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{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
|type               = commune
|county             = Maramureș 
|population_total   = auto
|map_caption        = Location in Maramureș County
|name               = Băiuț
|image_shield=ROU MM Băiuț CoA.svg|other_name         = Erzsébetbánya
|image_skyline      = {{nowrap|[[File:Strâmbului valley, Strâmbu-Băiuț.jpg|270x162px]]<br />[[File:Biserica de lemn din Poiana Botizii-exterioare (8) (cropped).JPG|135x180px]][[File:Biserica de lemn din Poiana Botizii-exterioare (12) (cropped).JPG|135x180px]]}}
|image_caption      = <small>'''From top, left to right:''' Strâmbului valley, Poiana Botizii village, Poiana Botizii [[Wooden churches of Maramureș|wooden church]]</small>
|image_map          = Baiut jud Maramures.svg
|leader_name        = Viorica Maciuc<ref>{{cite web |url=https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale27092020/romania-pv-final |title=Results of the 2020 local elections |publisher=Central Electoral Bureau |access-date=14 June 2021 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|leader_party       = PNL
|leader_term        = 2020&ndash;2024
|area_total_km2     = 113.60
|coordinates        = {{coord|47|36|50|N|23|59|45|E|region:RO|display=inline}}
|elevation          = 600
|elevation_min      = 
|elevation_max      = 
|population_footnotes = 
|postal_code        = 
|area_code          = 
|website            = {{URL|www.comunabaiut.ro}}
}}
'''Băiuț''' ({{langx|hu|Erzsébetbánya}}) is a [[Communes of Romania|commune]] in [[Maramureș County]], [[Transylvania]], [[Romania]]. It is composed of three villages: Baiuț, Strâmbu-Băiuț (''Kohóvölgy''), and Poiana Botizii (''Rákosfalva'').

==History==
Over the course of its history, the village of '''Băiuț''' has been known as Lápos-Bánya (1630), Bajutze (1850) and Oláh Lápos-Bánya or Băiuța (1854). The names all derive from the Băiuț Mine, an important landmark in the area. The settlement was also known as Erzsebetbanya, since it used to be the location of many properties of [[Elizabeth Szilágyi]], wife of [[John Hunyadi]] and mother of [[Matthias Corvinus]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Istoric |trans-title=History |url=https://comunabaiut.ro/istoric/ |website=Băiuț commune official website |language=ro}}</ref>

The first documented mention of the village was in 1630, while mining activities are known to have taken place here since 1315. However, skeletal remains of animals and traces of human activity in the Poiana Botizii cave dating back to the Upper Paleolithic, indicate the area was populated long before that.<ref name=":0" />

The village '''Poiana Botizii''' was first documented as Botiz in 1344. In 1750, it was known as Pojana Zseler, in 1830 it was renamed to Batspojana, Batiz Polyan in 1835, and finally, in 1850, it became known by the Romanian name Poiana Botizii.<ref name=":0" />

'''Strâmbu-Băiuț''' village was previously named Strambulu (1835), Strimbuy (1850), Sztrimbuly, Strâmbul Băiuțului, Horgospataka – Pârâul lui Horgos and Kohovolgy – Valea Furnalului (1854), names tied to the iron mine and forge there.<ref name=":0" />

==Geography==
[[File:RO MM Baiut Map.svg|550px|centre|thumb|Commune map]]
The commune is situated in the central part of the county, on the upper course of the [[Lăpuș (river)|Lăpuș River]], {{convert|80|km|mi|abbr=on}} southeast of the city of [[Baia Mare]]. It neighbors [[Budești, Maramureș|Budești]] commune to the north, [[Botiza]] commune to the east, [[Lăpuș]] commune to the south-east, [[Cupșeni]] commune to the south-west, as well as [[Cernești]] commune and the town of [[Cavnic]] to the west. The commune is at an altitude of {{convert|600|m|ft|abbr=on}}.

