasinia]]; 931 m) links the north of the region to [[Galicia (Eastern Europe)|Galicia]].

The mountains surrounding this region occupy more than half of the area. A few peaks reach above 2,000 m, such as Pietrosul (2,303 m) in the Rodnei Mountains to the south and Hovârla (2,061 m) in Muntele Negru (Cernahora) to the north.

The heavy forested mountains sustain many protected species of plants, such as [[Taxus baccata|yew]] (''Taxus baccata''), [[larch]] (''Larix decidua''), [[Swiss pine]] (''Pinus cembra''), [[edelweiss]] (''Leontopodium alpinum''); and animals, such as [[lynx]] (''Lynx lynx''), [[chamois]] (''Rupicapra rupicapra''), [[alpine marmot]] (''Marmota marmota''), [[golden eagle]] (''Aquila chrysaetos''), and [[capercaillie]] (''Tetrao urogallus'').

The last [[wisent]] from present-day Romania territory, a symbol of Maramureș, was hunted to extinction in 1852. Lostriţa, a local variety of salmon, still live in the mountain rivers.

Several protected areas have been created in Maramureș. The [[Rodna Mountains National Park]] was designated in 1990, the [[Maramureș Mountains Natural Park]] in 2004, and there are many other caves, gorges, cliff formations, and lakes which are officially-protected areas.

==History==
[[File:Maramures Josephinische Landesaufnahme 1782-1785 Background.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Máramaros County|Marmaroscher Comitat]] on the map of the [[Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867)|Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary]], 1780-84. The present-day borders of Romania are projected to the historical map.]]
[[File:Marmatia.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Máramaros County]] ({{langx|hu|Máramaros vármegye|link=no}}; {{langx|ro|Comitatul Maramureș|link=no}}; {{langx|uk|Комітат Марамарош|link=no}}), 1905]]
{{Main|History of Maramureș}}
In ancient times, this area was settled by [[Celts]], [[Dacians]], [[Sarmatians]], [[Germanic peoples]] and [[Akatziri]]. In the first century BC, it was part of the [[Dacian Kingdom]] under [[Burebista]], while in the early Middle Ages, it was ruled by the [[Huns|Hunnic Empire]], the [[Gepids|Kingdom of the Gepids]], the [[Pannonian Avars|Kingdom of the Avars]], the [[White Croatia]], [[Hungarians]] and even the [[Kievan Rus']].

The territory was part of the [[Kingdom of Hungary (medieval)|Kingdom of Hungary]] from the 11th century and was nominally divided between the [[Gyepű]] border region, [[Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)|comitatus]] of [[Szatmár]] and comitatus of [[Borsova]]. Initially, the [[Romanians|Romanian]] inhabitants of the region were allowed to preserve their political organization, the [[Voivodeship of Maramureș]], divided into many small autonomous areas. The King long struggled{{Citation needed|date=August 2007}} to convince the [[Voivode]]s to accept the title of [[Count]], with the implied loss of independence in political and financial matters. During the [[Middle Ages]], the people in many mountain villages, where each family by definition had a considerable domain, were called ''nameși'', meaning free peasants taking pride in their family. The origin of the word is disputed: in the Kingdom of Hungary, free people possessing land were called {{lang|hu|nemes}} in [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]. In [[Romanian language|Romanian]] {{lang|ro|neam}} means extended family, but this name's root is better explained{{Citation needed|date=April 2022}} as deriving from the [[Ancient Greek language|Greek]] verb {{lang|grc|νέμω}} {{transl|grc|némō}}, meaning to divide something (mainly land) into parts and give it to {{lang|grc|νοµεῖς}} {{transl|grc|nomeîs}} (people with the right to use it, either to rent it or use it for free; singular {{lang|grc|νομεύς}} {{transl|grc|nomeús}}). The region was reorganized to [[Máramaros County]] in the 14th century.

In the 16th century, the Kingdom of Hungary was invaded by the [[Ottoman Empire]], and the area came under administration of the semi-independent Ottoman [[Principality of Transylvania (1570–1711)|Principality of Transylvania]]. Later (in the late 17th century) it came under the administration of the [[Habsburg monarchy]] (which became the [[Austrian Empire]] in 1804). During Habsburg administration, the region was initially part of the {{lang|la|[[Partium]]}} lands of the [[Principality of Transylvania (1711–1867)|Habsburg Principality of Transylvania]], but was later (in 1732) transferred to the [[Kingdom of Hungary (1538–1867)|Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary]]. In 1867, the Austrian Empire was transformed into the dual monarchy of [[Austria-Hungary]] and the region was included in the [[Transleithania|Transleithanian]] or [[Kingdom of Hungary (1867–1918)|Hungarian]] part of the Monarchy.

After the [[First World War]], the region was divided between Romania and the [[First Czechoslovak Republic|Czechoslovakian]] region of [[Carpathian Ruthenia]], with the border following that of the short-lived [[Hutsul Republic]].<ref>[http://tyzhden.ua/Publication/7431 Hutsul coup]. [[The Ukrainian Week]]. November 14, 2010</ref> In March 1939 [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]] annexed Carpathian Ruthenia and in August 1940 annexed the region of [[Northern Transylvania]], which included southern Maramureș, from Romania; the territories remained under Hungarian control until 1944. After [[World War II]], the southern section returned to Romania and is now part of [[Maramureș County]]; the [[Northern Maramureș|northern section]] was incorporated into the [[Soviet Union]] as part of the [[Ukrainian SSR]] and is now part of [[Zakarpattia Oblast]] of independent [[Ukraine]].

