Municipiu

A municipiu (from Latin municipium; English: municipality) is a level of administrative subdivision in Romania and Moldova, roughly equivalent to city in some English-speaking countries.

In Romania, this status is given to towns that are quite large and urbanized; at present, there are 103 municipii. There is no clear benchmark regarding the status of municipiu even though it applies to localities which have a sizeable population, usually above 15,000, and extensive urban infrastructure. Localities that do not meet these loose guidelines are classified only as towns (orașe), or if they are not urban areas, as communes (comune). Cities are governed by a mayor and local council. There are no official administrative subdivisions of cities even though, unofficially, municipalities may be divided into quarters/districts (cartiere in Romanian). The exception to this is Bucharest, which has a status similar to that of a county, and is officially subdivided into six administrative sectors.

In Moldova, which has thirteen municipii, a 2002 law provides that the status applies of cities that play an important role in the country's economic, social, cultural, scientific, political and administrative life.

Complete list

Romania

County Common
Abbrev
Cities Year granted
status
Alba AB Alba Iulia
Aiud
Blaj
Sebeș
1938/1968
1994
1993
2000
Arad AR Arad 1925/1968
Argeș AG Pitești
Câmpulung
Curtea de Argeș
1968
1994
1995
Bacău BC Bacău
Onești
Moinești
1929†/1968
1968
2001
Bihor BH Oradea
Beiuș
Marghita
Salonta
1925/1968
2003
2003
2001
Bistrița-Năsăud BN Bistrița 1979
Botoșani BT Botoșani
Dorohoi
1968
1994
Brașov BV Brașov
Făgăraș
Codlea
Săcele
1925/1968
1979
2000
2000
Brăila BR Brăila 1925/1968
Buzău BZ Buzău
Râmnicu Sărat
1968
1994
Caraș-Severin CS Reșița
Caransebeș
1968
1995
Călărași CL Călărași
Oltenița
1968
1997
Cluj CJ Cluj-Napoca
Turda
Dej
Câmpia Turzii
Gherla
1925/1968
1968
1968
1998
2000
Constanța CT Constanța
Mangalia
Medgidia
1925/1968
1995
1994
Covasna CV Sfântu Gheorghe
Târgu Secuiesc
1979
2000
Dâmbovița DB Târgoviște
Moreni
1968
2003
Dolj DJ Craiova
Băilești
Calafat
1925/1968
2001
1997
Galați GL Galați
Tecuci
1925/1968
1968
Giurgiu GR Giurgiu 1933†/1968
Gorj GJ Târgu Jiu
Motru
1968
2000
Harghita HR Miercurea Ciuc
Gheorgheni
Odorheiu Secuiesc
Toplița
1979
2003
1968
2002
Hunedoara HD Deva
Hunedoara
Brad
Lupeni
Orăștie
Petroșani
Vulcan
1968
1968
1995
2003
1995
1968
2003
Ialomița IL Slobozia
Fetești
Urziceni
1979
1995
1995
Iași IS Iași
Pașcani
1925/1968
1995
Ilfov IF none  
Maramureș MM Baia Mare
Sighetu Marmației
1968
1968
Mehedinți MH Drobeta-Turnu Severin
Orșova
1933†/1968
2000
Mureș MS Târgu Mureș
Sighișoara
Reghin
Târnăveni
1925†/1968
1968
1994
1998
Neamț NT Piatra Neamț
Roman
1968
1968
Olt OT Slatina
Caracal
1979
1994
Prahova PH Ploiești
Câmpina
1925/1968
1994
Satu Mare SM Satu Mare
Carei
1929†/1968
1995
Sălaj SJ Zalău 1979
Sibiu SB Sibiu
Mediaș
1925/1968
1968
Suceava SV Suceava
Fălticeni
Rădăuți
Câmpulung Moldovenesc
Vatra Dornei
1968
1994
1994
1995
2000
Teleorman TR Alexandria
Roșiorii de Vede
Turnu Măgurele
1979
1995
1968
Timiș TM Timișoara
Lugoj
1925/1968
1934†/1968
Tulcea TL Tulcea 1968
Vaslui VS Vaslui
Bârlad
Huși
1979
1968
1995
Vâlcea VL Râmnicu Vâlcea
Drăgășani
1968
1995
Vrancea VN Focșani
Adjud
1934†/1968
2000
Bucharest B Bucharest 1925/1968

† lost status in 1938

Of the seventeen municipii created in 1925, three are no longer in Romania: Cernăuți, Cetatea Albă, and Chișinău. Additionally, Bălți became one in 1929; together with Cetatea Albă, it lost the title in 1938. Cluj and Oradea temporarily lost the title in 1940 as a result of the Second Vienna Award, while it was granted to Odessa and Tiraspol during the Transnistria Governorate period. The status was not used between 1950 and 1968, so that cities which lost it in 1950 were reassigned it in 1968. The most recent municipii were created in 2003.

Moldova

Cities Year granted
status
Bălți 1995
Cahul 1998/2016
Ceadîr-Lunga 2016
Chișinău 1995
Comrat 1998
Edineț 1998/2016
Hîncești 1998/2016
Orhei 1998/2016
Soroca 1998/2016
Strășeni 2016
Ungheni 1998/2016
Bender 1995
Tiraspol 1995

Chișinău, Tiraspol, Bălți and Bender have been municipii continuously since 1995, and Comrat since 1998. Cahul, Edineț, Hîncești, Orhei, Soroca and Ungheni held the status from 1998 to 2002, and regained it in 2016. Additionally, Căușeni, Taraclia, Dubăsari, and Rîbnița held the status from 1998 to 2002.

References

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