The city of Hârşova, located in the north-western part of Constanta is a millenary city; this year, we are satisfied to be celebrating 1900 years of documentary attestation on the Danube coast and the European Road No. 60.

            Hârşova has been and will remain a typical plain city, with agricultural activity and possibilities of industrial development. Hârşova has also various resources – the thermal water, which can be found in the area, may compete anytime with the famous Herculane and Felix thermal resorts.

The agriculture of Hârşova, although not so rich in humidity, may build up a premise for the future development of the city. In addition, the quarry of Hârşova is an economical progress source. In the same time, the other activities related to the Danube, such as fishing or aquaculture, can be generous in our city.

            I go back now and say again that Hârşova is a millenary city, the former Carsium fortress, and the former Roman castrum, whose continuity existed without disruption.

            Thanks to a united activity of the local authority and inhabitant community, the area of Hârşova is one with fiscal facilities, which may represent attraction points for possible investors. This facilities package, created for disfavoured areas may convey advantages to those who want to carry on their activities in this city.

            Due to the archaeological richness existent on the territory of the city of Hârşova, the area may signify a temptation for the cultural - historical tourism, here being found one of the most important Neolithic establishments in the south-eastern Europe.

There are few places in Dobrogea – this land full of history – that had a continuous historical development, from the Neolithic up to present, as we meet in Hârşova.

            The archeological researches have brought to light material marks which show a permanent life together of the human communities, whose areas beginn in the Superior Paleolithic. The best represented are the neolithical cultures, which found place almost didactically in the  strata of the tell in Hârşova and which represent one of the most  important archeological centres specific to this period, not only in Dobrogea but also in the country.

 

Although not as well represented, the material cultures from the metal epoch make their proof  in town Hârşova through some archeological vestiges( tools, weapons,  graves), these being sufficient to support the hypothesis of an unbroken continuity on this teritory. The creators of these cultures are the Geta – Dacians, the direct ancestors of the Romanian people, one of the most powerful political- military forces of the ancient world.

            The foundation of the Greek fortresses on the west shore of the Euxim Pont was to influence positively the economic-social development of the Geta in Dobrogea, through the permanent contact  which had easened material and cultural exchanges between the Greek civilization – at that time, the most developed – and the Geta one, in full process of affirmation.

            For Hârşova, the Greek-Hellenic period is represented by the existance of the Histria citadel, which was easening the spread of Greek products in the Geta teritory on the left of the Danube.

            The conquest of Dobrogea by the Romans was to give new dimensions to those places. With their practical spirit, the Romans understood right from the beginning the strategical importance of those places and, during Traian or maybe earlier, a strong, powerful fortress of stone and brick was built on the place of the earlier ancient Geta one, known as Carsium – today  Hârşova.

 

The economic profile of the town was and still is agro-industrial.

Untill 1989, more than 25% of the population able to work  was working in agricultural units / enterprises  in town (ex- I.A.S., C.A.P., Asoc. Legumicola and S.M.A.).

            After 1989, the population from this activity diminished visibly, in 1996 were there  275 wage-earners and at the end of the year 2000 there were 132 wage-earners.

At the end of the year 2000, the structure of the economic agents in our town is the following :

• 7 with industrial activity;

• 11 with agricultural activity;

• 5 with construction activity;

• 16 with transport and telecommunication activity;

• 54 with performing services activity;

• 129 with commercial activity;

• 17 with other activities.

  Agriculture

  The town Hârşova has an agricultural surface of 7.445 ha, from which 2976 ha are in the area with                                                                                                                 irrigation arrangements. The cereal production has decreased from year to year and the animal effective too.

              The agricultural lands from the teritory are included in the II, III, IV categories of fertility.

              In the teritory are functioning the Agricultural Societies “Vezoot”(482,5ha in rent), “Air Adria” (3.262 ha in concession), “Agzo”(65,15 ha) and S.C.Agromec S.A.(208 ha in rent), which makes also agricultural sevices.

              From the agricultural surface of 7.445 ha : 6.600, 49 ha are arable plots of land (88,65%), 3ha  orchards (0,04%), 49 ha vineyard (0,66%), 139,77 ha natural pasture (1,88%) and 652,74 ha arable pasture (8,77).                                                                                                               

              We can see that every year the animal effective from people’s farmstead  in Hârşova are decreasing, the main species being the horned cattle, swine and sheep. Also, a substantial decreasing is ascertained at the horses effective, which are used at work on field by the owners of agricultural lands.

              In the forest sector, grown/mature forests have been exploited, in the same time with the afforestations. In this way, in the last 4 years  a surface of 533 ha has been exploited and 207 ha have been afforested.

  Industry

  The industrial activity is sustained by a small number of economic agents, who have a continuous fluctuation of employees.

              The industrial units with state capital from the town, at their change from the planned economy to the market economy, had  difficulties beginning with the ensurance of the raw material, production sale, etc., a fact that led to a visible decreasing  of the industrial activity and, as a result, an important number of employees became unemployed.

