Bacau County

Description:

Geographical situation

                In the eastern part of Romania, in the middle of Moldavia, on the eastern slope of the Western Carpathians, the highest altitude is that of the Grindasu peak-1664 m, in the Tarcau Mountains, and the lowest is measured on the Siret river meadow -95 m.

Neighbours

                In the north: Neamt County, in the south: Vrancea County, in the west: Harghita and Covasna Counties, in the east: Vaslui County.

Surface

                6,621 square km (respectively 2,8 % of the country's territory).

Population

745,000 inhabitants.

Towns

                Bacau is the capital and it has 210,000 inhabitants.

Other towns: Buhus, Comanesti, Darmanesti, Moinesti, Onesti, Slanic-Moldova, Targu Ocna.

Geographical location

Bacau City, capital city of the of the county with the same name is situated in the central Western part of Moldova lust 9 6 km upstream of the Siret- Bistrita confluence in the contact zone of the Tutovei Hilts with the two piedmont summits Pietricica Barboiu

                Mathematically they are situated at the interference of the 26955 E longitude meridian with the 46 ⁰34` northern latitude parallel neighboring the Hemeiusi and Saucesti communes,  in the North with the Letea Veche commune in the East with the commune Nicolae Balcescu in the South

and in the West, with the communes Luizi Cãlugãra. Magura and Margineni.

                Between these limits the city occupies 4186,23 ha, being situated at altitudes of 151-181m.

                Although the first documentary mention is found in the in trade privilege awarded by Alexandru the Good to the merchants from Lvov (6.10.1408), the origin of the city is lost in the mist of time. Certain is the fact that at the end of the century XIV -th , Bacau was a well established urban settlement, one of the most prosperous in southern Moldova, having important military and commercial attributes. Regarding the beginning of the settlement, certain information lack. Several legends exi st. The origin of the oiconymous Bacau is considered to be the Magyar term bako(from the hungarian bako from Calugara), hypothesis sustained by Iorgu Iordan: bako - executioner, dum, fool.

Rejecting the Magyar provenience of the term, Hasdeu inclined towards a turanic etymology and Nicolae Iorga, towards a Slavic one: paleo -slavic bac = buffalo, bull.

                The first settlements were identified in the zone of the Princely Court, Gh. Vranceanu high-school, Ion Luca street, nucleus of the future town, the main polarizing centers during the entire lX- XVII/XVIII centuries Only at the end of the XVIII-th century, does Bacau city begin to be mentioned on the maps, the information regarding its position and territorial evolution becoming more clear.

                In 1816, it was situated approximately in the perimeter of the present central zone, having only one linear development- "Ulita Mare" - with a North-South orientation, along the Adjud - Piatra Neamt road. towards West, the limit did not pass Bradului street, and towards East. "drumul sarii"- the salt road.