Hîncești | |
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District (Raion) | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
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| Country |  Republic of Moldova |
| Administrative center (Oraș-reședință) | Hîncești |
| Established | 2002 |
| Government | |
| • Raion President | Grigore Cobzac (PLDM), since 2011 |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,484 km2 (573 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 350 m (1,150 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 103,784 |
| • Density | 69.94/km2 (181.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | +373 34 |
| Car plates | HN |
| Website | www.hincesti.md |
Hîncești (Romanian pronunciation: [hɨnˈtʃeʃtʲ]) is a district (Romanian:raion) ofMoldova, with the city ofHîncești as its administrative center. As of 1 January 2011, its population was 122,000.
The district has been inhabited since theStone Age (40,000–30,000 BC). On the territory of the present localitiesRusca andAnina manycemeteries and settlements pertaining to the nativeGetae culture (4th–3rd centuries BC) have been discovered. Localities with the earliest historical attestation areSecăreni,Leușeni,Lăpușna, andCiuciuleni, which were first attested in the period 1420–1430. During the 15th–18th centuries, the district was part ofLăpușna. Tirgul Lăpușnei was the administrative center, headed by apârcălab (governor). Lăpușna existed as afair in the 14th century. A branch of the Moldovan Road passed by Lapusna, linking the economic centers ofTransylvania andPoland to theNorth Pontic cities. The branch continued on over theDanube, inDobruja, toConstantinople. Lăpușna Fair was a resting place for merchants, where they paid a small customs, besides the great customs from abroad. In 1489, Lăpușna was expressly recorded as a fair, thereby underlining its economic importance. After the conquest ofCetatea Albă andChilia by theTurks, andBugeac byNoha Tatars, the southern border ofMoldova was moved farther north, closer to the region. Lăpușna has served as a resting place for many foreign travelers, officials,missionaries, ambassadors, and merchants. In 1812, after theRusso-Turkish War, the Russian Empire occupied the region ofBasarabia, leading to an intenserussification of the native population. In 1918, after thecollapse of the Russian Empire,Bessarabia united with Romania. In this period (1918–1940 and 1941–1944), the district was part of theLăpușna County. In 1940, after theMolotov–Ribbentrop Treaty,Basarabia was occupied by theUSSR. In 1991, as a result of the proclamation ofIndependence of Moldova, the region became part ofLăpușna County (1991–2003), and in 2003 it became an administrative unit ofMoldova.
Hîncești District is located in the central part of theRepublic of Moldova. Neighboring districts includeNisporeni District to the northwest,Strășeni District to the northeast,Ialoveni District to the east,Cimișlia andLeova districts to the south, and the border withRomania on the riverPrut to the west. Thetopography is predominantly hilly with heights between 100 and 350 m. Thelandscape of the district is divided into three areas: the forested hills ofCodru, the forested and less hillysteppe, and thesteppe ofPrut. The Codru forests are characterized by very complicatedterrain. From north to south, the territory is intersected by theCogâlnic River and the Galbena River. The forested steppe is characterized by gentler topography. The area is intersected by the Lapusna River and the Sărata River, a tributary of thePrut. The Prutsteppe zone is characterized by a flatter and lesswooded landscape. This area is crossed by the river Călmățui, which inTurkish translates as "white matter".Erosional processes differ in each area.
Theclimate is moderate continental, and highly variable. The average annual air temperature is 10 °C (50 °F). The average temperature in January is −4 °C (25 °F), the absolute minimum is −32 °C (−26 °F), and in July the average temperature is 22 °C (72 °F), with a maximum of 40 °C (104 °F). Annual rainfall is 500–650 mm.
Thefauna are typical of Europe, and includemammals such as foxes,hedgehogs,deer,red deer,wild boar,wild cats,ermine,ferrets, andwolves and others. Birds includeegrets,owls,crows,sparrows,starlings, andstorks.
Forests occupy 18.5% of the district area, and consist ofoaks,lindens,maples,beeches,acacias, and others. Other plants includebells,knotweeds,nettles, andwormwood.
As of 1 January 2012, the district population was 121,600, of which 13.9% was urban and 88.1% was rural. There were 1455 births (11.9 per 1000) and 1829 deaths (14.9 per 1000) in 2010, for a growth rate of −374 (−3.0 per 1000).
| Ethnic group | % of total |
|---|---|
| Moldovans* | 86.4 |
| Romanians* | 7.8 |
| Ukrainians | 4.1 |
| Russians | 1.1 |
| Romani | 0.3 |
| Bulgarians | 0.2 |
| Gagauz | 0.1 |
| Other | 0.2 |
| Undeclared | 2.64 |
Footnote:* There is anongoing controversy regarding the ethnic identification of Moldovans and Romanians.
Agriculture is the primary economic activity in the district. Products include wine, alcohol, bakery products, fruit, and sausages. All agricultural land is privately owned. There are 93,361 ha of agricultural land, includingarable land (62.3%),vineyards (17.5%), andorchards (6.0%). Other products include shoes, clothes, furniture, and concrete building blocks.[citation needed]
The district has 59 educational institutions, teaching 18,908 children, 350 students in the College of Construction, and 600 in various professional schools.[citation needed] Currently[when?] there are 1600 teachers.[citation needed]
The district traditionally supportsright-wing parties, particularly theAEI. In the district, thePLDM had the highest percentage of votes of all of thedistricts of Moldova. Support for thePCRM has steadily declined.
During the last three elections support for theAEI had a 99.0% increase.
| Year | AEI | PCRM |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 72.20%37,523 | 23.45%12,190 |
| July 2009 | 63.80%32,070 | 33.00%16,586 |
| April 2009 | 38.49%18,851 | 45.47%22,271 |
| Parties and coalitions | Votes | % | +/− | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova | 26,555 | 51.09 | +23.04 | |
| Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova | 12,190 | 23.45 | −9.55 | |
| Democratic Party of Moldova | 6,973 | 13.42 | -3.06 | |
| Liberal Party | 3,551 | 6.83 | −7.29 | |
| Other Party | 2,727 | 5.21 | +2.01 | |
| Total (turnout 56.20%) | 52,340 | 100.00 | ||
The district is home to two museums, 77 works of art, and 13 bands.
The district has two hospitals with 540 beds, a center forfamily doctors that has 25 family physician offices, 14health centers, and 18 health points. There are 183 doctors and 472 medical staff and auxiliary.
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The council of theRomanianVaslui County, the county councils of theMoldovanLeova and Hîncești districts, and theEuropean Union (through thePhare program), have set up a program to promote tourism in these regions.[2] The main tourist attractions of theVaslui-Hîncești-Leova area are the medieval and early modern churches and monasteries, theManuc Bei Hunting Palace and the Manuc–Mirzaian Manor Palace (similar toManuc's Inn inBucharest) inHîncești, and the region's natural riches.
The district is home to the Hîncești Forest Landscape Reserve and two natural reserves for medicinal herbs (Sărata-Galbenă andLogănești).
On 1 December 2017, the district partnered withGreenfield, Massachusetts to form a "sister community".[3]
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