Cu o suprafata de 74,16 km2, comuna Creaca este situata in zona de contact dintre Muntii Mesesului, Dealul Dumbrava si Depresiunea Almas-Agrij.
Dealul Dumbrava este puntea de legatura dintre culmea Mesesului si horstul cristalin al Ticaului, valea Ortelecului fiind cea care desparte cele doua unitati.
Comuna Creaca este alcatuita din 9 sate: Creaca - sat resedinta de comuna situat la o distanta de 17 km fata de municipiul Zalau, Borza, Brebi, Brusturi, Ciglean, Jac, Lupoaia, Prodanesti si Viile Jacului.
Intreaga comuna, prin pozitia sa privilegiata, a constituit o zona majora de interes strategic, fapt consemnat de nenumarate ori in istorie. Legaturile stranse cu orasul roman Porolissum, prezenta cimitirului roman de la Jac, castrul roman de la Brusturi, turnurile romane de la Brebi, atestarea crestinismului inca din secolul VIII - d. Cr. ( chilie crestina la Jac), functia de vama, sunt cateva elemente care confirma importanta asezarilor comunei Creaca de-a lungul istoriei.
Atestarile documentare ale localitatilor comunei sunt consemnate intre secolele XIV-XVI, exceptie facand localitatea Viile Jacului. Creaca a fost mentionata pentru prima data in anul 1385 sub denumirea de Kerikapatak, Borza la 1469, Brebi la 1385, Brusturi la 1585, Ciglean la 1545, Jac la 1499, Lupoaia la 1469, Prodanesti la 1475 si Viile Jacului la 1956.
Populatia comunei a cunoscut de-a lungul timpului fluctuatii importante privind numarul locuitorilor si a suferit modificari importante in structurile sale, fenomene strans legate de evolutia istorica si economica a zonei. La ultimul recensamant populatia numara 3046 de locuitori, din care 97,83% romani, 0,06% maghiari, 2,06% rromi si 0,09% alte nationalitati.
Desi dispune de bogate resurse ale subsolului - carbune la Lupoaia, nisipuri cuartoase la Borza si Lupoaia, calcare aflate in exploatare la Prodanesti, agricultura este principala ramura a economiei comunei. In ultimii 15 ani s-a inregistrat o revigorare a sectorului tertiar si a micii industrii.
Posedand un fond turistic natural si antropic de exceptie, comuna Creaca beneficiaza de un aflux destul de mare de turisti, fie pentru vizitarea obiectivelor turistice locale, dar mai ales in tranzit spre Jibou si Zalau. Printre cele mai importante obiective turistice ce merita a fi incluse in programul oricarui turist care viziteaza aceasta zona, se pot enumera Dealul Dumbrava cu formele sale exocarstice, de pe a carui culme se pot admira peisaje foarte frumoase, si nu in ultimul rand bisericile de lemn, monumente istorice si de arhitectura, din Borza ("Sfintii Arhangheli" - 1758 ), Brebi ("Sfintii Arhangheli" - 1759 ), Brusturi ("Sfintii Arhangheli" - 1701 ), Creaca ("Sfantul Nicolaie" - 1710 ), Prodanesti ("Sfantul Gheorghe" - 1650 ) si Jac ("Sfintii Arhangheli" - 1759 ).
De aceasta comuna se leaga numele marelui geograf Ion Mac, profesor al Universitatii Babes - Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca, personalitate marcanta a scolii romanesti de geomorfologie, cu rezultate recunoscute atat in tara cat si in strainatate. A pus bazele Colegiului Universitar de Cadastru si Cartografie de la Zalau, aducand vechiul targ al Zalaului in randul oraselor universitare.
With a 74,16 square kms surface, Creaca commune is situated in the contact zone between the Meses Mountains, the Dumbrava Hills and the Almas - Agrij Basin.
The Dumbrava Hills connect the Meses peak with the Ticau crystal horst, while the Ortelec Valley divides them.
Creaca commune consists of nine villages: Creaca, the central village situated at 17 kms distance from Zalau city, Borza, Brebi, Brusturi, Ciglean, Jac, Lupoaia, Prodanesti and Viile Jacului.
The commune, due to its favourable position, was a major strategical zone. It had a close relationship with the Roman capital, Porolissum. The Roman cemetery in Jac, the Roman camp in Brusturi, the Roman towers in Brebi, the customs role are a few elements that prove the importance of Creaca commune in the course of time.
