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).

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 01 Alba Alba Iulia Transylvania 02 Arad Arad Crişana 03 Argeş Piteşti Muntenia 04 Bacău Bacău Moldavia 05 Bihor Oradea Crişana 06 Bistriţa-Năsăud Bistriţa Transylvania 07 Botoşani Botoşani Moldavia 08 Brăila Brăila Muntenia 09 Braşov Braşov Transylvania 10 Bucureşti Bucureşti Bucureşti 11 Buzău Buzău Muntenia 12 Caraş-Severin Reşiţa Banat 13 Cluj Cluj-Napoca Transylvania 14 Constanţa Constanţa Dobrogea 15 Covasna Sfintu Gheorge Transylvania 16 Dîmboviţa Tirgovişte Muntenia 17 Dolj Craiova Oltenia 18 Galaţi Galaţi Moldavia 19 Gorj Tîrgu Jui Oltenia 20 Harghita Miercurea Ciuc Transylvania 21 Hunedoara Deva Transylvania

# County Capital Region 22 Ialomiţa Slobozia Muntenia 23 Iaşi Iaşi Moldavia 25 Maramureş Baia Mare Maramureş 26 Mehedinţi Drobeta-Turnu Severin Oltenia 27 Mureş Tirgu Mureş Transylvania 28 Neamţ Piatra Neamţ Moldavia 29 Olt Slatina Oltenia 30 Prahova Ploieşti Muntenia 31 Sălaj Zalău Transylvania 32 Satu Mare Satu-Mare Maramureş 33 Sibiu Sibiu Transylvania 34 Suceava Suceava Bucovina 35 Teleorman Alexandria Muntenia 36 Timiş Timişoara Banat 37 Tulcea Tulcea Dobrogea 38 Vaslui Vaslui Moldavia 39 Vîlcea Rîmnicu Vîlcea Oltenia 40 Vrancea Focşani Moldavia 41 Călăraşi Călăraşi Muntenia 42 Giurgiu Giurgiu Muntenia 43 Ilfov (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.

Romanian Counties — Before WWI (circa 1900):

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):

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:

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.

JewishGen Database Sharing:

• Regions shared with the JewishGen Hungary Database (4): Banat, Crişana, Maramureş, Transylvania.
• Regions shared with the JewishGen Ukraine Database (2): Bukovina, Bessarabia.