  Trade and services

  Trade and services are represented in town by several private commercial societies, which have a large gamma of products and they perform services to the population.

              From 18 economic agents in 1992, in 1994 there were 35, in 1998 – 57 and  129 in year 2000.  At the moment, there is a number of 98 sale units in our town and 302 persons work there as employees. Moreover, 84 authorized persons,in accordance with the Decree – Law no.54/1990, work in commercial activities.

              Among the services for the population we enumerate : tailoring, shoemaker’s, hairdo, break-down services (TV and radio), painting, joiner’s shop, car-service, etc. Anyway, the quality of the performed services is way below the actual standards required by the market economy, in comparison with their prices.

  Constructions

  Untill 1990, we had a strong contruction activity, in many specialized units. Three big  objectives were being performed : The Industrial Unit for Wires and Cables, The Naval Shipyard and The Thermic Station in the area. These objectives would have absorbed the entire work potential of the town, and the completing of the last objective would have provided the need of thermic energy for the entire population.

              Simultaneously, an important number of apartements were being built, from the state housing facilities, for the wage-earners that were to work  in those three objectives.

              After the year 1990, there were no more money for the completing of the objectives in work and the construction building sites have been eliminated or they have reduced their activity, reorganizing themselves.

  Transportation

  In our town this is possible by road and by river.

              The connections between Hârşova and its county  are made on DN 2A (E 60), with the town Tulcea  on DN 22A and with the coterminuous communes Ciobanu, Gârliciu, Ghindaresti, Topalu on asphalted county roads.

              Another transportation way to Cernavoda and Braila is the Danube river, but the persons transportation by ships was suspended before the year 1989.

              The goods and persons transportation is made mainly by transport societies from Hârşova, Medgidia, Constanta, Tulcea si Braila.

  There are the following bus routes :

• Hârşova – Crucea – Constanta ( 1h and 15’ ) ;

• Hârşova – Cernavoda – Medgidia ( 1h);

• Hârşova – Ciobanu ;

• Hârşova – Gârliciu ;

• Braila - Hârşova – Constanta ;

• Tulcea – Hârşova – Slobozia – Bucuresti (the only direct connection with the capital, where one can get in 3h, the fastest) ;

• Mangalia – Constanta – Hârşova – Slobozia .

  The nearest railways are : for persons, at a distance of 50 km in locality Nicolae Balcescu (Constanta county) and at 35 km in locality Tandarei (Ialomita county); for goods, at a distance of 20km in locality Gura Ialomitei ( Ialomita county).

In Hârşova we have :

The Theoretical Highschool “Ioan Cotovu” with theoretical profile – Technological channel, with 1.140 pupils, which also includes The Secondary School  with classes I – VIII and 538 pupils;

The Agricultural Scholar Group with a profile of  professional and vocational schools (agricultural, economic, electromechanics, preparators meat industry, plumbers) with 274 pupils ;

The Secondary School no.2, with classes I – VIII and 538 pupils and with classes I – IV in Vadu – Oii with 23 pupils ;  

• The Kindergarden with normal programme, 220 children ;

• The Kindergarden with prolonged programme, 109 children ;

• The Kindergarden with normal programme Vadu – Oii, 14 children ;

• The Teritorial Hospital Hârşova ;

• Family Doctors’Net (4 doctors) ;

• The Creche with 50 places capacity ;

• The Cultural House ;

• The Pupils’ Club ;

• The City Library ;

• The Rank and the two ortodox churches ;

• The sport association “Carsium” – a football team ;

• The sport association “TAE  KEON” – a TAE  KWANDO team.

S.W.O.T. ANALYSIS

• Economic, cultural, touristic potential

• Private sector expansion

• Local legal support

• Cooperative managing authorities

• Social partners’ support

• Location of town alongside the Danube and E60 (DN2A) national route

       Considering that the ”Socio-economic Development Program” of Harsova town is a public-private partnership between public authority, economic agents, business environment and the citizens, its implementation, in order to attain the expected results, must be also realized as a common effort.

        This is why the public local administration invites all partners to establish a series of projects and programs, which will lead to the attainment of the proposed goals. Starting from the set goals within the “Socio-economic Development Program”, in order to achieve the expected results, the involvement of the central, county and local administration authority is necessary, along with the cooperation of various partners. Each of these is to support the present program using the means and methods that these authorities are entitled to according to the laws in force.

       By this socio-economic development program, applied in the town of Harsova, “The welfare increase of the local community in its entirety” is pursued.

In order to achieve this, the following are required:

• Diverse, dynamic and effective local economy

• Jobs and decent wages for the entire active population

• Political constancy and willingness to cooperate from the local authority

• Support of the initiative and an increase in the liberty of choice in all fields of activity

• Favourable conditions for human existence and quality services: residences, medical assistance, balanced social climate, opportunities for the carrying on of educational, cultural, sport, leisure, religious activities and a good quality of the surrounding environment.