Baia de Fier
Baia de Fier | |
|---|---|
Church in Cernădia | |
Location in Gorj County | |
Baia de Fier Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates: 45°10′N 23°46′E / 45.167°N 23.767°E | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Gorj |
| Subdivisions | Baia de Fier, Cernădia |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2024) | Dumitru Turbăceanu[2] (PSD) |
Area | 120.25 km2 (46.43 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 568 m (1,864 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[1] | 3,832 |
| • Density | 31.87/km2 (82.54/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+03:00 (EEST) |
| Postal code | 217130 |
| Area code | +(40) x53 |
| Vehicle reg. | GJ |
| Website | www |
Baia de Fier is a commune in Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Baia de Fier and Cernădia. It is traversed by the river Pârâul Galben; to the east flows the river Olteț. Peștera Muierilor (women's cave) is located here.
The first (and only) graphite mine in Romania opened in Baia de Fier in 1945; by the 1980s, several hundred miners worked there, but the mine was closed in 1999, following devastating floods.[3] As of 2025, exploitation of this graphite deposit (the largest of its kind in Europe) is set to resume, thanks to nearly €200 million in funding from the European Commission.[3][4] Graphite extraction at Baia de Fier will be prioritized for its applications in electric vehicle batteries, energy storage, electronics, and machine manufacturing.[4]
Baia de Fier is a sister city to Boccioleto, Italy since 2007.
References
- ^ "2021 Romanian census". National Institute of Statistics. 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ a b Guță, Daniel (August 16, 2025). "Povestea grafitului românesc, resursa strategică de la Baia de Fier. Cum a fost închisă singura mină din România". Adevărul (in Romanian). Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ a b "Romania Revives Europe's Largest Graphite Deposit with €200 Million Investment". minexforum.com. May 7, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.