Covasna (Romanian pronunciation: [koˈvasna] , Hungarian: Kovászna, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈkovaːsnɒ] , German: Kowasna) is a town in Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania, at an altitude of 550–600 m (1,800–1,970 ft). It is known for its natural mineral waters and mofettas.
Covasna
Kovászna | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location in Covasna County | |
  Covasna Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates: 45°50′57″N 26°11′7″E / 45.84917°N 26.18528°E | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Covasna |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2024) | József Gyerő[1] (UDMR) |
| Area | 155.11 km2 (59.89 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 560 m (1,840 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 600 m (2,000 ft) |
| Lowest elevation | 550 m (1,800 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 9,208 |
| • Density | 59/km2 (150/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) |
| Postal code | 525200 |
| Area code | (+40) 02 67 |
| Vehicle reg. | CV |
| Website | www |
The town administers one village, Chiuruș (Hungarian: Csomakőrös). The village has a population of 451 and has an absolute Székely Hungarian majority.
Before Orbaiszék merged with Sepsiszék and Kézdiszék to create Háromszék County, in 1876, Covasna was the capital village of Orbaiszék.
Name origin
editThere are several theories regarding the origin of the city's name, the most recognized one being that it originates from the Slavic kvas, which means "bitter", referring to the taste of the mineral water springs located in the city.[citation needed]
According to Szabó Gyula (1914–1984), some legends suggest that the name of Kovászna might have been the result of a fusion between the name of "Kó" and the word "vászon" (it means canvas in Hungarian), thus meaning "Kó's canvas". Theories suggest that the individual of "Kó" might have been a knight, a craftsman or even the last monarch of the Fairies Fortress.[citation needed]
Demographics
editAt the 2021 census, Covasna had a population of 9,208; of those, 60.34% were Hungarians and 31.14% were Romanians.[3] At the 2011 census, the town had 10,265 inhabitants, of which 7,549 or 66.4% were Hungarians and 3,672 or 32.3% were Romanians.
Demographic movement according to the censuses:
History
edit- 1548 – First mentioned as Kowazna.
- 1567 – Mentioned in a document, as a prestigious locality, having 61 registered homes.
- 1756 – Gets destroyed by conflagration.
- 1840 – Gets the right to hold its own market.
- 1880 – Covasna has flourished as a health resort since the 1880s.
- 1837, 1856, 1885 – The Pokolsár ( in Romanian: Balta Dracului; in English: Devil's Lake) mud volcano erupts.
- 1889–91 – the Covasna–Comandău narrow-gauge railway is built
- 1952 – Covasna became a town.
- 1970's – Several hotels and cure centers were built in Covasna.
- 1996 – Forest fire in the Fairie's Valley.
- 2000's – Covasna is a nationally important spa town in Romania, having an important cardiovascular hospital.
International relations
editTwin towns – Sister cities
editCovasna is twinned with:
Natives
editThe Hungarian explorer and linguist Sándor Kőrösi Csoma was born in Chiuruș/Csomakőrös in 1784. Kőrösi is widely seen as the founder of Tibetology, he was the compiler and author of the first Tibetan-English dictionary and grammar book. He died in Darjeeling, India in 1842.
A statue in his honour was erected in the centre of the village in 1972 and there is an exhibition in the cultural centre.
References
edit- ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
- ^ "Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (in Romanian). INSSE. 31 May 2023.
External links
edit- Official website in Romanian
- Official website in Hungarian
- "Covasna Tourist Information Office". www.info-covasna.ro.
- "Kovászna". www.erdely-szep.hu (in Hungarian).
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Hell's mud
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Hotels in central Covasna
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Romanian Orthodox church in Covasna
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Covasna train station