COVASNA

judet (county), east-central Romania. The eastern Carpathian Mountains, including the Vrancei and Baraolt ranges, rise above settlement areas in the valleys of the county, which is drained southwestward by the Negru and Olt rivers. Sfntu Gheorghe (q.v.), the county capital, and several other towns, including Baraolt, Covasna, and Trgu Secuiesc, have industries that produce timber, textiles, and foodstuffs. Lignite mines operate at Capeni and Vrghis, and andesite is mined near the town of Bixad. Sfntu Gheorghe was built on the site of a Daco-Roman settlement and was occupied by Hungarians (Magyars) during medieval times. The regional museum in Sfntu Gheorghe contains examples of Neolithic pottery, Dacian coins, and doors from the Hungarian period. Trgu Secuiesc town was built on the remains of the Roman settlement of Praetoria Augusta and now has a small museum. The town was a craft centre during the Middle Ages and is now an industrial centre. Covasna town is a resort. Fortified churches are found in Sfntu Gheorghe, Arcus, Ghidfalau, and Ilieni. Highways and railway connections extend through Sfntu Gheorghe, with branches extending eastward through the Oituz Pass (2,841 feet ) into Bacau county. Area 1,431 square miles (3,705 square km). Pop. (1992 prelim.) 232,600.