Bălan

Bălan (German: Kupferbergwerk; Hungarian: Balánbánya, pronounced [ˈbɒlaːmbaːɲɒ]) is a town in Harghita County, Romania. It has historically been one of Transylvania and Romania's most important centers for copper mining, but its mines are no longer operational. Its Romanian name means "blond", the German name means "copper mine" while the Hungarian name means "Balán mine."

Geography

It lies in the Ciuc Depression (Romanian Depresiunea Ciucului, Hungarian: Csíki-medence). It is surrounded by the Hășmaș Mountains (Hășmașul Mare and Hășmașul Mic). The town's altitude is 850 m; this rises to 1792 m at the highest peak of the Hășmaș Mountains. Bălan is crossed by the Olt River.

Climate

The temperate continental climate has an average temperature of 7˚C, falling to -10˚C in winter. There are 1300-1400 sunny hours per year. Wind gusts are rare due to the surrounding mountains and forests.

Flora and fauna

Most of the forests around Bălan are spruce forests, but there are also fir, larch and maple forests. There are some flowers species in the area like edelweiss and sweet pea which are protected by law. In the forests there are some edible mushrooms species and fruits like blueberries, raspberries and cranberries.

Balan (surname)

Balan or Bălan is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: