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Geographical Regions for the “JewishGen Romania Database”

The geographic scope of the JewishGen Romania Database encompasses the maximum extent of Romania's historical borders, i.e.: all localities that are or were in Romania during the past two centuries.  This is basically Romania's boundaries between the two world wars (1920-1940).  During the inter-war period, Romania was larger than it is today, consisting of its modern area, plus:

  • Bessarabia (pre-WWI: Russian Empire; today: mostly in Moldova),
  • northern Bukovina (pre-WWI: Austrian Empire; today: in Ukraine),
  • southern Dobruja (pre-WWI and today: in Bulgaria).

Romanian Counties – Today (circa 2000)
Romanian Counties – Between the Wars (circa 1930)   
Romanian Counties – Before WWI (circa 1900)
      · Romania
      · Hungary
      · Bukovina
      · Bessarabia

Regions for the JewishGen Romania Database

There are ten regions for the JewishGen Romania Database.  There are nine regions of modern Romania, and one in modern Moldova.  Here are the nine regions in modern Romania.  Following the region name is a list of the contained modern counties (judeţe).

  • Banat: (Timiş, Caraş-Severin).
  • Bucovina: (Suceava).
  • Crişana: (Arad, Bihor).
  • Dobrogea: (Constanţa, Tulcea).
  • Maramureş: (Maramureş, Satu Mare).
  • Muntenia: (Argeş, Brăila, Buzău, Dîmboviţa, Ialomiţa, Ilfov, Prahova, Teleorman, Călăraşi, Giurgiu).
  • Moldavia: (Bacău, Botoşani, Galaţi, Iaşi, Neamţ, Vaslui, Vrancea).
  • Oltenia: (Dolj, Gorj, Mehedinţi, Olt, Vîlcea).
  • Transylvania: (Alba, Bistriţa-Năsăud, Braşov, Cluj, Covasna, Harghita, Hunedoara, Mureş, Sălaj, Sibiu).

Moldova: The modern nation of Moldova consists of most of the former Russian Empire gubernia of Bessarabia, plus tiny portions of Podolia gubernia (Olgopol and Balta uyezds) and Kherson gubernia (Tiraspol uyezd).  Some parts of former Bessarabia gubernia (most of Khotin, Izmail, and Akkerman uyezds) are now in Ukraine.  Bessarabia gubernia contained eight districts (uyezds):

  • Bessarabia: (Akkerman, Bieltsy, Bendery, Izmail, Khotin, Kishinev, Orgieev, Soroki).


Modern Romania has nine regions: Banat, Bucovina, Crişana, Dobrogea, Maramureş, Muntenia, Moldavia, Oltenia, Transylvania.

Romanian Counties:
These nine regions are divided into 41 counties (judeţe), plus the capital of Bucharest (Bucureşti), with similar county status:
Alba, Arad, Argeş, Bacău, Bihor, Bistriţa-Năsăud, Brăila, Braşov, Botoşani, Buzău, Călăraşi, Caraş-Severin, Cluj, Constanţa, Covasna, Dîmboviţa, Dolj, Galaţi, Giurgiu, Gorj, Harghita, Hunedoara, Ialomiţa, Iaşi, Ilfov (Bucharest county), Maramureş, Mehedinţi, Mureş, Neamţ, Olt, Prahova, Sălaj, Satu Mare, Sibiu, Suceava, Teleorman, Timiş, Tulcea, Vaslui, Vîlcea, Vrancea.

Moldova:
In addition to modern Romania, the JewishGen Romania Database also includes the country of Moldova — which was Bessarabia Gubernia of the Russian Empire before WWI.  Moldova was a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire until 1812.  It was in the Russian Empire between 1812-1856 and 1878-1918 (as Bessarabia gubernia), and was part of Romania for 1856-1878 and 1918-1940 (as the province of Basarabia).  Moldova became a republic of the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.) in 1940, and then became an independent country in 1991.

