Miercurea Ciuc (; ; ) is the county seat of Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, a mainly Hungarian-speaking ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, and is situated in the Olt River valley.
The city administers three villages: Ciba ( Csiba), Harghita-Băi ( Hargita-fürdő), and Jigodin-Băi ( Zsögöd-fürdő), including Jigodin ( Csíkzsögöd).
According to the census of 2011, there were 37,980 people living in the city. Of this population, 81.39% were ethnic Hungarians, while 17.4% were ethnic Romanians, 0.9% were ethnic Romani, and 0.33% declared other nationalities. Romanian census 2011
According to the census of 2002, there were 42,029 people living in the city. Of this population, 81.75% were ethnic Hungarians, while 17.3% were ethnic Romanians, 0.62% were ethnic Romani and 0.33% declared other nationalities. Romanian census 2002
Demographic movements according to census data:
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Catholic Church is the majority religion of Miercurea Ciuc, its adherents numbering 74.06% of the total population. Romanian Orthodox (14.99%), Hungarian Reformed (7.41%), and Unitarian (2.05%) adherents represent the most significant other religious groups.
Miercurea Ciuc became part of Hungary again between 1940 and 1944 as a result of the Second Vienna Award. In September 1944, the Romanian Army and the Soviet Red Army captured the town. It was returned to Romania in March 1945, a move confirmed by the Paris Peace Treaties of 1947. Between 1952 and 1960, the town was part of the Magyar Autonomous Region, later named the Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region between 1960 and 1968. In 1968, Miercurea Ciuc became the county seat of Harghita County.
In the post-World War II period, the town was industrialized; among other projects, a tractor factory, a textile factory and, in the 1960s, a beer factory were built here. The factory is now owned by Heineken. The Ciuc Beer products have gained an increasing popularity in Romania.
Miercurea Ciuc is one of the coldest cities in Romania, with temperatures plummeting towards much more often than anywhere in the country, sometimes as early as November. Snow falls as early as October and as late as April.
The Early Music Festival takes place every year in July, from 1980 onwards, mainly in the court of the castle. From 2008 it joins a Summer Music University for early music. Its concerts, held by the most important ensembles for early music in Romania and by the most famous ensembles of Europe, are with free admission.
Miercurea-Ciuc is home to the Baroque church at Șumuleu Ciuc and, in the city center, the Mikó Castle, built in a late Renaissance style. The original more decorative castle was raised in the 17th century on the orders of Ferenc Mikó Hídvégi, the personal advisor of Gabriel Bethlen, then prince of Transylvania. Much of the castle was destroyed in 1661 during the Tatars raids, but it was rebuilt at the beginning of the 18th century and was mainly used as a barracks; today it houses the Csík Székely Museum. Behind the castle is a small Skanzen (museum village), consisting of a few traditional Csíki houses and wooden gates. Across the road from the castle is the city hall built in 1886, originally the county hall of the old Hungarian Csík County. Beside the castle is the 1904 Courthouse. The latest significant addition to the architectural landscape is the controversial 2001 Millennium Church, designed by Hungarian architect Imre Makovecz and located next to the Baroque Church of the Holy Cross. There is a large Romanian Orthodox church (1929–1939) in the city center. The Orthodox Church has Neo-Byzantine characteristics. It was built in the former administrative center of Miercurea Ciuc, the Castle Square.
Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR/RMDSZ) | 15 | ||||||||||||||
Hungarian Alliance from Transylvania (PPMT/EMNP) | 3 | ||||||||||||||
National Liberal Party (PNL) | 1 | ||||||||||||||
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