Bistrița-Năsăud () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Bistrița.
Name
In Hungarian, it is known as Beszterce-Naszód megye, and in German as Kreis Bistritz-Nassod. The name is identical with the county created in 1876, Beszterce-Naszód County () in the Kingdom of Hungary (the county was recreated in 1940 after the Second Vienna Award, as it became part of Hungary again until 1944). Except these, as part of Romania, until 1925 the former administrative organizations were kept when a new county system was introduced. Between 1925–1940 and 1945–1950, most of its territory belonged to the Năsăud County, with smaller parts belonging to the Mureș, Cluj, and Someș counties.
Geography
The county has a total area of . One third of this surface represents the mountains from the Eastern Carpathians group: the Țibleș, Rodna, Bârgău, and Călimani Mountains. The rest of the territory represents the North-East side of the Transylvanian Plateau.
The main river crossing the county is the Someșul Mare. On the Bistrița River there is a big dam and a lake.
Neighbours
- Suceava County in the East.
- Cluj County in the West.
- Maramureș County in the North.
- Mureș County in the South.
Demographics
According to the 2021 census, the county had a population of 295,988 and the population density was .
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{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! County population
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! 1948
| 233,650
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! 1956
| 255,789
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! 1966
| 269,954
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! 1977
| 286,628
|-
! 1992
| 327,238
|-
! 2002
| 311,657
|-
! 2011
| 277,861
|-
! 2021
| 295,988
|}
Politics
The Bistrița-Năsăud County Council, renewed at the 2024 local elections, consists of 31 councilors, with the following party composition:
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#ccc" |
! style="background:#ccc" | Party
! style="background:#ccc" | Seats
! style="background:#ccc" colspan="15" | Current County Council
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| Social Democratic Party (PSD)
| style="text-align: right" | 15
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| National Liberal Party (PNL)
| style="text-align: right" | 10
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| Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR)
| style="text-align: right" | 4
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| Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR)
| style="text-align: right" | 2
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Administrative divisions
thumb|[[Bistrița ()]]
thumb|[[Beclean]]
thumb|Entrance from the west, in [[Năsăud]]
thumb|[[Sângeorz-Băi]]
Bistrița-Năsăud County has 1 municipality, 3 towns, and 58 communes.
- Municipalities
- Bistrița – capital city; 78,877 (as of 2021)
- Towns
- Beclean
- Năsăud
- Sângeorz-Băi
- Communes
- Bistrița Bârgăului
- Braniștea
- Budacu de Jos
- Budești
- Căianu Mic
- Cetate
- Chiochiș
- Chiuza
- Ciceu-Giurgești
- Ciceu-Mihăiești
- Coșbuc
- Dumitra
- Dumitrița
- Feldru
- Galații Bistriței
- Ilva Mare
- Ilva Mică
- Josenii Bârgăului
- Leșu
- Lechința
- Livezile
- Lunca Ilvei
- Maieru
- Matei
- Măgura Ilvei
- Mărișelu
- Miceștii de Câmpie
- Milaș
- Monor
- Negrilești
- Nimigea
- Nușeni
- Parva
- Petru Rareș
- Poiana Ilvei
- Prundu Bârgăului
- Rebra
- Rebrișoara
- Rodna
- Romuli
- Runcu Salvei
- Salva
- Sânmihaiu de Câmpie
- Șieu
- Șieu-Odorhei
- Șieu-Măgheruș
- Șieuț
- Șintereag
- Silivașu de Câmpie
- Spermezeu
- Șanț
- Târlișua
- Teaca
- Telciu
- Tiha Bârgăului
- Uriu
- Urmeniș
- Zagra
People
Natives of the county include:
- George Coșbuc
- Andrei Mureșanu
- Liviu Rebreanu
See also
- Former Beszterce-Naszód County of the Kingdom of Hungary
- The Via Transilvanica long-distance hiking and biking trail, which crosses the county