Romanian Counties — Today (circa 2000):

Here are the modern counties (judeţe) of Romania, listed with their respective capital cities, and containing region. 
[The numbers are the administrative district code (ADM1) definitions from the United States Board on Geographic Names (USBGN)]

# County Capital Region
01AlbaAlba IuliaTransylvania
02AradAradCrişana
03ArgeşPiteştiMuntenia
04BacăuBacăuMoldavia
05BihorOradeaCrişana
06Bistriţa-NăsăudBistriţaTransylvania
07BotoşaniBotoşaniMoldavia
08BrăilaBrăilaMuntenia
09BraşovBraşovTransylvania
10BucureştiBucureştiBucureşti
11BuzăuBuzăuMuntenia
12Caraş-SeverinReşiţaBanat
13ClujCluj-NapocaTransylvania
14ConstanţaConstanţaDobrogea
15CovasnaSfintu GheorgeTransylvania
16DîmboviţaTirgovişteMuntenia
17DoljCraiovaOltenia
18GalaţiGalaţiMoldavia
19GorjTîrgu JuiOltenia
20HarghitaMiercurea CiucTransylvania
21HunedoaraDevaTransylvania
         
# County Capital Region
22IalomiţaSloboziaMuntenia
23IaşiIaşiMoldavia
25MaramureşBaia MareMaramureş
26MehedinţiDrobeta-Turnu SeverinOltenia
27MureşTirgu MureşTransylvania
28NeamţPiatra NeamţMoldavia
29OltSlatinaOltenia
30PrahovaPloieştiMuntenia
31SălajZalăuTransylvania
32Satu MareSatu-MareMaramureş
33SibiuSibiuTransylvania
34SuceavaSuceavaBucovina
35TeleormanAlexandriaMuntenia
36TimişTimişoaraBanat
37TulceaTulceaDobrogea
38VasluiVasluiMoldavia
39VîlceaRîmnicu VîlceaOltenia
40VranceaFocşaniMoldavia
41CălăraşiCălăraşiMuntenia
42GiurgiuGiurgiuMuntenia
43Ilfov(Bucureşti)Muntenia


Romanian Counties — Between the Wars (circa 1930):

Between the two world wars, Romania was larger than it is today.  Romania consisted of its modern area, plus:

  • Bessarabia (from the Russian Empire, now mostly in Moldova),
  • northern Bukovina (from the Austrian Empire, now in Ukraine),
  • southern Dobruja (now in Bulgaria).

From 1925 until 1938, Romania was divided into 71 judeţe (administrative districts), as listed in the table below.  If the "Capital" field is blank, then the capital city had the same name as the judeţ.

Provinciile Vechiului Regat
(The Old Kingdom):

Oltenia, Muntenia, Moldova, Dobrogea:

Judeţ Capital
Argeş Piteşti
Bacău  
Baia Fălticeni
Botoşani  
Brăila  
Buzău  
Constanţa  
Covurlui Galaţi
Dâmboviţa Târgovişte
Dolj Craiova
Dorohoi  
Fălciu Huşi
Gorj Târgu-Jiu
Iolamiţa Călăraşi
Iaşi  
Ilfov Bucureşti
Mehedinţi Turnu-Severin
Muscel Câmpulung
Neamţ Piatra-Neamţ
Olt Slatina
Prahova Ploieşti
Putna Focşani
Râmnicu-Sărat  
Roman  
Romanaţi Caracal
Suceava  
Tecuci  
Teleorman Turnu-Măgurele
Tulcea  
Tutova Bârlad
Vâlcea Râmnicu-Vâlcea
Vaslui  
Vlaşca Giurgiu
Caliacra Bazargic
(Balchik / Dobrici)
Durostor Silistra
         

Nouile Provincii Alipite
(The New Annexed Provinces):

Bucovina:

Judeţ Capital
Cernăuţi [Chernivtsi, Ukr.]
Câmpu-lung  
Rădăuti  
Storojineţ [Storozhynets, Ukr.]
Suceava  
       

Basarabia:

Judeţ Capital
Bălţi [Bălţi, Mold.]
Cahul [Cahul, Mold.]
Cetatea-Albă Bilhorod   [Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyy, Ukr.]
Lăpuşna Chisinău   [Chisinău, Mold.]
Hotin [Khotin, Ukr.]
Ismail [Izmayil, Ukr.]
Orhei [Orhei, Mold.]
Soroca [Soroca, Mold.]
Tighina Bendery   [Bender, Mold.]

