Alba County is a county of Romania located in the historic region of Transylvania. Its capital is Alba Iulia, a city with a population of 63,536.
Name
"Alba", meaning "white" in Latin and Romanian, is derived from the name of the city of Alba Iulia. In Hungarian, the county is known as Fehér megye, and in German as Kreis Karlsburg.
Demographics
In October 31, 2011, it had a population of 327,224 and the population density was 52/km².
This county has a total area of 6,242 km², with mountains occupying about 59% of its surface. The Apuseni Mountains are in the northwest; the northeastern side of the Parâng group - the Șureanu and Cindrel Mountains - are in the south. In the east there is the Transylvanian Plateau with deep but wide valleys. The three main elements are separated by the Mureș River valley. The main rivers are the Mureș River and its tributaries, the Târnava, the Sebeș and the Arieș.
The Țara Moților ethnographical area. Situated in the Apuseni Mountains, Țara Moților is a region with strong and distinct Romanian traditions.
Roșia Montana Mining Cultural Landscape - Mining began 2000 years ago on Mt. Kirnik, with well-preserved Roman galleries. A Canadian company attempted an open-pit mine, but abandoned the project around 2007. Roșia Montană is a famous locality among mineral collectors for fine native gold specimens.
Historically, Alba de Jos county was located in the central-western part of Greater Romania, in the southwestern part of Transylvania with a territory identical with the old Alsó-Fehér County of Hungary. After the administrative unification law in 1925, the name of the county changed to Alba County and the territory was reorganized. It was bordered on the west by Hunedoara County, to the north by Turda County, and to the east by the counties of Sibiu and Târnava-Mică. Its territory included the central part of the current Alba County.
Administration
The county originally consisted of seven districts :
There were four towns: Alba-Iulia, Abrud, Aiud and Sebeș.
Population
According to the census data of 1930, the county's population was 212,749, of which 81.5% were Romanians, 11.3% Hungarians, 3.6% Germans, 1.8% Romanies, 1.4% Jews, as well as other minorities. In the religious aspect, the population consisted of 50.1% Eastern Orthodox, 31.6% Greek Catholics, 7.5% Reformed, 3.4% Roman Catholics, 3.3% Evangelical, 1.2% Unitarians, and other minorities.
Urban population
In 1930, the urban population of the county was 33,365, of which 58.8% were Romanians, 23.0% Hungarians, 8.2% Germans, 6.2% Jews, 1.6% Romanies, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was made up of 38.3% Eastern Orthodox, 21.4% Greek Catholic, 14.7% Reformed, 7.2% Evangelical, 6.5% Jewish, as well as other minorities.
After 1938
After the 1938 Administrative and Constitutional Reform, this county merged with the counties of Ciuc, Odorhei, Sibiu, Târnava Mare, Târnava Micǎ to form Ținutul Mureș. The county was re-established in 1940, but dissolved again in 1950. It was re-established in 1968 in its current borders.
