Municipiu
# Municipiu

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 15,000, 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 | Common Abbrev | Cities | Year granted status |
| - | - | - | - |
| Alba | AB | Alba Iulia Aiud Blaj Sebeș | 1938/1968 1994 1993 2000 |
| Arad | AR | Arad | 1925/1968 |
| Argeș | AG | Pitești Câmpulung Curtea de Argeș | 1968 1994 1995 |
| Bacău | BC | Bacău Onești Moinești | 1929†/1968 1968 2001 |
| Bihor | BH | Oradea Beiuș Marghita Salonta | 1925/1968 2003 2003 2001 |
| Bistrița-Năsăud | BN | Bistrița | 1979 |
| Botoșani | BT | Botoșani Dorohoi | 1968 1994 |
| Brașov | BV | Brașov Făgăraș Codlea Săcele | 1925/1968 1979 2000 2000 |
| Brăila | BR | Brăila | 1925/1968 |
| Buzău | BZ | Buzău Râmnicu Sărat | 1968 1994 |
| Caraș-Severin | CS | Reșița Caransebeș | 1968 1995 |
| Călărași | CL | Călărași Oltenița | 1968 1997 |
| Cluj | CJ | Cluj-Napoca Turda Dej Câmpia Turzii Gherla | 1925/1968 1968 1968 1998 2000 |
| Constanța | CT | Constanța Mangalia Medgidia | 1925/1968 1995 1994 |
| Covasna | CV | Sfântu Gheorghe Târgu Secuiesc | 1979 2000 |
| Dâmbovița | DB | Târgoviște Moreni | 1968 2003 |
| Dolj | DJ | Craiova Băilești Calafat | 1925/1968 2001 1997 |
| Galați | GL | Galați Tecuci | 1925/1968 1968 |
| Giurgiu | GR | Giurgiu | 1933†/1968 |
| Gorj | GJ | Târgu Jiu Motru | 1968 2000 |
| Harghita | HR | Miercurea Ciuc Gheorgheni Odorheiu Secuiesc Toplița | 1979 2003 1968 2002 |
| Hunedoara | HD | Deva Hunedoara Brad Lupeni Orăștie Petroșani Vulcan | 1968 1968 1995 2003 1995 1968 2003 |
| Ialomița | IL | Slobozia Fetești Urziceni | 1979 1995 1995 |
| Iași | IS | Iași Pașcani | 1925/1968 1995 |
| Ilfov | IF | none | |
| Maramureș | MM | Baia Mare Sighetu Marmației | 1968 1968 |
| Mehedinți | MH | Drobeta-Turnu Severin Orșova | 1933†/1968 2000 |
| Mureș | MS | Târgu Mureș Sighișoara Reghin Târnăveni | 1925†/1968 1968 1994 1998 |
| Neamț | NT | Piatra Neamț Roman | 1968 1968 |
| Olt | OT | Slatina Caracal | 1979 1994 |
| Prahova | PH | Ploiești Câmpina | 1925/1968 1994 |
| Satu Mare | SM | Satu Mare Carei | 1929†/1968 1995 |
| Sălaj | SJ | Zalău | 1979 |
| Sibiu | SB | Sibiu Mediaș | 1925/1968 1968 |
| Suceava | SV | Suceava Fălticeni Rădăuți Câmpulung Moldovenesc Vatra Dornei | 1968 1994 1994 1995 2000 |
| Teleorman | TR | Alexandria Roșiorii de Vede Turnu Măgurele | 1979 1995 1968 |
| Timiș | TM | Timișoara Lugoj | 1925/1968 1934†/1968 |
| Tulcea | TL | Tulcea | 1968 |
| Vaslui | VS | Vaslui Bârlad Huși | 1979 1968 1995 |
| Vâlcea | VL | Râmnicu Vâlcea Drăgășani | 1968 1995 |
| Vrancea | VN | Focșani Adjud | 1934†/1968 2000 |
| Bucharest | B | 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.

