MARGINAL AREAS OF THE ROMANIAN BANAT

Authors

  • R. RUSU Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: rrusu@geografie.ubbcluj.ro
  • T. MAN Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: tman@geografie.ubbcluj.ro
  • C. MOLDOVAN Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail:  cmoldovan@geografie.ubbcluj.ro

Keywords:

Banat, marginality, rural isolated areas, declining industrial areas.

Abstract

Marginal Areas of the Romanian Banat. Banat region is historically located between the rivers Danube, Tisa and Mureș, on three sides, and the Carpathians. This analysis focuses only on the Romanian Banat. After the December 1989 Revolution which started in Timișoara, the regional capital of Banat, the transition to the market economy and the recent economic crisis has severely struck the pillars of local economy in many parts of the region: agriculture and mining. According to a number of well-known criteria, the paper identifies and analyzes the marginal areas of the region: rural isolated areas such as Lipova Hills and Almăj Land, mining and industrial regions like Reșița-Bocșa-Anina, Poiana Ruscă Mountains and Bistra Valley. The rural areas lack accessibility and have an autarchic economy based on agriculture. The former industrial regions are characterised by high rates of unemployment and a decline in the living standards. The consequences are mainly the same: emigration, low birth rates, demographic ageing, socio-economic instability.

Author Biographies

R. RUSU, Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: rrusu@geografie.ubbcluj.ro

Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: rrusu@geografie.ubbcluj.ro

T. MAN, Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: tman@geografie.ubbcluj.ro

Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: tman@geografie.ubbcluj.ro

C. MOLDOVAN, Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail:  cmoldovan@geografie.ubbcluj.ro

Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Geography, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail:  cmoldovan@geografie.ubbcluj.ro

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Published

2015-09-21

How to Cite

RUSU, R., MAN, T., & MOLDOVAN, C. (2015). MARGINAL AREAS OF THE ROMANIAN BANAT. Studia Universitatis Babeș-Bolyai Geographia, 60(2), 153–162. Retrieved from http://193.231.18.162/index.php/subbgeographia/article/view/5753

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