===Villages===

Băiuț commune is made up of three villages:

*'''Băiuț''' (commune seat)
*Poiana Botizii
*Strâmbu-Băiuţ

==Economy==
[[File:Stibnite-calcite (Breiner Mine, Baiut, Romania) (18928961691).jpg|150px|left|thumb|Stibnite-calcite from the <em>Breiner Mine</em> in Băiuț]]

===Mining===
Mining was the main economic activity in the area for much of its history. The gold here made the Băiuț mines an economically significant area in the [[Kingdom of Hungary (1867-1918)|Kingdom of Hungary]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Islea |first=Marian |date=2011-03-07 |title=Despre mineritul de altădată din Cavnic si Băiuț |language=ro |trans-title=About the old mining in Cavnic and Băiuț |work=Informația Zilei |url=http://www.informatia-zilei.ro/mm/locale/despre-mineritul-de-altadata-din-cavnic-si-baiut}}</ref> In the years after the [[Romanian Revolution]], around 1,200 miners from Băiuț as well as nearby villages worked in the mines in the commune.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Vancea |first=Ciprian |date=2017-07-25 |title=Comuna Băiuţ, "moartă" fără minerit! |language=ro |trans-title=Băiuț commune, "dead" without mining! |work=Graiul Maramureșului |url=http://www.graiul.ro/2017/07/25/comuna-baiut-moarta-fara-minerit/}}</ref>

Around the year 2009, mining in Băiuț stopped.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Teremtus |first=Nicolae |date=2019-08-17 |title=Ziua Minerului, o dată în calendar şi-atât! |language=ro |trans-title=Miner's Day, a day in the calendar and nothing else! |work=Gazeta de Maramureș (The Maramureș Gazette) |url=http://www.gazetademaramures.ro/ziua-minerului-o-data-in-calendar-si-atat-21958}}</ref> Economic life slowed down considerably, as employment fell.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-06-09 |title=Mineri transformați în ciobani păstoresc la stâna… primăriei din Băiuț |language=ro |trans-title=Miners transformed into shepherds tend to the sheepfold... of the Băiuț town hall |work=eMaramureș (eMM) |url=https://www.emaramures.ro/reconversie-mineri-transformati-in-ciobani-pastoresc-la-stana-primariei-din-baiut-video/}}</ref>

On the 27th of March 2018, at around 3:30 am, a powerful noise followed by flooding with pit water from the shut-down Breiner Mine hit Băiuț.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-29 |title=Un nou accident ecologic la o veche mină din Maramureș |trans-title=A new ecological accident at an old mine in Maramureș |url=https://www.declic.ro/accident-ecologic-baiut-maramures/ |website=declic.ro |language=ro}}</ref>

The acidic water, polluted by [[iron]], [[manganese]], and [[zinc]], made its way into the nearby [[Lăpuș (river)|Lăpuș River]]. Authorities estimate the wildlife damage at one tonne of killed fish. Following the accident, the Maramureș County Prefect, Vasile Moldovan, requested that the company responsible for shutting down the commune's mines, Conversmin, pay for the repopulation of the river.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Felseghi |first=Bianca |date=2018-04-03 |title=Băiuț este o mică parte din marele bai |language=ro |work=PressOne |url=https://pressone.ro/baiut-este-o-mica-parte-din-marele-bai}}</ref>

== Demographics ==
===Ethnicity===
<div style="float:centre">{{Nowrap|{{Graph:Chart
 | width=250 | height=200
 | xAxisTitle=X
 | yAxisTitle=Y
 | legend=Ethnicity
 | type=stackedrect
 | x=2002,2011,2022
 | y1=1620,1444, 0
 | y2=1066,785, 0
 | y3=9,4, 0
 | y4=0,105, 0
 | y1Title=Romanians
 | y2Title=Hungarians
 | y3Title=Other
 | y4Title=Unknown
 | colors=#017BC2, #F23A46, #727272, #B7B7B7
}}[[File:Maramureș Ethnic Map - Băiuț.svg|325px]]}}</div>
At the 2011 census, 64.8% of inhabitants were [[Romanians]] and 34.8% [[Hungarians]].