Ardealul: Transilvania, Banat, Crişana, Maramureş:

Judeţ Capital
Alba de Jos Aiud
Arad  
Bihor Oradea-Mare
Bistriţa-Năsăud Bistriţa
Braşov  
Caraş-Severin Lugoj
Ciuc Mercurea-Ciuc
Cojocna Cluj
Făgăraş  
Hunedoara Deva
Maramureş Sighetul-Marmaţiei
Mureş-Turda Târgu-Mureş
Odorhei  
Sălaj Zalău
Satmar Careii-Mari
Sibiu Sibiu
Solnoc-Dobaca Dej
Târnava-Mare Sighişoara
Târnava-Mica Diciosânmartin / Blaj
Timiş-Torontal Timişoara
Trei-Scaune Sfântu Gheorghe
Turda-Aries Turda

Romanian Counties — Before WWI (circa 1900):

Romania before WWI:

Before WWI, Romania's territory was much smaller than it is today.  Much of today's northwestern Romania (Transylvania, Banat, Crişana, Maramureş) was in the Kingdom of Hungary, and Bucovina was in the Austrian Empire.

Romania

Prior to WWI, Romania was divided into 32 departments (judeţe):

Region Judeţ Capital
 Moldavia  Bacău  
Botoşani  
Covurlui Galaţi
Dorohoi  
Fălciu Huşi
Iaşi  
Neamţ Piatra
Putna Focşani
Roman  
Suceava Fălticeni
Tecuci  
Tutova Birlad
Vaslui  
 Dobruja  Constanţa  
Tulcea  
         
Region Judeţ Capital
 Wallachia 
 (Greater)
 
Argeş Piteşti
Brăili  
Buzău  
Dîmboviţa Tirgovişte
Iolamiţa Călăraşi
Ilfov Bucareşti
Muscel Cîmpulung
Olt Slatina
Prahova Ploieşti
Rîmnicu Sărat  
Teleorman Turnu Măgurele
Vlaşca Giurgiu
 Wallachia 
 (Lesser)
 
Dolj Craiova
Gorj Tîrgu Jiu
Mehedinţi Drobeta-Turnu-Severin
Romanaţi Caracal
Vîlcea Rîmnicu Vîlcea

Hungary

The following Hungarian counties (circa 1900) became part of Romania in 1920:

Hungarian County
circa 1900
Romanian County
circa 1930
Krassó-Szörény Severin & Caraş
Torontál & Temes Timiş-Torontal
Arad Arad
Bihar Bihor
Máramaros Maramureş
Szatmár & Ugocsa Satu-Mare
Alsó-Fehér Alba
Besztercze-Naszöd Năsăud
Brassó Braşov
Csik Ciuc
Kolozs Cluj
         
Hungarian County
circa 1900
Romanian County
circa 1930
Fogaras Făgăraş
Hunyad Hunedoara
Maros-Torda Mureş
Udvarhely Odorhei
Szilágy Sălaj
Szeben Sibiu
Szolnok-Dobaka Someş
Nagy-Küküllö Tîrnava Mare
Kis-Küküllö Tîrnava Mica
Háromszek Trei Scaune
Torda-Aranyos Turda

Bukovina

Bukovina was a province of the Austrian Empire from 1775 until WWI.

  • Between the wars, Bucovina was in Romania (judeţe of Cernăuţi, Câmpulung, Rădăuti, Storojineţ, and Suceava).
  • Since WWII, northern Bukovina is in Ukraine (western half of Chernivtsi Oblast), and southern Bukovina is in Romania (most of Judeţul Suceava).

In the Austrian Empire, beginning in 1868, Bukovina contained 8 counties:

County Capital, Today
Czernowitz [Chernivtsi, Ukr.]
Kimpolung [Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Rom.]
Kotzmann [Kitsman', Ukr.]
Radautz [Rădăuti, Rom.]
Sereth [Siret, Rom.]
Storoschynetz   [Storozhynets, Ukr.]
Suczawa [Suceava, Rom.]
Wisznitz [Vyzhnytsya, Ukr.]

Three additional counties were subsequently created:
County Capital, Today Date of creation,
Source county(s)
Gurahumora   [Gura Humorului, Rom.] 1-Oct-1893, from
Suczawa and Radautz
Waschkoutz [Vashkivtsi, Ukr.] 1-Oct-1903, from
Storoschynetz
Zastawna [Zastavna, Ukr.] 1-Oct-1905, from
Kotzmann


Bessarabia

The region of Bessarabia was in the Russian Empire before WWI, in Romania between the two world wars, and is today mostly in Moldova.  Bessarabia Gubernia (Бессарабия губерния) contained 8 uyezds (districts):

