The Demographical, Social and Economical Impact of the Deindustrialization Phenomenon in the Altân Tepe Mining Area

The European mining industry restructuring, initiated in 1990, had a negative impact on the demographic and socio-economic status in E.U. States. In Romania, the Government's decision, in 1997, of closing unprofitable mines was not accompanied by economical reconversion measures, thus leading to a poverty and depopulation phenomenon in the mining areas. This article aims to highlight the negative impact of mining cessation on demographic characteristics and socio-economic development in the mining area Altân Tepe, Stajaru village, Tulcea county, where the deposit with the highest concentrations of copper in Romania is located. The statistics show that the Government's decision to stop mining in 2003 caused an increase in the locals’ dependency to social aid and resulted in halving Altân Tepe’s inhabitant’s numbers between 2003 and 2014. The results were based on comparative analysis of three indicators: Evolution of the number of inhabitants in Altân Tepe between 1990 and 2003, Evolution of the number of inhabitants of Altân Tepe between 2003 and 2014, and Evolution of the number of social aid beneficiaries between 2004 and 2014. The study highlights that stopping mining at Altân Tepe has turned one of the richest places in natural resources of Romania into a disadvantaged area