Ghimbav (German: Weidenbach; Hungarian: Vidombák) is a town in Brașov County, Transylvania, central Romania.

Ghimbav
Fortified church of Ghimbav
Fortified church of Ghimbav
Coat of arms of Ghimbav
Location in Brașov County
Location in Brașov County
Ghimbav is located in Romania
Ghimbav
Ghimbav
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°39′46″N 25°30′22″E / 45.66278°N 25.50611°E / 45.66278; 25.50611
CountryRomania
CountyBrașov
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2024) Ionel Fliundra[1] (PNL)
Area
28.08 km2 (10.84 sq mi)
Elevation
559 m (1,834 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[2]
7,208
 • Density260/km2 (660/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
507075
Area code(+40) 02 68
Vehicle reg.BV
Websitewww.primaria-ghimbav.ro

Geography

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The town is situated in the southern part of the Transylvanian Plateau, at an altitude of 559 m (1,834 ft), on the banks of the river Ghimbășel. It is located in the Burzenland ethnographic area, in the central part of Brașov County, just 8 kilometres (5 mi) west of the county seat, Brașov.

History

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The town was first mentioned in a letter written in 1420 by King Sigismund of Hungary. He advised the inhabitants of Weidenbach/Ghimbav to join their forces together with the people living in three other neighboring Saxon villages (Petersberg/Sânpetru, Honigberg/Hărman and Brenndorf/Bod) and contribute to the construction of the stone fortress of Brașov.

The Ottomans invaded Ghimbav in 1422. In 1469 a major fire damaged the town. In 1611 the Hungarian prince Gabriel Báthory set fire to several villages in Burzenland (Țara Bârsei); Ghimbav was one of them.

The local church and the bell tower were built around 1300. In the 15th century a fortress was built around the church. It was hit by lightning in 1642 and suffered major damages. In 1666 the city hall was moved inside the fortress as well as several other houses. These houses were demolished in 1940. The defensive walls were partially ruined in the 20th century.

Demographics

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
2002 5,112—    
2011 4,698−8.1%
2021 7,208+53.4%
Source: Census data

At the 2021 census, Ghimbav had a population of 7,208; of those, 84.56% were ethnic Romanians and 1.96% Hungarians.[3]

Industry

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IAR, a Romanian builder of helicopters and small planes, is located in Ghimbav. Among other aircraft, it builds the Eurocopter/IAR Puma military transport helicopter.

Premium AEROTEC, a subsidiary of EADS, has also built a factory in Ghimbav.

Transportation

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The Brașov-Ghimbav Airport

Ghimbav lies at the intersection of several major national roads:

The Ghimbav train station serves the CFR Main Line 200, which connects Brașov to Timișoara and the border with Hungary at Curtici.

The Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport, opened on June 15, 2023, is located on the northern side of the town.

Other

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The 206th Artillery Battalion "General Mihail Lăcătușu" of the 2nd Mountain Troops Brigade is garrisoned in Ghimbav. The Henri Coandă Air Force Academy operates an airfield in Ghimbav.

Climate

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Ghimbav has a warm-summer humid continental climate (Dfb in the Köppen climate classification).

Climate data for Ghimbav
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 0.7
(33.3)
2.8
(37.0)
7.6
(45.7)
13.7
(56.7)
18.5
(65.3)
21.7
(71.1)
23.6
(74.5)
24
(75)
18.9
(66.0)
13.6
(56.5)
8.4
(47.1)
2.3
(36.1)
13.0
(55.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −3.6
(25.5)
−1.9
(28.6)
2.7
(36.9)
8.5
(47.3)
13.6
(56.5)
17.2
(63.0)
19
(66)
19
(66)
14.1
(57.4)
8.6
(47.5)
3.9
(39.0)
−1.7
(28.9)
8.3
(46.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −8
(18)
−6.4
(20.5)
−2.3
(27.9)
2.7
(36.9)
7.9
(46.2)
12
(54)
13.8
(56.8)
13.8
(56.8)
9.4
(48.9)
4.1
(39.4)
0.2
(32.4)
−5.3
(22.5)
3.5
(38.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 45
(1.8)
42
(1.7)
56
(2.2)
73
(2.9)
95
(3.7)
100
(3.9)
95
(3.7)
78
(3.1)
61
(2.4)
53
(2.1)
47
(1.9)
49
(1.9)
794
(31.3)
Source: https://en.climate-data.org/europe/romania/brasov/ghimbav-15426/

References

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  1. ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 9 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  3. ^ "Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (in Romanian). INSSE. 31 May 2023.