Russian
(pre-WWI)
Romanian
(inter-war)
Ukrainian / Moldovan
(today)
Other Names Notes, Major Towns
(pre-WWI Russian names in parentheses)
Akkerman
Аккерман
Cetatea-Albă Білгород-Дністровський
Bilhorod-Dnistrovskiĭ, Ukr.
אַקערמאַן Akerman [Yid, Turk], עיר לבן Ir Lavan [Heb], Четатя Албэ [Mold], Białogród nad Dniestrem [Pol], Walachisch Weißenburg [Ger] Today: in Ukraine, SW of Odesa.
Towns: Mykolayivka-Novorosiys’ka (Байрамча Bairamcha), Artsyz (Старо-Арциз Artsiz), Tarutyne (Тарутино Tarutino), Tatarbunary (Татарбунары Tatarbunary).
Beltsy
Бельцы
Bălţi Бэлць
Bălţi, Mold.
בעלץ Belz [Yid], Bielce [Pol], Бєльці Byel’tsi [Ukr] Today: in N-Central Moldova.
Towns: Făleşti (Фолешты Foleshty), Ungheni (Унгены Ungeny), Sculeni (Скуляны Skulyany), Rîşcani (Рышконовка Ryshkanovka).  Note: Called Iassi County (Ясский уезд) until 1887.
Bendery
Бендеры
Tighina Тигина
Bender, Mold.
בענדער Bender [Yid, Turk], Bendery [Pol], Бендери Bendery [Ukr] Today: in SE Moldova.
Towns: Basarabeasca (Романовка Romanovka), Cimişlia (Чимишлия Chimishliya), Căuşeni (Каушаны Новые Kaushany).
Izmail
Измаил
Ismail Ізмаїл
Izmayil, Ukr.
איזמײַל Izmayl [Yid], איזמאיל [Heb], İşmasıl [Turk], Ismajil [Ger], Izmaił [Pol] Today: mostly in Ukraine, some in SW Moldova.
Towns: Kiliya (Килия Kiliya), Leova (Леово Leovo), Cahul (Кагул Kagul), Bolhrad (Болград Bolgrad).  Note: In Romania between 1856 and 1878.
Khotin
Хотин
Hotin Хотин
Khotyn, Ukr.
כעטין Khetin [Yid], חוטין Khotin [Heb], Chocim [Pol], Chotyn [Ger] Today: mostly in Ukraine, some in NW Moldova.
Towns: Edineţ (Единцы Yedintsy), Briceni (Бричаны Brichany), Lipcani (Липканы Lipkany), Sokiryany (Секуряны Sekuryany), Novoseltsy (Новоселицы Novoselitsa).
Kishinev
Кишинёв
Chişinău Кишинэу
Chişinău, Mold.
קעשענעוו Keshenev [Yid], Кишинів Kyshyniv [Ukr], Kischinew [Ger], Kiszyniów [Pol], Kišiněv [Cz], Kişinev [Turk] Today: in central Moldova.
Towns: Hînceşti (Ганчешты Ganchesty), Secăreni (Секарены Sekareny).
Orgeev
Огреев
Orhei Орхей
Orhei, Mold.
אוריעװ Oriev, Orhaiv [Yid], Orgijów [Pol], Оргіїв Orhiyiv [Ukr] Today: in E-Central Moldova.
Towns: Telenesti (Теленешты Teleneshty), Călăraşi (Тузора Kalarash / Tuzora), Rezina (Резена Rezina).
Soroki
Сороки
Soroca Сорока
Soroca, Mold.
סאָראָקע Soroke [Yid], Сороки Soroky [Ukr], Soroki [Pol] Today: in N Moldova.
Towns: Otaci (Атаки Ataki), Briceva (Бричева Bricheva), Zguriţa (Згурице Zguritsa).

Territory of Bessarabia vs. Moldova: Bessarabia Gubernia is today mostly in Moldova. 
There are a few territorial overlaps/disconnects between modern Moldova and pre-WWI Bessarabia:

  • The modern nation of Moldova consists of most of the former Russian Empire gubernia of Bessarabia, plus tiny portions of Podolia gubernia (Olgopol and Balta uyezds) and Kherson gubernia (Tiraspol uyezd).
    Towns now in Moldova which were not in Bessarabia are:

    • Camenca and Raşcov (in Olgopol uyezd);
    • Rîbniţa (in Balta uyezd);
    • Dubăsari, Grigoriopol, Slobozia and Tiraspol (in Tiraspol uyezd).

  • Some parts of former Bessarabia gubernia (most of Khotin, Izmail, and Akkerman uyezds) are now in Ukraine.
    Khotin uyezd is north of Moldova, and Akkerman and Izmail uyezds are south of Moldova.

 


 

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