===Religion===
<div style="float:centre">{{Nowrap|{{Graph:Chart
 | width=250 | height=200
 | xAxisTitle=X
 | yAxisTitle=Y
 | legend=Religion
 | type=stackedrect
 | x=2002,2011,2022
 | y1=1548,1383, 0
 | y2=1031,777, 0
 | y3=57,47, 0
 | y4=47,15, 0
 | y5=16,14, 0
 | y6=0,104, 0
 | y1Title=Orthodox
 | y2Title=Roman Catholic
 | y3Title=Reformed
 | y4Title=Greek Catholic
 | y5Title=Other
 | y6Title=Unknown
 | colors=#017BC2, #FFD600, #F23A46, #3CC9D8, #727272, #B7B7B7
}}[[File:Maramureș Religion Map - Băiuț.svg|325px]]}}</div>

==Administration and Politics==
As a result of the [[2020 Romanian local elections]], Viorica Maciuc of the [[National Liberal Party (Romania)|National Liberal Party]] was elected as mayor of Băiuț commune.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Mayors of Băiuț commune
!Name
! colspan="2" |Party
!Term
|-
|Viorica Maciuc
| bgcolor="#FFDD00" ; |
|[[National Liberal Party (Romania)|PNL]]
|2020-2024
|-
| rowspan="3" |Mihai Ceteraș
| rowspan="2" ; bgcolor="#ED2128" |
| rowspan="2" |[[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|PSD]]
|2016-2020
|-
|2012-2016
|-
|bgcolor="#66CCFF" |
|[[Conservative Party (Romania)|PC]]
|2008-2012
|-
| rowspan="2" |Viorica Coc
| rowspan="2" ; bgcolor="#FFDD00" ; |
| rowspan="2" |[[National Liberal Party (Romania)|PNL]]
|2004-2008
|-
|2000-2004
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Local Council of Băiuț commune
! colspan="2" |Party
! colspan="2" |Seats
|-
| bgcolor="#FFDD00" |
|[[National Liberal Party (Romania)|National Liberal Party]]
|3
|{{Composition histogram|#FFDD00|3}}
|-
|bgcolor="#15803C" |
|[[Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania]]
|2
|{{Composition histogram|#15803C|2}}
|-
| bgcolor="#ED2128" |
|Coalition for Maramureș<br /><small>''([[Social Democratic Party (Romania)|Social Democratic Party]]-led coalition)''</small>
|2
|{{Composition histogram|#ED2128|2}}
|-
|bgcolor="1572BA" |
|[[PRO Romania]]
|1
|{{Composition histogram|#1572BA|1}}
|-
|bgcolor="#00AAE7" |
|[[Save Romania Union]]
|1
|{{Composition histogram|#00AAE7|1}}
|-
|bgcolor="#008000" |
|[[Ecologist Party of Romania]]
|1
|{{Composition histogram|#008000|1}}
|-
|bgcolor="#A7CF35" |
|[[People's Movement Party]]
|1
|{{Composition histogram|#A7CF35|1}}
|}

==Natives==
*[[Ioan Giurgiu Patachi]] (1680–1727), [[List of bishops of Făgăraș and Alba Iulia|Bishop of Făgăraș]] and [[Primate (bishop)|Primate]] of the [[Romanian Greek Catholic Church]]
*[[Mircea Roman]] (b. 1958), sculptor

== Sights ==
[[File:Biserica de lemn din Poiana Botizii-exterioare (2).JPG|250px|right|thumb|Wooden church in Poiana Botizii]]
* Wooden Church in Poiana Botizii, built in the 19th century (1825), historic monument
* Black Pond Nature Reserve (1,00 ha), natural monument<ref>[http://www.marasilva.ro/AP32.php marasilva.ro - Maramureș Forest Directorate]; retrieved on May 27, 2012</ref>
* “Botiza Glade” Bone Cave Nature Reserve (0,50 ha), natural monument<ref>[http://www.marasilva.ro/AP21.php marasilva.ro - Botiza Glade Bone Cave, Maramureș Forest Directorate]; retrieved on May 27, 2012</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Maramureș County}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Baiut}}
[[Category:Communes in Maramureș County]]
[[Category:Localities in Transylvania]]