added to neighbouring counties and nowadays it is the smallest (excluding the city of Bucharest, which has a special status). Between 1981 and 1997, it was called "Sectorul Agricol Ilfov" and it was not a separate county, but subordinate to the capital. Periș Ciolpani Gruiu Nuci Snagov Grădiștea Moara Vlăsiei Balotești Corbeanca Dascălu Petrăchioaia Otopeni (town status) Tunari Ștefăneștii de Jos Afumați Voluntari (town status) Găneasa Mogoșoaia Buftea (town status) Chitila (town status) Dragomirești-Vale Chiajna Dobroești Pantelimon (town status) Brănești Ciorogârla Domnești Clinceni Bragadiru (town status) Popești-Leordeni (town status) Glina Cernica Cornetu Măgurele (town status) Jilava Berceni Dărăști-Ilfov 1 Decembrie Vidra Ilfov County is the only county that has its capital outside of its territorial area, in Bucharest, which is not part of the actual county. Initially, right after the 1968 reform of the public administration in communist Romania, Ilfov was a larger county, that comprised its present-day territory, the entire Giurgiu County, Bucharest and the western parts of Călărași and Ialomița counties. Later during the communist period, its territory was reduced to its current size and it became one of the sectors of Bucharest. It became again a county in 1997, when its capital was designated to be Bucharest. However, in 2005, some plans were proposed that would merge Bucharest with 90 other communes located to up to 40 km outside the city, in Ilfov County and other nearby counties into a "metropolitan area" of Bucharest, similar to Greater London. As of 2011, these plans did not happen, while a debate on the general administrative division of Romania was under way. Historical county Historically, the county was located in the southern part of Greater Romania, in the southern part of the historical region of Muntenia, around and in the south of Bucharest. During the interwar years, the county, which contained the city of Bucharest, was the most populous county in Romania. Currently the territory of the county is divided among Bucharest, the current Ilfov County, Dâmbovița County, Ialomița County, Călărași County, and Giurgiu County. It was bordered to the north by the counties of Prahova and Dâmboviţa, to the west by Vlașca County, to the east by Ialomița County, and to the south by Durostor County. Administration The county included the cities of Bucharest and Oltenița, and originally seven administrative districts (plăși): Plasa Băneasa, headquartered at Băneasa (with 39 villages) Plasa Bolintin, headquartered at Bolintin (with 38 villages) Plasa