With the exception of Viile Jacului, the villages were firstly attested during the 14 -16th centuries. Creaca was first mentioned in the year 1385 under the name Kerikapatak, Borza in 1469, Brebi in 1385, Brusturi in 1585, Ciglean in 1545, Jac in 1499, Lupoaia in 1469, Prodanesti in 1475 and Viile Jacului in 1956.
Due to the historical and economical evolution of the commune, its population underwent a lot of modifications in the respect of its ethnical structure. At the last census the population counted 3046 inhabitants of which 97,83% are Romanians, 0,06% Hungarians, 2,06% Roms and 0,09% were other nationalities.
Although it is characterized by a richness of resources of the subsoil (coal in Lupoaia, quartz sand in Borza and Lupoaia, limestone in Prodanesti), yet the dominant economical branch is agriculture. In the last 15 years there was an improvement also in the tertiary sector and in the small industry.
Due to its exceptional natural and anthropical fond, Creaca is visited by hundreds of tourists, one part of them views the local touristic sights, but most of them travel in transit through the commune towards Jibou and Zalau. The most important touristic sights are the scenery of the Dumbrava Hills and the wooden churches, monuments of history and architecture in Borza (Sfintii Arhangheli - 1758), in Brebi (Sfintii Arhangheli - 1759), in Brusturi (Sfintii Arhangheli - 1701), in Creaca (Sfantul Nicolaie - 1710), in Prodanesti (Sfantul Gheorghe - 1650) and in Jac (Sfintii Arhangheli - 1759).
In this commune was born the famous geographer, Ion Mac, professor of the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca. His field of research was geomorphology. He has established the College for Cadastre and Cartography in Zalau, due to which this city can be mentioned among the university cities of the country.
A 74,16 km2 teruletu kozseg a Meszes hegyseg, a Tolgyes domb es az Almas - Egregy medence talalkozasanal fekszik. A Tolgyes osszekapcsolja, a Vartelek volgye pedig elvalasztja a Meszes csucsat es a Ciko csucs kristalyhorsztjat.
A kozseghez tartozo telepulesek a kovetkezok: Karika (Creaca), a kozsegkozpont, amely 17 km-re fekszik Zilahtol, Borza (Borza), Bered (Brebi), Somroujfalu (Brusturi), Csiglen (Ciglean), Zsakfalva (Jac), Farkasmezo (Lupoaia), Prodanfalva (Prodanesti) es Lankapuszta (Viile Jacului).
A kozseg, elonyos fekvesenek koszonhetoen, hadaszati szempontbol fontos szerepet jatszott a tortenelem folyaman. Szoros kapcsolatban allt a romai tartomonyi kozponttal, Porolissummal. A zsakfalvi romai temeto, a somroujfalvi romai tabor, a beredi romai tornyok, a kozseg vamszerepe mind a telepules jelentoseget bizonyitjak. A falvak elso irasos emlitesei - Lankapuszta kivetelevel - a XIV-XVI. szazadbol valok. Karikat 1385-ben emlitettek eloszor az okiratok Kerikapatak neven, Borzat 1469-ben, Beredet 1385-ben, Somroujfalut 1585-ben, Csiglent 1545-ben, Zsakfalvat 1499-ben, Farkasmezot 1469-ben, Prodanfalvat 1475-ben, mig Lankapuszta csak 1956-ban kapott telepules rangot.
A lakossag szamaban ss osszeteteleben bekovetkezett valtozasok a videk gazdasagi fejlodesenek tulajdonithatok. Az utolso nepszamlalaskor a kozseg lakoinak szama 3046 volt, ebbol 97,83% roman, 0,06% magyar, 2,06% roma es 0,09% mas nemzetisegu.
Bar a kozseg gazdag altalajkincsekben, a farkasmezoi szen, a borzai es farkasmezoi kvarcos homok, a Prodanfalvan talalhato meszko kitermelese hozzajarul a gazdasag fejlesztesehez, megis a mezogazdasag a legfontosabb gazdasagi agazat. Emellett az utobbi 15 evben ujra felviragzott a kisipar is.
Karika kozsegben sok turista megfordul, egy reszuk a helyi nevezetessegek kedveert latogat ide, mig masok atutazoban vannak Zsibo es Zilah fele. Latvanyossagkent megemlithetok a Tolgyes karsztos formai es a fatemplomok, melyek egyben tortenelmi es epiteszeti muemlekek is (Borza - 1758, Bered - 1759, Somroujfalu - 1701, Karika - 1710, Prodanfalva - 1650 es Zsakfalva - 1759).
