Onești (Romanian pronunciation:[oˈneʃtʲ]; Hungarian: Ónfalva), formerly known as Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej,[3] is a city in Bacău County, Romania, with a population of 34,005 inhabitants as of 2021. It is situated in the historical region of Moldavia.
Administratively, the villages of Slobozia and Borzești form part of Onești.
History
Onești in 1965
The locality was documentary attested as a village on 14 December 1458. In 1952, the communist authorities decided to build a large petrochemical industrial platform (Borzești Petrochemical Plant) and a new related city in the area of Onești and Borzești villages. Borzești, according to legend, was the birthplace of Stephen III of Moldavia. It is the site of the Borzești Church, which was built on his orders in 1493–1494.[4]
Above the borough Malu, on the right-hand side of the river Cașin, were discovered archaeological fragments from a settlement dating from the Neolithic Age.[5]
Demographics
Ethnic composition of Onești
Romanians (79.8%)
Other ethnicities (0.49%)
Unknown (19.8%)
Religious composition of Onești
Orthodox (69.4%)
Roman-Catholics (7.87%)
Other religions (2.00%)
Unknown (20.7%)
At the 2011 census, Onești had 39,172 inhabitants, of which 90.29% were Romanians, 1.39% Roma, 0.53% Hungarians, and 0.13% Greeks.
According to the 2021 census, the population of the municipality of Onești amounts to 34,005 inhabitants, a decrease compared to the previous census in 2011, when 39,172 inhabitants were recorded. The majority of the residents are Romanian (79.75%), while for 19.77%, their ethnic affiliation is unknown. From a confessional point of view, the majority of inhabitants are Orthodox (69.43%), with a Roman Catholic minority (7.87%), and for 20.69%, their confessional affiliation is unknown.
Historical population
Year
Pop.
±%
1930
3,828
—
1956
11,253
+194.0%
1966
35,663
+216.9%
1977
41,738
+17.0%
1992
58,810
+40.9%
2002
51,681
−12.1%
2011
39,172
−24.2%
2021
34,005
−13.2%
Source: Census data
Economy
Borzești is a neighborhood in the southeast of Onești, under separate administration until 1968.[6] The Borzești Petrochemical Plant is located there.[7][8]
Onești is located in the Tazlău-Cașin Depression of the Eastern Carpathians at an average altitude of 210 metres (690ft).[9] It lies at the confluence of the rivers Trotuș, Cașin, Oituz, and Tazlău, some 60km (37mi) southwest of the county capital, Bacău. The city is crossed by the European roadE574 and by the national roads DN11A and DN12A that connect it to Bucharest, to the northern part of the country, and to Transylvania. Rail connections are made through the Căile Ferate Române network, and the proposed A13 Brașov–Bacău Motorway will link the city to the rest of Romania's highway network as a second connection to the country's major cities.
Climate
The climate of Onești is temperate-continental, with temperatures ranging from -25°C (though in recent decades this value is rarely recorded) in winter to +35°C in summer, with an average annual temperature of 9.2°C, and annual precipitation totaling 654 mm. The most frequent winds blow from the west and south-west. The vegetation is specific to the temperate-continental zone: conifers, deciduous trees, and climbing plants, as well as rare plants found in the Perchiu reserve (SCI site), a protected natural area included in the site of community importance - Dealul Perchiu.
The highest recorded temperature is +40.8°C, on 5 July 1916, and the lowest is -29.6°C on 25 January 1942.[10][11]
Popular tourist attractions are Perchiu Hill and the Hero Cross from atop the aforementioned hill, the Municipal History Museum, a steel monument dedicated to the Romanian national poet Mihai Eminescu, and the city park.[13]
Administration and politics
The municipality of Onești is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 19 councilors. The mayor, Adrian Jilcu, from the Social Democratic Party, has been in office since 1 November 2024. Following the 2024 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political party:
↑Rozalia & Teodor Verde (July 2003). Monografia Municipiului Onești – în date și evenimente. Onești. p.51.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑Ioan Șandru, Constantin V. Toma, Nicu Aur (1989). Orașele Trotușene – Studiu de geografie umană II. Bacău: Întreprinderea Poligrafică Bacău. p.190.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
↑Pintilie, Rusu (1980). Județele Patriei – Județul Bacău. Sport-Turism București. p.158.
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