Commune in Alba, Romania
Bistra (German: Bistrau; Hungarian: Bisztra) is a commune located in Alba County, Transylvania, Romania. It has a population of 4,340 as of 2021. It is composed of 35 villages: Aronești, Bălești, Bălești-Cătun, Bârlești, Bistra, Cheleteni, Ciuldești, Crețești, Dâmbureni, Dealu Muntelui, Durăști, Gănești, Gârde, Hodișești, Hudricești, Lipaia, Lunca Largă, Lunca Merilor, Mihăiești, Nămaș, Novăcești, Perjești, Poiana, Poiu, Rătitiș, Runcuri, Sălăgești, Ștefanca, Țărănești, Tolăcești, Tomnatec, Trișorești, Vârși-Rontu, Vârșii Mari, and Vârșii Mici.
The commune is situated in the northwest corner of Alba County. It covers a surface of 138 km2 (53 sq mi) (about 1.8% of the total area of the county), making it the largest commune in Romania by surface area.[2] Bistra is crossed from West to East for a length of 7 km (4.3 mi) by the Arieș River. It is surrounded to the SE by the Trascău Mountains, the SW by the Metaliferi Mountains and to the NE by the Gilău Mountains, with Muntele Mare [ro] as the highest peak, at 1,826 m (5,991 ft).
Historical population| Year | | |
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| 1850 | 3,140 | — |
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| 1900 | 3,755 | +19.6% |
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| 1930 | 4,501 | +19.9% |
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| 1966 | 5,576 | +23.9% |
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| 1977 | 5,688 | +2.0% |
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| 2002 | 5,066 | −10.9% |
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| 2011 | 4,540 | −10.4% |
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| 2021 | 4,340 | −4.4% |
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| Source: INS, Census data |
Natives
- Petru Pavel Aron (1709–1764), Bishop of Făgăraș and Primate of the Romanian Greek Catholic Church
References
