Population

1. Cultural heritage of the population in DDBR
2. Distribution of population in DDBR
3. Traditional occupations
4. The ethnical structure of population

Cultural heritage of the population in DDBR

Owing to its mild climate, natural richness and geographic location, people have long been attracted to the Danube Delta and it has possessed economic, political and strategic importance since ancient times.
All the elevated land within the delta contains evidence of former human occupation dating back to the prehistoric period. The earliest signs of occupation are found on terraces and promontories, especially around lakes Razim and Sinoie. The whole western shoreline supported Neolithic people, with the main centre at Hamangia (now Baia), living from 7,000 to 5,000 years ago. The characteristic features of this culture were the production of adorned ceramic vases with complex decorations of geometrical patterns and terracotta human figurines that expressed a deep spiritual approach to daily life. In particular, two figurines known as “The Thinker” and “The Sitting woman” are considered masterpieces of Neolithic art.

During the Iron Age, about 3,200 to 2,500 years ago, a series of fortified settlements were established on hills at Sinoie, Enisala, Babadag, Bestepe, Balteni, Malcoci, Tulcea and Somova. These represented the most eastern extension of this civilization. At the same time, smaller sites were occupied on higher ground throughout the delta, often used for only short periods by migratory populations.

Proof that there were substantial permanent settlements is provided by the discovery of treasure in a tomb at Agighiol, as well as abundant artifacts in tombs at Murighiol and Enisala. Moreover, the existence of a large town-refuge at Bestepe as referred to in accounts by Greeks (who called the inhabitants Getae) and Romans (who called them Dacians)

In the succeeding Greek and Roman periods, the town of Histria was built on an island in the former Gulf of Halmyris, and the town of Argamum was built on the top of Cape Dolosman. These were highly developed and important trading centers which are frequently mentioned in contemporary accounts. However, by the 7th Century, both towns had become cut off from the sea by the formation of lakes Razim and Sinoie from deposition of Danubian sediments. As a result, the towns fell into economic decline and were finally abandoned.

The ruins of Histria have been extensively excavated and the artifacts displayed in a museum at the site. It now draws thousand of visitors every year.
Many other Roman towns were located along the southern branch of the Danube, for example at Isaccea (Noviodunum), Nufaru (Talamonium), Tulcea (Aegyssus) and Mahmudia (Salsovia). However, only superficial archaeological studies have been conducted at these sites and much further research is required to elucidate their roles and importance, and indeed the whole period of Dacian-Greek-Roman civilization.

During the turbulence of the post-Roman and Byzantine period, mass movements of people took place through the delta region and distinctive, organized society ceased. The situation gradually improved such that by the 10th Century accounts began to appear of the fishing and commercial activities at the ten ports of Sulina, Periprava and Vicina (present location unknown, but it is regarded as the first town of the future Romania). Of the 80 or so towns existing between the 10th and 15th Centuries, only Enisala and Nufaru remain standing on their original sites.

As a result of the wars with Russia and Turkey during the 18th and 19th Centuries, which meant that the delta region was under the Russian administration until 1856 and then after Turkish rule until 1878, almost all evidence of preceding settlements was destroyed. After the Crimean war (1854 - 1856), the major delta towns of Chilia and Sulina were reconstructed. Sulina in particular enjoyed a revival of economic and cultural importance between 1856 and 1949 that, despite its small size, gave it a unique character among towns on the Danube, traces of which remain today in the form of the old lighthouse, the church and some of the older grand buildings.

Distribution of the population in DDBR

At the end of 19th century the population of the Danube Delta was 12,000 inhabitants and before second war the population was about 14,000 inhabitants.

In DDBR the human communities are grouped in 25 human settlements (a town – Sulina) with a total population of 14,583 inhabitants in 2002, from which 68.5% in rural settlements and 31.5% in Sulina.
Because of the small area of dry land (most of the Danube Delta territory is flooded every year), the localities are concentrated along the Danube arms and their surface is reduced.

The active population in the DDBR represents 35.3%, the occupation rate being 81.4%. The main activities are:

• fishing and pisciculture (15.3%),
• agriculture, forestry (29%),
• industry, construction and commerce (15.7%),
• tourism, transport, communications (15.4%),
• health system (1.9%),
• education, culture (5.7%),
• public administration (13.5%)
• other activities (3.6%).

The unemployment rate is 18.6%, unevenly distributed.

Traditional occupations

Since the ancient times, fishing has been the main occupation of the inhabitants of Danube Delta. Although today the supply of fish has diminished and changed in quality, this occupation continues to be a basic one. The localities where fishing is the main trade are Crisan, Mila 23, Gorgova, and Sfântu Gheorghe (the last mentioned is also involved in sea fishing). The second main occupation with great extension has been (and still is) sheep and cattle breeding, which, from a temporary condition (being practiced by the shepherds coming there with their flocks in wintertime from the Eastern Carpathians and the Moldavian Tableland), became a permanent occupation in the last decades of the 19th century. The localities with traditions in cattle breeding are Letea, Periprava, C.A.Rosetti, Sfistofca and Caraorman.

Traditional agriculture has been practiced successfully by the inhabitants of those localities which have good supplies of arable land: Chilia, Pardina, Plaur, Salceni, Ceatalchioi and Patlageanca, all working on alluvial soils of the riverside levees with a low risk of inundation.
Owing to poor soils (sandy soils) agriculture has been practiced to a lesser extend on the marine levees of Letea and Caraorman.

After 1960, these traditional occupations of fishing and agriculture were drastically modified by extending reed exploitation (abandoned later on), fish ponds and large agricultural and forestry polders.

The ethnical structure of population

The ethnic structure of population in DDBR in 2002 was as follows:

Romanians: 12,666 people (87%)
Russians, Lipovans: 1,438 people (10%)
Ukrainians: 299 people (2%)
Other nationalities: 1% .

• Romany: 69 people
• Greeks: 63 people
• Turks: 17 people
• Hungarians: 12 people
• Bulgarians: 3 people
• Germans: 2 people
• Armenians: 2 people
• Other nationalities: 12 .