Botosani
County
The
name of Botosani, a county seat, was first mentioned in a document
dated 1439, yet it goes way further back in time. As an administrative-territorial
unit, the county was created in the year 1741. In the mid 16th century,
when historic circumstances allowed the formation of the independent
feudal state of Moldova, this territory was highly populated, with
numerous settlements boasting a flourishing material and spiritual
life. As early as the time of Stefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great)
and up to the 18th century, there existed numerous imposing princely
courts at Botosani where the rulers of Moldova often found time to
rest and relax. Botosani has gone down in the national history not
only owing to consequential events occurred there but also to the
matchless contributions brought by sons and daughters of these parts
to the development of the national and world culture. Here can be
found the village of Ipotesti where the morning star of the Romanian
poetry, Mihail Eminescu, spent his childhood, composer and musician
George Enescu’s village of Liveni where the sound of a violin that
was to enthral the world resounded for the first time, painter Luchian’s
native Stefanesti, or Botosani, the town of Octav Bancila who painted
a striking image of the 1907 Uprising, and of the great historian
and politician Nicolae Iorga.
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Geographical
Outline
Botosani
county is situated in the north-easternmost part of Romania, having
as neighbours the county of Iasi in the south, the county of Suceava
in the west, Ukraine in the north, and the Republic of Moldova in
the east.The county stretches on 4,986 sq. km. The county seat is
the Municipality of Botosani, and the main localities are Dorohoi
Municipality and the towns of Darabani and Saveni. The county’s
total population is of 470,537 inhabitants of whom 211,900 are actively
employed, 186,305 live in urban localities and 284,232 in rural
localities. The structure of the population according to nationality
is the following: 466,659 Romanians, 2,060 Romany, 691 Lippovan
Russians, 584 Ukrainians, 265 Jews, 115 Hungarians, 84 Germans,
49 Greeks, 25 Poles, 20 Armenians, and other nationalities under
five persons. The territory of Botosani county suffers the climatic
influence of eastern Europe and less that of central or southern
Europe, although most of the precipitations are caused by air travelling
from the west to the north-west of the Continent. The average yearly
temperature is of 8.6°C, and yearly rainfall amounts to 508.33 mm.
The territory of Botosani county presents relatively small altitude
variations, being characterised by few relief contours: the Siret
Hills that are higher to the west (586 metres at Dealu-Mare-Tudora)
and the north sector of the Moldovan Plain, and the lower hills
in the east (minimum 54 m of altitude in the Prut Meadow). The county’s
river network is represented by the Prut, the Jijia and the Siret,
together with their tributaries. The Prut has its source on the
north-western slope of Cernahova, in Ukraine, and forms a natural
border of 704 km with the Republic of Moldova. On this river, in
the Stanca Costesti area, a dam was erected that stores 1.5 thousand
million cu. m of water. The Siret springs in the Beskids (Ukraine)
and reaches to the north-western limit of Botosani county, after
having flown about 133.5 km from its sources. The Jijia springs
somewhere west of the locality of Dersca, being a tributary of the
Prut. The resources of the soil are represented by highly pure quartz
sands, unique from this point of view throughout Romania, that are
exploited at Miorcani, Radauti Prut commune. In the east of the
Paltinis commune, as well as at Crasnaleuca there are gypsum loads;
andesitic tufa has been tapped at Hudesti; bentonitic clay is mined
at Cotul Prutului and Crasnaleuca; sulphur ores are found in the
commune of Paltinis, on the valleys of Teisoara and Ursoaia; clay
and marl are widely spread, and there also exist peat ores at Dersca.
The landscape of Botosani county is characterised by the following
main vegetal formations: wooden plant, herbous plant, and mixed
plant formations. In the wood plant formation we can mention the
deciduous forest and the oak layers. Between these two layers there
is a wood formation made up of beech and the common oak.
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Touristic
Information
With
a surface of 4,965 km the Botosani County - situated at the North-East
border of Romania - has all climatic features of a steppe: heavy
snow in winter and warm summers. Its capital city, the town of Botosani,
developed during the last two decades to a modern town. The forests
and natural reservations of this corner of our country call the
attention of more and more tourists who love nature. The natural
reservation of yew tree in the Tudora Forest. the beech forest at
Suharau, the magnolia reservations as well as many other rarities
of Ilora call the interest of Romanian and foreign tourists and
specialists. The rich hunting fauna (wild boar. stag. pheasant,
or partridge) is under the law protection on a surface area of 320.000
ha and is a main touristic attraction in this zone. And because
the hunting and the fishing are "hand in hand", we have
to mention the fine water surfaces which can be found in all valleys.
The carp fishing parties on the banks of the Sulita. Cal Aib. Hanesti,
Mileanca lakes are unforgettable remembrances. Or, if you prefer
to angle pike you can do it on the bank of the Prut River. and sheat
fish and pike perch on the bank of the Siret River. Having a rich
cultural life along the time in the Botosani county important personalities
of science and culture were born and now they have their names mentioned
in Romanian and world culture. Musician George Enescu, historian
Nicolae Iorga, painter Stefan Luchian, mathematicians Dimitrie Pompeiu
and Octav Onicescu are only some names of this brilliant pleiad.
A special place in the memory of this county has the so called "Morning
Start" of the Romanian poetry - Mihai Eminescu, born in Botosani
in 1 850. His work which is translated into 65 languages is known
now all over the world. The
Ipotesti Memorial (the village of poet's childhood) consists in
the memorial house, old village church and other points of interest
as the Papadopol House (in an old Moldavian style) which is now
an icons workshop, the National Library, the graves of Eminescu's
parents is visited by thousand tourists all year long. The Agafton
Monastery, the Getic fortress at Stancesti (the III-IVth century),
the "Stana", "Lacul cu nuferi" and "Stanca
stearpa" chalets complete Eminescu's space. Numerous
other museum places are points of touristic interest in the Botosani
county as: Nicolae Iorga memorial House. History Museum of Botosani.
Ethnography Museum and the picture gallery from here, Museum of
Natural Sciences in Dorohoi (with the Nemes, butterfly collection
which is the second one in Romania). memorial houses of George Enescu
in Liveni and Dorohoi. the museum-house in Stefanesti with many
paintings of Stefan Luchian or the house-museum in Mihaileni with
the famous Zahacinschi's painted Faster egg collection. Well-known
monasteries and churches prove the propensity of builders and we
mention the ones from Vorona and Cosula as well as the Bals hermitage.
Dorohoi. the second town of this county. has some historic and cult
monuments as "Sf. Nicolae-Popauti" Church built by Voivode
Stefan eel Mare. The local customs on the religious feasts (Christmas
and New Year carols) and of the main moments of people's life are
very interesting for tourists who visit this place.
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Economy
Profile
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