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Municipiu
Administrative unit of Romania, corresponding to a major city
Administrative unit of Romania, corresponding to a major city
A municipiu (from Latin municipium; English: municipality) is a level of administrative subdivision in Romania and Moldova, roughly equivalent to city in some English-speaking countries.
In Romania, this status is given to towns that are large and urbanized; at present, there are 103 municipii. There is no clear benchmark regarding the status of municipiu even though it applies to localities which have a sizeable population, usually above 40,000, and extensive urban infrastructure. Localities that do not meet these loose guidelines are classified only as towns (orașe), or if they are not urban areas, as communes (comune). Cities are governed by a mayor and local council. There are no official administrative subdivisions of cities even though, unofficially, municipalities may be divided into quarters/districts (cartiere in Romanian). The exception to this is Bucharest, which has a status similar to that of a county, and is officially subdivided into six administrative sectors.
In Moldova, which has thirteen municipii, a 2002 law provides that the status applies to the cities that play an important role in the country's economic, social, cultural, scientific, political and administrative life.
Complete list
Romania
| County | Cities | Year granted |
|---|---|---|
| status | ||
| Alba | Alba Iulia | |
| Aiud | ||
| Blaj | ||
| Sebeș | 1938/1968 | |
| 1994 | ||
| 1993 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| Arad | Arad | 1925/1968 |
| Argeș | Pitești | |
| Câmpulung | ||
| Curtea de Argeș | ||
| 1968 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| Bacău | Bacău | |
| Onești | ||
| Moinești | 1929†/1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| 2001 | ||
| Bihor | Oradea | |
| Beiuș | ||
| Marghita | ||
| Salonta | 1925/1968 | |
| 2003 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| 2001 | ||
| Bistrița-Năsăud | Bistrița | 1979 |
| Botoșani | Botoșani | |
| Dorohoi | 1968 | |
| 1994 | ||
| Brașov | Brașov | |
| Făgăraș | ||
| Codlea | ||
| Săcele | 1925/1968 | |
| 1979 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| Brăila | Brăila | 1925/1968 |
| Buzău | Buzău | |
| Râmnicu Sărat | 1968 | |
| 1994 | ||
| Caraș-Severin | Reșița | |
| Caransebeș | 1968 | |
| 1995 | ||
| Călărași | Călărași | |
| Oltenița | 1968 | |
| 1997 | ||
| Cluj | Cluj-Napoca | |
| Turda | ||
| Dej | ||
| Câmpia Turzii | ||
| Gherla | 1925/1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| 1968 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| Constanța | Constanța | |
| Mangalia | ||
| Medgidia | 1925/1968 | |
| 1995 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| Covasna | Sfântu Gheorghe | |
| Târgu Secuiesc | 1979 | |
| 2000 | ||
| Dâmbovița | Târgoviște | |
| Moreni | 1968 | |
| 2003 | ||
| Dolj | Craiova | |
| Băilești | ||
| Calafat | 1925/1968 | |
| 2001 | ||
| 1997 | ||
| Galați | Galați | |
| Tecuci | 1925/1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| Giurgiu | Giurgiu | 1933†/1968 |
| Gorj | Târgu Jiu | |
| Motru | 1968 | |
| 2000 | ||
| Harghita | Miercurea Ciuc | |
| Gheorgheni | ||
| Odorheiu Secuiesc | ||
| Toplița | 1979 | |
| 2003 | ||
| 1968 | ||
| 2002 | ||
| Hunedoara | Deva | |
| Hunedoara | ||
| Brad | ||
| Lupeni | ||
| Orăștie | ||
| Petroșani | ||
