judet

Județ is the Romanian word for a county, which is the primary administrative division of Romania. There are 41 such județe in the country, plus the municipality of Bucharest, which has the status of a județ. Județe were established in their current form in 1968, replacing a previous system of regions.

Each județ is governed by a county council (consiliu județean) and a prefect. The county council is elected by local residents and is responsible for local public services, infrastructure, and economic development. The prefect is appointed by the central government and acts as its representative, overseeing the implementation of national policies and ensuring the legality of local administration.

The județe vary significantly in size, population, and economic characteristics. Some are highly urbanized and industrialized, while others are predominantly rural and agricultural. Their boundaries often follow historical or geographical divisions. The județ system plays a crucial role in the decentralization of governance in Romania, allowing for more localized decision-making and administration.