| Official Name: | Căușeni District |
| Native Name: | Raionul Căușeni |
| Settlement Type: | District (Raion) |
| Image Map1: | Harta raionului Căușeni.png |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type3: | Administrative center (Oraș-reședință) |
| Leader Title: | Raion president |
| Leader Name: | Ciontoloi Ion (PLDM), since 2011 |
| Established Date: | 2002 |
| Area Total Km2: | 1163 |
| Population Footnotes: | [1] |
| Population Total: | 81,185 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Utc Offset: | +2 |
| Utc Offset Dst: | +3 |
| Blank Info: | CS |
Căușeni District (Romanian; Moldavian; Moldovan: Raionul Căușeni,) is a district in the central part of Moldova, with the administrative center at Căușeni. The other major city in the district is Căinari. According to the 2014 Moldovan Census, the population of the district is 81,185.
The Căușeni District was the first district of Moldova to be recorded in 1455. The next localities of the region to be recorded were: Zaim, Cîrnățeni, Fîrlădeni, but not until the period 1535–1573. In the 16th-18th centuries, intensive agriculture and wine-making industries developed and population grew as a consequence. In 1761, in Căuşeni city, the Assumption Church was built with beautiful painted frescoes on the inside walls. In 1812, after the Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812), Bessarabia was occupied by the Russian Empire until 1917. During this period there was an intense Russification of the native population. In 1918, after the collapse of the Russian Empire, Bessarabia united with Romania. From 1918–1940 and again from 1941–1944 during the German occupation, the district became part of Tighina County. After the 1939 Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, Bessarabia was occupied by the USSR in June 1940. In 1991 as a result of the proclamation of the Independence of Moldova, part of Căușeni District joined with Tighina County (1991–2003). In 2003 the district became an administrative unit of Moldova.
Căușeni District is located in the southern part of Moldova. It is bordered by the following districts: Ialoveni and Anenii Noi in the north, Slobozia District in the east, Ștefan Vodă District in the south-east, bordering in the south with Ukraine, and Cimișlia District in the west. The relief of the land is mostly flat, with maximum altitudes of 220–230 metres. The minimum altitude is 20–30 metres on the Lower Dniester plain. The land has a low intensity of erosion.
The district has a continental climate with an annual average district temperature of 11C. The July average temperature is 23C, and in January it is -4C. Annual precipitation 450–550 mm. Average wind speed is 2–5 metres/second.
Typical European fauna, with the presence of such mammals such as foxes, hedgehogs, deer, wild boar, polecat, wild cat, ermine. and others. Of birds there are: partridges, crows, eagles, starlings, swallows, and more.
Forests of the district are composed of tree species such as oak, ash, hornbeam, linden, maple, walnut and others. Other common plants are: wormwood, knotweed, fescue, and nettle.
Căușeni district is located in the Dniester River basin, whose main tributary is the Botna River (152 km). Most lakes are artificial in origin.
As of 1 January 2012, the district population was 92,000, of which 26.5% was urban and 73.5% was rural population
| % of total | ||
|---|---|---|
| Moldovans * | 87.0 | |
| Romanians * | 5.4 | |
| 3.5 | ||
| 2.0 | ||
| 1.2 | ||
| 0.7 | ||
| Other | 0.2 | |
| Undeclared | 3.5 |
The main economic activities of the district are agriculture and manufacturing. Currently there are 15,721 registered companies in the district. The different types of manufacturing that predominate are: wine-making, processing of milk, bakery products, and other industries based on local raw materials. Total Agricultural land is 93,700 ha which is (80.5%) of the total land area. Of this agricultural land, the arable land occupies 70 600 ha (60.7%), of which there are 4,300 ha of orchards (3.7%) and 5,200 ha of vineyards (4.5%).
The district operates 69 educational institutions, including institutions of secondary education - 37 (14,960 students), kindergartens - 31 (3014 children), a creative center for children.
Căușeni District has historically voted mainly for right-wing parties. In Moldova the district is represented by the Alliance for European Integration (AEI). The Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) has seen a continuous fall in the percentage of the vote during the last three elections.
During the last three elections the vote for the AEI has grown from 11,179 votes to 20,140 votes representing an increase of 80%.
| Year | AEI | PCRM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 51.58% 20,140 | 41.19% 16,082 | |
| July 2009 | 50.27% 19,629 | 44.26% 17,281 | |
| April 2009 | 30.03% 11,179 | 53.01% 19,733 |
|-!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=center colspan="2" valign=center|Parties and coalitions!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|%!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|+/−|-| |align=left|Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova|align="right"|16,082|align="right"|41.19|align="right"|−3.07|-| |align=left|Liberal Democratic Party of Moldova|align="right"|12,525|align="right"|32.08|align="right"|+19.62|-| |align=left|Democratic Party of Moldova|align="right"|4,725|align="right"|12,10|align="right"|+3.13|-| |align=left|Liberal Party|align="right"|2,515|align="right"|6.44|align="right"|−5.68|-|bgcolor=#0033cc||align=left|European Action Movement|align="right"|835|align="right"|2.14|align="right"|+2.14|-|bgcolor="grey"||align=left|United Moldova|align="right"|437|align="right"|1.12|align="right"|+1.12|-|bgcolor="grey"||align=left|Other Party|align="right"|1,538|align="right"|3.91|align="right"|-18.34|-|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan="2"|Total (turnout 57.46%)|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|39,352|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|100.00|width="30" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
In the Căușeni District there are: 37 houses of culture, several folk bands with a Title 31 model, and 74 amateur artistic groups with a total of 1200 participants. There is a School of Arts in Căușeni city, a school of Music in both Căinari and Copanca, a museum of history and ethnography of Căușeni, the "Alexei Mateevici House Museum" in Zaim, and in Cainari, a Museum of history and ethnography in Copanca, and 45 public Libraries including 9 branches for children].
Health services are provided in Căușeni District through: a general fund hospital with 292 beds, 19 Magnetic field imaging (MFI) units, 13 health centres, 5 health points, and 13 clinical diagnostic laboratories.