Brăila County

Brăila County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Muntenia, with the capital city at Brăila.

Demographics

At the 2021 Romanian census, Brăila County had a population of 281,452 (172,533 people in urban areas and 108,919 people in rural areas.) and the population density was .

Romanians – 98%
Romani, Russians, Lipovans, Aromanians, and others - 2%

{| class="wikitable"

! Year

! County population

! 1948

| 271,251

! 1956

| 297,276

! 1966

| 339,954

! 1977

| 377,954

! 1992

| 392,069

! 2002

| 373,174

! 2011

| 304,925

! 2021

| 281,452

Geography

This county has a total area of .

All the county lies on a flat plane: the Bărăgan Plain, one of the best areas for growing cereals in Romania.

On the east side there is the Danube, which forms an island – the Great Brăila Island –surrounded by the Măcin channel, Cremenea channel, and Vâlciu channel. On the northern side there is the Siret River and on the north-western side there is the Buzău River.

Climate

The climate is temperate-continental, characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters, often marked by blizzards. The average annual temperature varies between 10.3°C and 10.5°C, with high annual amplitude values recorded, specifically 25.2°C between summer and winter. In Brăila County, the highest temperature ever recorded in the country (to date) was registered on August 10, 1951, at the Ion Sion meteorological station in Bărăgan, reaching 44.5°C. The absolute minimum temperature (-30.0°C) was recorded at the Griviţa meteorological station on January 25, 1942. The maximum amplitude of absolute extreme temperature values in Brăila County is 74.5°C, ranking second in the country after Braşov County, where this amplitude reaches 77.4°C. Annual atmospheric precipitation averages 400–500 mm, with the majority falling during the warm half of the year, often as heavy showers. Generally, the low amount of precipitation and the frequency of drought years (such as 1896, 1908, 1927, 1934, 1938, 1946, 1951, 1968, 1994, 1996) pose serious problems for agricultural crops, requiring water deficits to be compensated through irrigation. The predominant winds blow most frequently from the North (31.5%) and Northeast (18%), with average annual speeds varying between 1.5 and 5.3 m/s. Maximum speeds are recorded during winter, often exceeding 100 km/h (in February 1954, wind speeds reached 125 km/h). The most known winds are the Crivăț (a cold, dry winter wind blowing from the North and Northeast, caused by the Siberian Anticyclone) and the Suhovei (a hot, dry summer wind blowing from the East).

left|thumb|354x354px|Landscape in Brăila County in May 2012

‎

Neighbours

Tulcea County in the east.
Buzău County in the west.
Galați County and Vrancea County in the north.
Ialomița County and Constanța County in the south.

Economy

The agriculture is the main occupation in the county. Industry is almost entirely concentrated in the city of Brăila. The predominant industries in the county are:

Food industry.
Textile industry.
Mechanical components industry.

In Brăila there is an important harbour, once the biggest cereal harbour in Romania.

Tourism

thumb|right|[[DN21, a road in Romania, in Brăila County]]

The main tourist destinations are:

The city of Brăila.
The Lacu Sărat resort.

Politics

The Brăila County Council, renewed at the 2020 local elections, consists of 30 counsellors, with the following party composition:

{| class="wikitable"

! style="background:#ccc" |    

! style="background:#ccc" | Party

! style="background:#ccc" | Seats

! style="background:#ccc" colspan="17" | Current County Council

| Social Democratic Party (PSD)

| style="text-align: right" | 17

| National Liberal Party (PNL)

| style="text-align: right" | 10

| People's Movement Party (PMP)

| style="text-align: right" | 3

Administrative divisions

thumb|[[Brăila]]

thumb|City hall in [[Ianca, the second largest urban locality in Brăila County]]

Brăila County has 1 municipality, 3 towns, and 40 communes

Municipalities
Brăila – capital city; population: 154,686 (as of 2021)
Towns
Făurei
Ianca
Însurăței

Communes
Bărăganul
Berteștii de Jos
Bordei Verde
Cazasu
Chiscani
Ciocile
Cireșu
Dudești
Frecăței
Galbenu
Gemenele
Grădiștea
Gropeni
Jirlău
Mărașu
Măxineni
Mircea Vodă
Movila Miresii
Racovița
Râmnicelu
Romanu
Roșiori
Salcia Tudor
Scorțaru Nou
Siliștea
Stăncuța
Surdila-Găiseanca
Surdila-Greci
Șuțești
Tichilești
Traian
Tudor Vladimirescu
Tufești
Ulmu
Unirea
Vădeni
Victoria
Vișani
Viziru
Zăvoaia

Historical county

Historically, the county was located in the southeastern part of Greater Romania, in the northeastern part of the Muntenia region. Its territory included the portions of the current county to the east and south-east of the Buzău River. It was bordered on the west by the counties of Buzău and Râmnicu-Sărat, to the north by Covurlui County, to the east by Tulcea County, and to the south by the counties of Constanța and Ialomița.

Administration

thumb|right|310px|Map of Brăila County as constituted in 1938.

The county was originally divided administratively into four districts (plăși):

Plasa Călmățui, with headquarters at Făurei
Plasa Ianca, with headquarters at Ianca
Plasa Silistraru, with headquarters at Silistraru
Plasa Viziru, with headquarters at Viziru

Subsequently, Plasa Călmățui, was abolished and two new districts were established in its place:

Plasa I.I.C. Brătianu, with headquarters at Făurei
Plasa Vădeni, with headquarters at Vădeni

Population

thumb|right|310px|Map of Brăila County's ethnic groups as reported in the 1930 census.

According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 219,831 inhabitants, ethnically divided as follows: 89.4% Romanians, 3.1% Jews, 2.2% Greeks, 0.7% Hungarians, 0.6% Russians, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the population was 93.6% Eastern Orthodox, 3.3% Jewish, 1.2% Roman Catholic, as well as other minorities.

Urban population

In 1930, the county's urban population was 68,347 inhabitants, comprising 75.4% Romanians, 9.7% Jews, 6.7% Greeks, 1.7% Hungarians, 1.6% Russians, as well as other minorities.