==People==
[[File:Biserica de lemn „Cuvioasa Paraschiva” din Sat-Șugatag - (2023) - IMG 11.jpg|thumb|Romanians wearing Maramureș traditional clothing at a church in Sat-Șugatag]]
In the [[Maramureș County|southern area]], the majority of the population are [[Romanians]]. There are also some [[Hungarian people|Hungarians]], [[Rusyns]], [[Ukrainians]], [[Zipser Germans]], [[Jews]], and [[Romani people|Roma]]. In the [[Northern Maramureș|northern area]], the majority are [[Ukrainians]], with smaller Romanian, Hungarian and German communities.

In the northern area most people speak [[Hutsul]] dialect of [[Ukrainian language|Ukrainian]] language, while in the southern area most speak Romanian, which is why the region was split into two parts.<ref>{{cite web|title=Maramureș region|url=http://www.encyclopediaofukraine.com/display.asp?linkpath=pages%5CM%5CA%5CMaramureK1region.htm|website=Internet Encyclopedia of Ukraine|publisher=Mykola Pavliuk, Arkadii Zhukovsky|access-date=11 February 2017}}</ref>{{citation needed|date=July 2014}} Since the 1940s there have been villages cut in two by the state border. There are some villages in the north (within Ukraine) that have a sizeable Romanian population, as well as some villages in Romania that have a sizeable Ukrainian population.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Claie de fân Borșa.jpg|Haystacks Borșa [[Rodna Mountains National Park]]
File:Valley, Pop Ivan, Maramures.jpg|[[Maramureș Mountains Natural Park]]
File:Lala Mare.JPG|Lala Mare Lake, Rodna Mountains 
File:The white road. (25987238058).jpg|Winter landscape
File:Baia Sprie, Romania - panoramio (15).jpg|Baia Sprie 
File:Erdőd várkastély.JPG|Fortress of Ardud 
File:Borsa, Maramures. (49101678577).jpg|Borșa
File:Ethnographic Museum in Baia Mare - frontal view.tif|Ethnographic Museum in [[Baia Mare]]
File:Muzeul Etnografic3.jpg|Ethnographic Museum of the Oaș Country
File:Overview of Bârsana monastery, Bârsana, 2017.jpg|Bârsana Orthodox Monastery  
File:Romania Rohia Monastery Wooden Church.jpg|Rohia Orthodox Monastery  
File:Săcel 437290, Romania - panoramio (4).jpg|Moisei Monastery
File:SzaploncaFotoThalerTamas2.jpg|[[Merry Cemetery]] in Săpânța
File:Baia Mare, Romania - panoramio (15).jpg|Village Museum in Baia Mare
File:Curtea Veche Sighet.JPG|The Curtea Veche in Sighet
File:Máramarossziget, Börtön múzeum.JPG|[[Memorial of the Victims of Communism and of the Resistance|Memorial of the Victims of Communism]]
File:Nagybánya, a Piac tér a Felsőbányai út felől - panoramio.jpg|[[Baia Mare]]  
File:Bastionul Măcelarilor (Turnul de muniţii) - Baia Mare.jpg|Bastion of Baia Mare
File:Casa Degenfeld din Baia Mare 01.jpg|Degenfeld House in Baia Mare
File:Cascada cailor.jpg|Horses Waterfall
File:Quartz-Rhodochrosite-mun05-146b.jpg|[[Rhodochrosite|Quartz Rhodochrosite]] from Cavnic Mine
File:Fluorite-Quartz-215546.jpg|[[Fluorite|Fluorite Quartz]] from Boldut Mine
File:Mocănița de pe Valea Vaserului.JPG|Mocăniță Railway
File:Raul Iza la Rozavlea.JPG|Iza River
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Wooden churches of Maramureș]]
* [[Northern Maramureș]]
* [[Hutsul Republic]]

== Further reading ==
*''Atlas and Gazetteer of Historic Hungary'' 1914, Talma Kiadó {{ISBN|963-85683-4-8}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20131110070940/http://teofil-ivanciuc.weebly.com/lucr259rile-mele.html ''Sighetul Marmatiei'', Culture and Tourism 2007], [[Teofil Ivanciuc]] {{ISBN|973-7663-12-8}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Maramureș}}
* [https://true-romania.tours/best-15-attractions-maramures-must-see/ Things to do when visiting Maramureș]
* [https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/maramures/maramures.html English translation of the Máramaros Yizkor Book ''Sefer Marmarosh; mea ve-shishim kehilot kedoshot be-yishuvan u-ve-hurbanan'' published in 1983 and 1996 (history and remembrance book of the approximately 160 Máramaros area Jewish shtetls and communities, and their destruction in the Holocaust)]

{{Coord missing|Romania}}

{{Romanian historical regions}}
{{Ukrainian historical regions}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maramures}}
[[Category:Maramureș| ]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Romania]]
[[Category:Historical regions in Ukraine]]