Nord-Est (development region)

The region covers the Northeast part of the country and, traditionally, it is a part of the old historical region of Moldavia (mainly, Western Moldavia and southern Bukovina). The Nord-Est region is made up of the following counties: • Bacău • Botoșani • Iași • Neamț • Suceava • Vaslui ==Economy==

The economy of Nord-Est region is mixed, agricultural, especially towards the east, and with a number of industrial centres. The regional GDP per capita is the lowest in Romania, at about two-thirds of the national average. Main cities: • Iași, the former capital of Moldavia and the largest city in Nord-Est, has a strong industrial base and is one of Romania's main university, cultural, arts and business centers; • Bacău is a dynamic industrial and commercial centre; • Suceava (the medieval capital of Moldavia) and Piatra Neamț were also industrialized cities, and are important historical and tourism based cities; • Botoșani and Vaslui are traditional developed trade and agriculture centers, and important bases for the regions textile and processing industries. • Bârlad, Roman, Onești and Pașcani are other important industrial based cities in the region. ==Demographics==

Nord-Est has a total population of 3,302,217 (2011 Census) making it the most populated region in the country. Its population density is 90/km2. At the 2002 census, the region had a significant Romanian majority, of 97.9%, with the second largest minority being the Romani, who make up 1.2% of the population. Other minorities, which include Ukrainians, Lipovans, Csangos, Poles, Hutsuls, Hungarians, and Germans make up the rest of the population (0.9%). Romanian is the most widely spoken language, spoken as a first language by 98.7% of the inhabitants of the region. Minority languages include Romany, spoken by 0.6% of the population, and Ukrainian (0.3%). ==See also==