Cuca, Argeș

Cuca
Commune
Country  Romania
County Argeş County
Population (2002)[1] 2,347
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)

Cuca is a commune in Argeş County, in southern central Romania. It is composed of fourteen villages: Bălţata, Bărbălani, Cârceşti, Cotu, Crivăţu, Cuca, Lăunele de Sus, Măcăi, Măneşti, Sineşti, Stănicei, Teodoreşti, Valea Cucii and Vonigeasa. It was one of the most remote places in Romania. Today, in Romanian language, Cuca Măcăii means "a remote village or place, very difficult to reach".

History

The oldest document about Cuca[2] is from April 3, 1853, referring to an even older document, from 1537. The commune was formed in 1968 at its current shape by merging the former communes Cuca and Lăunele. Another former commune was Măcăi.[3]

Geography

Cuca is placed in the Getic Platform, subdivision Cotmeana Platform.[4] The relief is segmented by many parallel valleys, while the villages are on the top of the hills, separated by forest areals.The rivers flow from North to South, South-East or South-West. The vallies dry up in summer.[5] The altitude varies from 390 to 530 metres (1,280 to 1,740 ft).[6]

The climate is temperate, with moderate summers and cold winters. The humidity is usually big.[7]

Villages

The commune includes 14 small villages (the largest number in Argeş County).[8]

Village Distance from center Ethimology Population
Cuca center Open in the roof for illumination Isolated hill 429
Crivăţ 1 km E Winter wind 98
Bălţata 1 km N Bălţatu family name 38
Cîrceşti 14 km E Cîrciu family name 292
Vonigeasa 8 km E Voineagu family name 52
Sineşti 6 km S Sin or Sinescu family name 386
Măneşti 5 km W Manea or Mănescu family name 49
Măcăi 8 km W founded by Măcău family 100
Stănicei 7 km W Stănică (proper name) 54
Valea Cucii 9 km W Romanian translation: Valley of Cuca 118
Lăunele de Sus 5 km S "la unele" (Romanian translation - to some women) 203
Teodoreşti 7 km unknown 332
Cotu 9 km unknown 116
Bărbălani 17 km unknown 78

Transportation

There are two national roads close to Cuca:[9]

From these roads, the access way to Cuca is via loca county roads:[10]

The distances to the nearest towns are:[11]

Economy

Resources

Cuca has two major resources: forests[12] and fruit trees.[13] The forests cover a big part of the commune and all the villages have direct access to the wooden areas. Nearly all the remaining terrain is used for fruit trees (mainly plum trees). The fruits are used to make ţuică, a Romanian alcoholic drink.[14]

Firms

There are 21 firms[15] in the commune, including a pharmaceutical point and small local shops. There are no industrial or agricultural companies. The big distances to nearby cities (see #transportation) and the lack of bus lines[16] makes it very difficult for the local population to find a good job.

Problems

The main problem for the economy is isolation (see #Transportation). The second problem is the lack of water.[17] Some people say that in Cuca, water is as precious as in Sahara Desert.[18] The villages are on the top of the hills and the rivers are about 100 m below the villages and they dry up in summer (see #Geography). The freatic waters are even deeper, so permanent freatic water exixts more than 100 m below the river valleys.[19] Pumping water from such depth is nearly impossible. A water pipeline was constructed to bring water to the villages in Cuca.[20] For this, the pipe had to be longer than 100 km. It drains water from Topolog River and continues South to other communes with similar water problems.[21]

The legend of Cuca Măcăii

In the Romanian language, Cuca Măcăii defines a remote village or place, very difficult to reach.[22][23] It is still unknown how this expression appeared. However, the Măcăi village is called by the locals Cuca Măcăii. Many people associate the commune Cuca with Cuca Măcăii.[24] The entire commune is formed by small villages, isolated in the forest (see#Villages). In the past, transportation was very difficult. Until 1922 the national road DN 67b did not exist.[25] Older maps[26] show that even the road that connects Piteşti and Râmnicu Vâlcea did not exist. Being isolated by sharp valleys and long, parallel hills (see #Geography), the land where Cuca is today must have been a very isolated place.

References

  1. ↑ Romanian census data, 2002; retrieved on March 1, 2010
  2. ↑ http://www.cjarges.ro/cuca/obj.asp?id=3097
  3. ↑ http://www.cjarges.ro/cuca/ja.asp
  4. ↑ http://www.ordogborda.hu/foldrajz/RO/geo_fiz.php?old=Relief&alold=Rezumatul_total#get
  5. ↑ http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&rlz=1R2ADFA_enRO437&q=cuca+arges+map&gs_upl=12594l16938l1l17594l16l12l0l0l0l0l297l2703l0.4.8l12l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1440&bih=703&wrapid=tlif131629089223410&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x474d4c683f804451:0x55b9b61d6ac790c8,Cuca,+Romania&gl=bg&ei=ZwF1Tq24J6qk0QW-uaWYCA&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ8gEwAA
  6. ↑ Google Maps
  7. ↑ meteo.ournet.ro/vremea/ro/Arges/Cuca/3947170
  8. ↑ http://www.cjarges.ro/cuca/obj.asp?id=3094
  9. ↑ http://www.harta-turistica.ro
  10. ↑ http://www.cjarges.ro/upload/atachments/21906_drumuri%20judetene%20arges.pdf
  11. ↑ Shell Eurokarte
  12. ↑ http://www.firmepenet.ro/Asociatia-Proprietarilor-De-Padure-Privighetoarea-Cuca-Arges-Cod-Fiscal-28072805.html
  13. ↑ http://www.primariaonline.ro/judet-Arges/primarie-Cuca/m/2/lang/1
  14. ↑ http://www.cautanunt.ro/anunturi-tuica+cuca
  15. ↑ http://www.listafirme.ro/harta/arges_cuca.htm
  16. ↑ http://www.autogari.ro
  17. ↑ http://www.realitatea.net/realitatea-tv-intr-un-duplex-original--bucuresti-cuca-macaii_92052.html
  18. ↑ http://www.9am.ro/stiri-revista-presei/2007-07-09/cuca-macai-locul-unde-apa-este-la-fel-de-pretioasa-ca-n-sahara.html
  19. ↑ http://www.presaonline.com/stiri/stiri-locale/foraje-de-mare-adancime-in-zece-localitati-care-nu-au-sisteme-de-alimentare-cu-apa-71501.html
  20. ↑ http://www.ziare.com/pitesti/stiri-actualitate/alimentare-cu-apa-pentru-2-300-de-locuitori-ai-comunei-cuca-1052117
  21. ↑ http://www.cjarges.ro/upload/atachments/9520_Anexa%202%20-%20Indicatori-teh.-eco.pdf
  22. ↑ http://www.imed.ro/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=9645
  23. ↑ http://forum.softpedia.com/lofiversion/index.php/t150764.html
  24. ↑ http://www.panoramio.com/photo/9309461
  25. ↑ http://romaniainterbelica.memoria.ro/judete/arges/index.html
  26. ↑ http://www.verticalonline.ro/hotarele-ungrovlahiei-in-evul-mediu

Coordinates: 44°55′57″N 24°31′00″E / 44.9326°N 24.5166°E / 44.9326; 24.5166

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