Olt County

Olt County
Județul Olt
County
Flag of Olt County
Flag
Coat of arms of Olt County
Coat of arms
Administrative map of Romania with Olt county highlighted
CountryRomania
Development regionSud-Vest
Historical regionWallachia
CapitalSlatina
Area
 • Total5,498 km2 (2,123 sq mi)
 • Rank22nd
Population
 (2021-12-01)[1]
 • Total383,280
 • Rank19th
 • Density70/km2 (180/sq mi)
Telephone code(+40) 249 or (+40) 349[2]
ISO 3166 codeRO-OT
GDP (nominal)US$ 2.158 billion (2015)
GDP per capitaUS$ 5,194 (2015)
WebsiteCounty Council
Prefecture

Olt County (Romanian pronunciation: [olt]) is a county (județ) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia (the regions are separated by the Olt river). The capital city is Slatina.

History

On 24 August 2017, the Olt County Council decided to hold a name referendum on 15 October 2017 for the proposal to change the county name to "Olt-Romanați".[3] The referendum was eventually held on 6 and 7 October 2018.[4] The vote was nullified, as turnout was 27.19%, below the required threshold of 30%; therefore, the Olt County retains its current name.[5]

Demographics

In 2011, the county had a population of 415,530 and the population density was 75.57/km2 (195.7/sq mi).

Year County population[7]
1948 442,442 Steady
1956 458,982 Increase
1966 476,513 Increase
1977 518,804 Increase
1992 520,966 Increase
2002 489,274 Decrease
2011 415,530 Decrease
2021 383,280 Decrease

The county is a mainly rural one, with over 60% of the population living in villages.

Geography

The county lies in a flat area on the western part of the Romanian Plain. It is crossed by rivers from north to south, including the Olt River which gave the county its name. The Danube forms a wide valley in the south, with many ponds and small channels, which are occasionally flooded.

Neighbours

Romanian Counties

Economy

The predominant industries in the county are:

  • Metallurgy - aluminium and aluminium components.
  • Railway equipment.
  • Food and beverages industry.
  • Textile industry.
  • Mechanical components industry.

Agriculture is the main occupation in the county - over 58% of the population having agriculture as their main occupation. Both extensive agriculture, and small-scale, vegetables and fruits, are practiced. The area is well suited for irrigation.

Tourism

The main destinations for tourists are:

Politics

The Olt County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 32 counsellors, with the following party composition:[8]

    Party Seats Current County Council
  Social Democratic Party (PSD) 21                                          
  National Liberal Party (PNL) 11                                          

Administrative divisions

Map of the Olt County and its municipalities showing the parts at the east (part of Muntenia, in green) and at the west (part of Oltenia, in red) of the Olt River
Slatina
Caracal
Danube at Corabia

Olt County has 2 municipalities, 6 towns and 104 communes:

  • Municipalities

Historical county

Județul Olt
County (Județ)
The Olt County Prefecture's building from the interwar period, currently the Olt County Museum.
The Olt County Prefecture's building from the interwar period, currently the Olt County Museum.
Coat of arms of Județul Olt
Coat of arms
Country Romania
Historic regionMuntenia
Capital city (Reședință de județ)Slatina
Area
 • Total2,863 km2 (1,105 sq mi)
Population
 (1930)
 • Total183,595
 • Density64/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)

Historically, the county was located in the southern part of Greater Romania, in the western part of the historical region of Muntenia, around and in the south of Bucharest. The county included the north-eastern part of the current Olt county, the south-western part of the present Argeș County and the north-western part of the present Teleorman County. During the interwar years, it was bordered to the north by Argeș County, to the east by the counties of Argeş and Teleorman, to the south by Teleorman County, and in the west by the counties of Romanați and Vâlcea.

Administration

Map of Olt County as constituted in 1938.

The county originally was divided into three administrative districts (plăși):[9]

  1. Plasa Drăgănești, headquartered at Drăgănești
  2. Plasa Dumitrești, headquartered at Dumitrești
  3. Plasa Spineni, headquartered at Spineni

Subsequently, the county established an additional district:

  1. Plasa Mijlocul, headquartered at Mijlocul

Population

According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 183,595 inhabitants, ethnically divided as follows: 98.2% Romanians, 1.2% Romanies, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the population was 99.5% Eastern Orthodox, 0.2% Roman Catholic, 0.1% Jewish, as well as other minorities.

Urban population

In 1930, the county's urban population was 11,243 inhabitants, comprising 92.5% Romanians, 2.5% Hungarians, 1.5% Jews, 0.8% Germans, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of 94.1% Eastern Orthodox, 2.3% Roman Catholic, 1.6% Jewish, 0.9% Reformed, 0.6% Lutheran, as well as other minorities.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olt County.
  1. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  2. ^ The number used depends on the numbering system employed by the phone companies on the market.
  3. ^ "Olt: CJ a programat pe 15 octombrie referendumul pentru schimbarea numelui județului" (in Romanian). Agerpres. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  4. ^ Dorobanțu, Alin (19 September 2018). ""DA", pentru Olt-Romanați!". Ziarul de Olt (in Romanian).
  5. ^ "Referendumul din Olt a eșuat, deși prezența a fost mai mare decât la referendumul pentru familie" (in Romanian). Libertatea. 7 October 2018. Retrieved 6 November 2018.
  6. ^ National Institute of Statistics, "Populația după etnie" Archived 2009-08-16 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ National Institute of Statistics, "Populația la recensămintele din anii 1948, 1956, 1966, 1977, 1992 și 2002" Archived 2006-09-22 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "Rezultatele finale ale alegerilor locale din 2020" (Json) (in Romanian). Autoritatea Electorală Permanentă. Retrieved 2020-11-02.
  9. ^ Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Olt

44°26′00″N 24°22′00″E / 44.4333°N 24.3667°E / 44.4333; 24.3667