Caraș County
Caraș County is one of the historic counties of Romania in the historic region of the Banat. The county seat was Oravița. The county was founded in 1926, following the division of the former Caraş-Severin County.
Județul Caraș | |
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County (Județ) | |
![]() The building of the prefecture of Caraş County in the interwar period, currently Oravița city hall. | |
![]() Coat of arms | |
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Country | ![]() |
Historic region | Banat |
Capital city (Reședință de județ) | Oravița |
Established | 1925 |
Ceased to exist | Administrative reform of 1950 |
Area | |
• Total | 4,693 km2 (1,812 sq mi) |
Population (1930) | |
• Total | 200,929 |
• Density | 43/km2 (110/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
![](../I/m/1938_map_of_interwar_county_Caras.jpg)
In 1938, the county was disestablished and incorporated into the newly formed Ținutul Timiș, but it was re-established in 1940 after the fall of Carol II's regime – only to be abolished 10 years later by the Communist regime on September 6, 1950.
Geography
Caraș County covered 4,693 km2 and was located in the Banat region in the southwestern part of Greater Romania. Currently, the territory that comprised Caraș County is mostly now included in the reconstituted Caraș-Severin County. In the interwar period, the county neighbored Timiș-Torontal County to the north and northwest, Severin County to the east and northeast, and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to the west, south, and southwest.
Administrative organization
Administratively, Caraș County was originally divided into five districts (plăși):[1]
- Plasa Bocşa-Montană
- Plasa Bozovici
- Plasa Moldova-Nouă
- Plasa Oravița
- Plasa Reșița
Subsequently, a sixth district was established:
- Plasa Sasca-Montană
The county contained two urban communes (cities): Oraviţa (the county's headquarters) and Reşiţa (the largest city of the county).
Population
According to the 1930 census data, the county's population was 200,929, ethnically divided as follows: 69.5% Romanians, 12.8% Germans, 4.9% Serbs and Croats, 3.6% Czechs and Slovaks, 2.8% Romanies, 2.5% Hungarians, as well as other minorities.[2] The county's population was divided religiously as follows: 70.3% Eastern Orthodox, 21.5% Roman Catholic, 5.1% Greek Catholic, 1.5% Baptist, as well as other minorities.[3]
Urban population
In the year 1930, the county's urban population was 29,453, ethnically divided as follows: 43.4% Germans, 42.2% Romanians, 8.8% Hungarians, 1.6% Czechs and Slovaks, 1.4% Jews, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population consisted of 50.5% Roman Catholic, 39.7% Eastern Orthodox, 3.7% Greek Catholic, 2.1% Reformed, 1.7% Jewish, 1.6% Lutheran, as well as other minorities.
References
- Portretul României Interbelice - Județul Caraș
- Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 116-119
- Recensământul general al populației României din 29 decemvrie 1930, Vol. II, pag. 579-580
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Interwar Caraș County. |
- (in Romanian) Caraș County on memoria.ro