Cluj

Cluj, județ (county), northwestern Romania, occupying an area of 2,577 square mi (6,674 square km). The Western Carpathians rise above settlement areas in the valleys. The county is drained by the Borșa, Someșul Mic, Someșu Rece, Someșu and Cald tributaries of the Somes River. Cluj-Napoca is the county capital. Machinery, metal products, and chemicals are produced there and in Huedin. Building materials and glass are manufactured in Turda; and several towns have timber, textile, and footwear industries. Iron is mined at Capușu Mic. Coal mines operate at Ticu, Tămasa, Surduc, and Cristolțel; and salt is quarried at Ocna Dejului. A hydroelectric plant operates on the Someșu Rece River near Tarnița, and construction on a hydroelectric project near Marișel began during the late 1970s.

Neolithic, Iron Age, and Roman remnants have been found in Cluj-Napoca and Gilau. In 1437 a Catholic bishop built a fortress in Gilau that was destroyed by fire in 1861. A church in Turda town was built of stones from the Roman settlement on which the town was built. A wooden church is found in the village of Filea de Jos. Huedin has an ethnographic museum. The Turda Gorges (Cheile Turzii), located near Turda town, are an example of Karst geology. A university and several technical and professional institutes are found in Cluj-Napoca. Highway and railway connections extend through Cluj-Napoca, and an airport is located near the city. Pop. (2007 est.) 692,316.