GEOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF TERRITORIAL DISPARITIES IN MARAMURECOUNTY

After determining the development index at commune level, we have managed to sketch 4 advantaged areas and 3 disadvantaged ones. The most advantaged area is individualized around the county seat Baia Mare, the rest of the a dvantaged areas revolving around Sighetu-Marma Ńiei, Bora-Vieu and Târgu Laputowns. The disadvantaged areas correspond mostly with the rural settlements situated afar from the high-polarizing centers at the county level (Baia Mare and Sighetu- Marma Ńiei). This study reiterates the enormous discrepanc y between the rural and urban areas, but also between the county seat city and all the other urba n settlements. MaramureCounty is situated somewhere at the lowest point in the counties hiera rchy, not only because of its limited extension and of the precarious condition of the physical and social infrastructure, but also because of the chronic la ck of investment in this area. Economically, Maramureis characterized by a domination of the population employed in agriculture (the number of which has gr own between the years 1990 and 2007, from 5% to 38%), in conjunction with a decrease in the number of population employed in the secondary sector (from 60% to 27%).