Bărăgan Plain

The Bărăgan is a low level in the southeastern part of Romania (a portion of the Wallachian Plain), and comprises the district Calarasi, Ialomiţa and partially Brăila.

Geography

The Bărăgan is divided by the river Ialomiţa in Bărăganul Călmăţuiului the north and the Bărăganul Ialomitei in the south. He is the " breadbasket of Romania ," since he ( the most are on loess ) is due to the fertile black soils a large grain -growing region. On these extensive areas, especially wheat, sunflower and corn are grown. The steppe landscape is sparsely populated.

It lies in the temperate zone with a continental climate. The summers are hot and dry, winters frosty. In winter, the Crivăţ is notorious; brings a cold continental winds from the north-east, originating in the southern Ural Mountains, permafrost and snow storms with it. In Bărăgan among others, the nature reserve of Trappe, where the Archbishop of the steppe (Romanian Mitropolitul Baraganului ) is called a habitat.

The Romanian writer Panait Istrati describes in his novel " The thistles of Bărăgan " the inhospitable Steppenladschaft of Bărăgan:

" No tree grows on his back. And of a fountain on the other hand it is so far that one can easily die of thirst half-way. The inhabitants of the Bărăgan always hopes it would one day come one who taught him how it could be better to live on his Bărăgan, on this vast expanse that carries water only in their deepest bosom and on which nothing grows except thistles. In less than a week they cover the entire country. This is everything the Bărăgan tolerate on his back, except the sheep that are lusting after thistles and they graze greedily. Come winter, the shepherd leaves this godforsaken area God and returns home. But the Bărăgan pulls on his white fur and lies down to sleep for six months. Nothing liveth more. This is the Bărăgan. "

Urban centers

The main cities in the Baragansteppe are:

• Brăila Brăila in a circle - 212 501 inhabitants (2009 )
• Calarasi Calarasi in a circle - 73 823 inhabitants ( 2007)
• Slobozia in a circle Ialomiţa - 52,313 inhabitants ( 2007)
• Feteşti in a circle Ialomiţa - 34 311 inhabitants (2009 )

The cities of Buzău, Urziceni and Olteniţa bordering the steppe, but not part of their core country.

History

The forest was too poor Bărăgan times of the Great Migration is an important migration route through the present southeastern Romania.

The area was used by shepherds from the Carpathian Mountains and the north-west of it lying Transylvania to movement of livestock, in which the cattle are not, or only seasonally stabled. In the second half of the 19th century efforts were made ​​to render large parts of the steppe cultivation.

In June 1951, as part of the rift between Joseph Stalin and Josip Broz Tito 12 791 families from the Banat, the border area between Romania and Yugoslavia were forcibly relocated in the Bărăgan - steppe. Among the 40,320 people deported were 9,410 German, 30,000 Romanians, Serbs, Bulgarians and Hungarians. The affected Banat Swabians from the Romanian part of Banat lost most of their property, but were largely able to return home after a few years.

See also: Deported to the Bărăgan - steppe