Ethnic diversity in the regional country system. Interferences, nounces and polarities

Abstract

The geographical position of the Târnave river regional system is defined by the bifurcated axial system of the two Târnave rivers. The ethnic groups that populate it have coexisted for centuries, interfering, influencing each other and enriching the cultural and social heritage. The majority ethnic group is Romanian (47.35%, according to the 2011 census), its antiquity and continuity being demonstrated by the numerous historical vestiges that can be found throughout the area. The other ethnicities that were or are in a more significant number, Hungarians (38.31% in 2011), Roma (8.81% in 2011), Germans (0.68% in 2011), Jews etc., reached the studied territory in certain historical moments and contributed to the nuance of the ethnic character of the regional system of Târnave. The general trend of population decline is noticeable, often at a dramatic rate, with the exception of the Roma minority, which is in an upward trend. It is possible to observe how the ethnic groups that populate the regional territory chose their living spaces differently: the Romanians, as an autochthonous population, preferred the hearths of the hill and the plateau (harder to work but easier to defend in the context of so many events that shook history), and the natives settled in open places, from where they could easily control, but also practice efficient trade and agriculture.

Keywords

• ethnicity
• census
• population
• trend
• polarities