| Vulcan | 1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| 1968 | ||
| 2003 | ||
| Ialomița | Slobozia | |
| Fetești | ||
| Urziceni | 1979 | |
| 1995 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| Iași | Iași | |
| Pașcani | 1925/1968 | |
| 1995 | ||
| Ilfov | none | |
| Maramureș | Baia Mare | |
| Sighetu Marmației | 1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| Mehedinți | Drobeta-Turnu Severin | |
| Orșova | 1933†/1968 | |
| 2000 | ||
| Mureș | Târgu Mureș | |
| Sighișoara | ||
| Reghin | ||
| Târnăveni | 1925†/1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1998 | ||
| Neamț | Piatra Neamț | |
| Roman | 1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| Olt | Slatina | |
| Caracal | 1979 | |
| 1994 | ||
| Prahova | Ploiești | |
| Câmpina | 1925/1968 | |
| 1994 | ||
| Satu Mare | Satu Mare | |
| Carei | 1929†/1968 | |
| 1995 | ||
| Sălaj | Zalău | 1979 |
| Sibiu | Sibiu | |
| Mediaș | 1925/1968 | |
| 1968 | ||
| Suceava | Suceava | |
| Fălticeni | ||
| Rădăuți | ||
| Câmpulung Moldovenesc | ||
| Vatra Dornei | 1968 | |
| 1994 | ||
| 1994 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| 2000 | ||
| Teleorman | Alexandria | |
| Roșiorii de Vede | ||
| Turnu Măgurele | 1979 | |
| 1995 | ||
| 1968 | ||
| Timiș | Timișoara | |
| Lugoj | 1925/1968 | |
| 1934†/1968 | ||
| Tulcea | Tulcea | 1968 |
| Vaslui | Vaslui | |
| Bârlad | ||
| Huși | 1979 | |
| 1968 | ||
| 1995 | ||
| Vâlcea | Râmnicu Vâlcea | |
| Drăgășani | 1968 | |
| 1995 | ||
| Vrancea | Focșani | |
| Adjud | 1934†/1968 | |
| 2000 | ||
| Bucharest | Bucharest | 1925/1968 |
† lost status in 1938
Of the seventeen municipii created in 1925, three are no longer in Romania: Cernăuți, Cetatea Albă, and Chișinău. Additionally, Bălți became one in 1929; together with Cetatea Albă, it lost the title in 1938. Cluj and Oradea temporarily lost the title in 1940 as a result of the Second Vienna Award, while it was granted to Odessa and Tiraspol during the Transnistria Governorate period. The status was not used between 1950 and 1968, so that cities which lost it in 1950 were reassigned it in 1968. The most recent municipii were created in 2003.
Moldova
| Cities | Year granted |
|---|---|
| status | |
| Bălți | 1995 |
| Cahul | 1998/2016 |
| Ceadîr-Lunga | 2016 |
| Chișinău | 1995 |
| Comrat | 1998 |
| Edineț | 1998/2016 |
| Hîncești | 1998/2016 |
| Orhei | 1998/2016 |
| Soroca | 1998/2016 |
| Strășeni | 2016 |
| Ungheni | 1998/2016 |
| Tighina | 1995 |
| Tiraspol | 1995 |
Chișinău, Tiraspol, Bălți, and Bender/Tighina have been municipii continuously since 1995, and Comrat since 1998. Cahul, Edineț, Hîncești, Orhei, Soroca, and Ungheni held the status from 1998 to 2002, and regained it in 2016. Additionally, Căușeni, Taraclia, Dubăsari, and Rîbnița held the status from 1998 to 2002.
References
References
- (February 2014). "STRUCTURE AND OPERATION REPORT OF FLOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY".
- (2025-10-16). "Ce comune din România ar putea să devină municipii. Zeci de orașe riscă să își piardă statutul din cauza lipsei de locuitori".
- {{in lang. ro Alexandra Coșlea, [https://hotnews.ro/o-comuna-si-trei-orase-de-langa-bucuresti-pot-deveni-municipii-rangul-mai-multor-localitati-din-romania-risca-sa-fie-schimbat-potrivit-unei-analize-a-ministerului-dezvoltarii-2088529 “O comună și trei orașe de lângă București pot deveni municipii“], Hotnews, 17 October 2025
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