Orsova Page 1 of 2 Orsova Depression The Orsova Depression is the most important depression along the Danube Gorge but the smallest in the Timis-Cerna valley. Orsova Bay is formed in Miocene deposits represented by: conglomerates, limestones, marls, clays and sands. They are covered with alluvial deposits (sands and gravels). The local geological and tectonic conditions led to the formation of important metal reserves (iron still unexploited at Toplet) ,ferrous ores, but especially non-ferrous ores (barite, bentonite and feldspar).   The Danube and Cerna (which crosses the depression) participate in the modelling of the depression. The appearance of the 'Iron Gates' storage lake determined the inundation of the mouth of the Cerna river and of old Orsova town. Thus a big bay is present in the middle of this depression. The relief of the depression is dominated by summits with an altitude of 150-300 m. The climate is characterized by mean annual temperatures of 9-10ºC and the levels of precipitation is put at 700-800mm. The vegetation is represented by: common oak, hornbeam, beech and manna flowering ash. The agriculture is based on the cultivation of potatoes and of some cereals. The most important settlements are Barza Toplet and Orsova (with a population of 19000 inhabitants). Orsova-the town Orsova is situated on the bank of the "Iron Gates" reservoir and represents a new town built between 1966-1971, as the old one was flooded. The new town lies along the Cerna bay for a distance of 7 km. The aspect of new Orsova changed radically, the town taking the form of a horseshoe surrounding the newly formed Cerna Bay with expansion towards the west, and, more recently, to the south. The north-eastern limit of the old town became the southern limit of the new town. When the new town was settled, it integrated 3 rural settlements located in the neighbourhood (Jupari, Tufari, Comarnic). Most of the geographical conditions remained the same but some changes became noticeable. In 1966 Orsova had 8000 inhabitants, and after the construction of the new settlement the population grew to 16000 inhabitants. The beginning of the work at the Portile de Fier (Iron Gates) HEP gave a strong economic impulse to the town, increasing the population and being a very attractive point for labour force at that time. In the old town there were discovered traces of the Daco-Roman settlement of Dierna. This town became municipal during the reign of Septimiu Sever (193-211). Dierna fortress was one of the strategic fortresses situated on the Danube's banks used to protect navigation. The geographical position was a strategic one. Thus during the 9th and 11th centuries documents certify the existence of a fortress made of earth and in the 14th century one made of stone. Beginning in the 14th century the fortress was conquered by the Turkish, and in the following centuries it was a very important place for the Austrians and the Turkish. On the 1st of December 1918 it was again given to Romania and then became a town in 1923. Nowadays its economy is based on the reserves in the area: the exploitation of bentonite, chromium and granite, non-ferrous ores, and the processing of timber.   There is also a Thermo-electric power station, a cotton weaving plant and a power electric transformers industrial plant within the town. Orsova is also the most important port in the Danube's Gorge area with the HEP reservoir making navigation and commercial activity easier. Before the arrangement of the system, the navigation on the river was very difficult because of the narrow sectors. | 1 | 2 | Page 1 of 2