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Gorj County (Romanian pronunciation: [ɡorʒ] ^ⓘ) is a county (județ) of Romania, in Oltenia, with its capital city at Târgu Jiu. Gorj comes from the Slavic Gornji Jiu (“upper Jiu”), in contrast with Dolnji (“lower Jiu”).^[2]

At the 2011 census, the county had a population of 334,238 and its population density was 59.66/km² (154.5/sq mi).

• Romanians – over 98%^[3]
• Roma, others – c. 2%

At the 2021 census, Gorj County had a population of 314,685.

Year	County population[4]
1948	280,524
1956	293,031
1966	298,382
1977	348,521
1992	400,100
2002	387,308
2011	334,238
2021	314,685

Gorj County has a total area of 5,602 km² (2,163 sq mi).

The North side of the county consists of various mountains from the Southern Carpathians group. In the West there are the Vâlcan Mountains, and in the East there are the Parâng Mountains and the Negoveanu Mountains. The two groups are split by the Jiu River.

To the South, the heights decrease through the hills to a high plain at the Western end of the Wallachian Plain.

The main river, which collects all the smaller rivers, is the Jiu River; its tributaries include the Tismana, Gilort, and Motru rivers.

• Vâlcea County to the east.
• Mehedinți County and Caraș-Severin County to the west.
• Hunedoara County to the north.
• Dolj County to the south.

The predominant industries in the county are:

• Mining equipment industry.
• Food and beverages industry.
• Textile industry.
• Mechanical components industry.
• Glass industry.
• Wood industry.

In the southwestern and central parts of the county, coal is extracted near Motru and Rovinari. There are two big thermo electrical power plants at Rovinari and Turceni, and some hydro-electrical power plants. The county is the biggest electricity producer in Romania, with 36% of the country’s electricity.

Due to the decrease in mining activity, the county has one of the highest unemployment levels in the country.

Succes Nic Com is a retail company founded in Gorj in 1994. Its 2011 turnover amounted to 65 million euros. In 2013, it operated 200 stores of the proximity and supermarket types, plus a single hypermarket, employing a total of over 1,000 people.^[5] In 2014, it was the 10th largest food retailer in Romania, with a turnover of 75 million euros, although this was slightly less than its 2013 turnover of 80 million euros.^[6] The company filed for bankruptcy in early 2015, losing half its revenue by 2017.^[7]

The main tourist destinations are:

• The city and the area around Târgu Jiu:
  • The Constantin Brâncuși sculptural ensemble;
  • Tismana Monastery.
• The Parâng Mountains.
• Polovragi Monastery.

The Gorj County Council, renewed at the 2024 local elections, consists of 30 counsellors, with the following party composition:^[8]

	Party	Seats	Current County Council
	Social Democratic Party (PSD)	16
	National Liberal Party (PNL)	9
	Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR)	3

Gorj County has 2 municipalities, 7 towns and 61 communes

• Municipalities
  • Motru– population: 15,950 (as of 2021)
  • Târgu Jiu – capital city; population: 73,545 (as of 2021)

Historically, the county was located in the southwestern part of Greater Romania, in the northern part of the historical region of Oltenia. Its capital was Târgu Jiu. The interwar county territory comprised a large part of the current Gorj County.

It was bordered to the west by Mehedinți County, to the north by the counties of Hunedoara and Sibiu, to the east by Vâlcea County, and to the south by Dolj County.

The county was originally divided into four administrative districts (plăși):^[9]

1. Plasa Gilort, headquartered at Gilort
2. Plasa Jiu, headquartered at Jiu
3. Plasa Novaci, headquartered at Novaci
4. Plasa Vulcana, headquartered at Vulcana

Subsequently, two more districts were established:

5. Plasa Amaradia, headquartered at Amaradia
6. Plasa Ocolu, headquartered at Ocolul

According to the 1930 census data, the county population was 206,339 inhabitants, ethnically divided as follows: 97.9% Romanians, 1.7% Romanies, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the population was 99.6% Eastern Orthodox, as well as other minorities.

In 1930, the county’s urban population was 13,030 inhabitants, comprising 90.0% Romanians, 4.6% Romanies, 1.1% Germans, 0.9% Hungarians, 0.8% Jews, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was composed of 95.8% Eastern Orthodox, 2.2% Roman Catholic, 0.8% Jewish, as well as other minorities.

In the county capital of Târgu Jiu, there was a factory producing roof tiles as of 1931.^[10]