BIHOR

judet (county), western Romania, bounded on the west by Hungary. It was formerly included in feudal Transylvania. The oak- and beech-covered Western Carpathians, including the Apuseni Mountains, rise above settlement areas in intermontane valleys and lowlands. The Crisu Negru River and its tributaries flow westward, draining the region. Neolithic utensils, Roman ceramics and money, and vestiges of the Visigoths and Huns have been found in the area. Oradea, the county seat, has industries that produce machinery, chemicals, textiles, and footwear. Wood products are manufactured in Tileagd and Ioanis towns, and bricks are produced in Alesd town. A hydroelectric plant operates on the Crisu Repede River near Alesd. Bauxite mines are worked near Rosia and Zece Hotare, and Beius, a textile centre, is known for its red and black pottery. Baile 1 Mai and Baile Victoria are thermal resorts. Karst formations in the Apuseni Mountains include underground streams and caverns. Oradea is a centre for air, highway, and rail connections. Area 2,909 square miles (7,535 square km). Pop. (1990 est.) 662,500.