Municipiu

Municipii (municipalities) of Romania
  Municipalities
  County seat municipalities
  Bucharest

A municipiu (from Latin municipium; English: municipality) is a level of administrative subdivision in Romania and Moldova, roughly equivalent to city in some English-speaking countries.

In Romania, this status is given to towns that are large and urbanized; at present, there are 103 municipii. There is no clear benchmark regarding the status of municipiu even though it applies to localities which have a sizeable population, usually above 15,000, and extensive urban infrastructure. Localities that do not meet these loose guidelines are classified only as towns (orașe), or if they are not urban areas, as communes (comune). Cities are governed by a mayor and local council. There are no official administrative subdivisions of cities even though, unofficially, municipalities may be divided into quarters/districts (cartiere in Romanian). The exception to this is Bucharest, which has a status similar to that of a county, and is officially subdivided into six administrative sectors.

In Moldova, which has thirteen municipii, a 2002 law provides that the status applies to the cities that play an important role in the country's economic, social, cultural, scientific, political and administrative life.

Complete list

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Romania

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County Cities Year granted
status
Alba Alba Iulia
Aiud
Blaj
Sebeș
1938/1968
1994
1993
2000
Arad Arad 1925/1968
Argeș Pitești
Câmpulung
Curtea de Argeș
1968
1994
1995
Bacău Bacău
Onești
Moinești
1929†/1968
1968
2001
Bihor Oradea
Beiuș
Marghita
Salonta
1925/1968
2003
2003
2001
Bistrița-Năsăud Bistrița 1979
Botoșani Botoșani
Dorohoi
1968
1994
Brașov Brașov
Făgăraș
Codlea
Săcele
1925/1968
1979
2000
2000
Brăila Brăila 1925/1968
Buzău Buzău
Râmnicu Sărat
1968
1994
Caraș-Severin Reșița
Caransebeș
1968
1995
Călărași Călărași
Oltenița
1968
1997
Cluj Cluj-Napoca
Turda
Dej
Câmpia Turzii
Gherla
1925/1968
1968
1968
1998
2000
Constanța Constanța
Mangalia
Medgidia
1925/1968
1995
1994
Covasna Sfântu Gheorghe
Târgu Secuiesc
1979
2000
Dâmbovița Târgoviște
Moreni
1968
2003
Dolj Craiova
Băilești
Calafat
1925/1968
2001
1997
Galați Galați
Tecuci
1925/1968
1968
Giurgiu Giurgiu 1933†/1968
Gorj Târgu Jiu
Motru
1968
2000
Harghita Miercurea Ciuc
Gheorgheni
Odorheiu Secuiesc
Toplița
1979
2003
1968
2002
Hunedoara Deva
Hunedoara
Brad
Lupeni
Orăștie
Petroșani
Vulcan
1968
1968
1995
2003
1995
1968
2003
Ialomița Slobozia
Fetești
Urziceni
1979
1995
1995
Iași Iași
Pașcani
1925/1968
1995
Ilfov none  
Maramureș Baia Mare
Sighetu Marmației
1968
1968
Mehedinți Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Orșova
1933†/1968
2000
Mureș Târgu Mureș
Sighișoara
Reghin
Târnăveni
1925†/1968
1968
1994
1998
Neamț Piatra Neamț
Roman
1968
1968
Olt Slatina
Caracal
1979
1994
Prahova Ploiești
Câmpina
1925/1968
1994
Satu Mare Satu Mare
Carei
1929†/1968
1995
Sălaj Zalău 1979
Sibiu Sibiu
Mediaș
1925/1968
1968
Suceava Suceava
Fălticeni
Rădăuți
Câmpulung Moldovenesc
Vatra Dornei
1968
1994
1994
1995
2000
Teleorman Alexandria
Roșiorii de Vede
Turnu Măgurele
1979
1995
1968
Timiș Timișoara
Lugoj
1925/1968
1934†/1968
Tulcea Tulcea 1968
Vaslui Vaslui
Bârlad
Huși
1979
1968
1995
Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea
Drăgășani
1968
1995
Vrancea Focșani
Adjud
1934†/1968
2000
Bucharest Bucharest 1925/1968

† lost status in 1938

Of the seventeen municipii created in 1925, three are no longer in Romania: Cernăuți, Cetatea Albă, and Chișinău. Additionally, Bălți became one in 1929; together with Cetatea Albă, it lost the title in 1938. Cluj and Oradea temporarily lost the title in 1940 as a result of the Second Vienna Award, while it was granted to Odessa and Tiraspol during the Transnistria Governorate period. The status was not used between 1950 and 1968, so that cities which lost it in 1950 were reassigned it in 1968. The most recent municipii were created in 2003.

Moldova

[edit]
Cities Year granted
status
Bălți 1995
Cahul 1998/2016
Ceadîr-Lunga 2016
Chișinău 1995
Comrat 1998
Edineț 1998/2016
Hîncești 1998/2016
Orhei 1998/2016
Soroca 1998/2016
Strășeni 2016
Ungheni 1998/2016
Tighina 1995
Tiraspol 1995

Chișinău, Tiraspol, Bălți, and Bender/Tighina have been municipii continuously since 1995, and Comrat since 1998. Cahul, Edineț, Hîncești, Orhei, Soroca, and Ungheni held the status from 1998 to 2002, and regained it in 2016. Additionally, Căușeni, Taraclia, Dubăsari, and Rîbnița held the status from 1998 to 2002.

References

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