Țara Moților, also known as Țara de Piatră is an ethnogeographical region of Romania in the Apuseni Mountains, on the upper basin of the Arieș and Crișul Alb River rivers. It covers parts of the Alba, Arad, Bihor, Cluj and Hunedoaracounties of Romania and a section of it forms the Apuseni Natural Park. Țara Moților's inhabitants are known as "moți". Some scholars consider the 'moți' as descendants of the Celts, because of their blonde hair and blue eyes, elements more frequent here than among other Romanians; however, the hypothesis is not accepted by mainstream historians due to its lack of consistency. Other scholars believe that they are the descendants of Slavs, for the same very reasons, or of the Alans. Yet another group of scholars consider them the descendants of Germanic tribes. Due to their blonde hair and blue eyes, so far seventeen theories regarding their origins have been formulated. They live in scattered villages at altitudes up to about 1,400 m, higher than any other permanent settlements in Romania. The 'Țara Moților' traditionally begins at Bistra, just before Câmpeni, formerly called Topani by the moți themselves or Topesdorf by the Austrians, traditionally considered the unofficial capital of the moți, while the villages down the Arieș towards Turda such as Lupșa, Sălciua etc. are inhabited by the mocani. The moți were also known under the name of 'topi'. Before the last change of the old administrative boundaries there existed an Arieș county in its own right.
Etymology and history
The term "Țara" means literally "country" ; exceptionally in this case, it doesn't imply any political, social or administrative status. It is, instead, an archaic term referring to an enclosed and more or less isolated depression between the Carpathians. The region has a long history of resistance and fighting for political, economical and social rights, with movements such as the Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan and the Romanian part of the Transylvanian revolution of 1848 having their origins here.
Because of the highland conditions, the moţi practice animal husbandry. Their main livestock of choice is cattle and the localhighland cattle, called "Pinzgau de Transilvania", a variant of Tyrolese Pinzgau breed, was introduced by the Austrians during the 19th century. Sheep, poultry and pig farming are a secondary choice for farmers in the area. Along south-facing mountain slopes, and along the narrow river valleys one can found scattered cultivation of potatoes, barley and even cold-resistant vegetables.
