Olt County


Olt County is a county of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia. The capital city is Slatina.
WWW Official Site

History

On 24 August 2017, the Olt County Council decided to hold a name referendum on 15 October 2017 for the proposal to change the county name to "Olt-Romanați". The referendum was eventually held on 6 and 7 October 2018. The vote was nullified, as turnout was 27.19%, below the required threshold of 30%; therefore, the Olt County retains its current name.

Demographics

In 2011, the county had a population of 415,530 and the population density was.
YearCounty population
1948442,442
1956458,982
1966476,513
1977518,804
1992520,966
2002489,274
2011415,530
2021383,280

The county is a mainly rural one, with over 60% of the population living in villages.

Geography

The county lies in a flat area on the western part of the Romanian Plain. It is crossed by rivers from north to south, including the Olt River which gave the county its name. The Danube forms a wide valley in the south, with many ponds and small channels, which are occasionally flooded.

Neighbours

Economy

The predominant industries in the county are:
Agriculture is the main occupation in the county - over 58% of the population having agriculture as their main occupation. Both extensive agriculture, and small-scale, vegetables and fruits, are practiced. The area is well suited for irrigation.

Tourism

The main destinations for tourists are:

Politics

The Olt County Council, renewed at the 2024 local elections, consists of 32 councilors, with the following party composition:

Administrative divisions

Olt County has 2 municipalities, 6 towns and 104 communes:

Historical county

Historically, the county was located in the southern part of Greater Romania, in the western part of the historical region of Muntenia, around and in the south of Bucharest. The county included the north-eastern part of the current Olt county, the south-western part of the present Argeș County and the north-western part of the present Teleorman County. During the interwar years, it was bordered to the north by Argeș County, to the east by the counties of Argeş and Teleorman, to the south by Teleorman County, and in the west by the counties of Romanați and Vâlcea.

Administration

The county originally was divided into three administrative districts :
  1. Plasa Drăgănești, headquartered at Drăgănești
  2. Plasa Dumitrești, headquartered at Dumitrești
  3. Plasa Spineni, headquartered at Spineni
Subsequently, the county established an additional district:

  1. Plasa Mijlocul, headquartered at Mijlocul

Population

According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 183,595 inhabitants, ethnically divided as follows: 98.2% Romanians, 1.2% Romanies, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the population was 99.5% Eastern Orthodox, 0.2% Roman Catholic, 0.1% Jewish, as well as other minorities.

Urban population

In 1930, the county's urban population was 11,243 inhabitants, comprising 92.5% Romanians, 2.5% Hungarians, 1.5% Jews, 0.8% Germans, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of 94.1% Eastern Orthodox, 2.3% Roman Catholic, 1.6% Jewish, 0.9% Reformed, 0.6% Lutheran, as well as other minorities.