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Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County

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48°00′N 22°10′E / 48.000°N 22.167°E / 48.000; 22.167

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg vármegye
Counties of Hungary
Tur river near Sonkád (Kisbukógát).
Earthwork of Szabolcs
Kossuth Square, Nyíregyháza
Descending, from top: Tur river near Sonkád, Earthwork of Szabolcs, and Downtown of Nyíregyháza
Flag of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County
Flag
Coat of arms of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County
Coat of arms
Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County within Hungary
Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County within Hungary
CountryHungary
RegionNorthern Great Plain
County seatNyíregyháza
Districts
13 districts
Government
 • President of the General AssemblyIstván Román (Fidesz-KDNP)
Area
 • Total5,935.83 km2 (2,291.84 sq mi)
 • Rank6th in Hungary
Population
 (2018)
 • Total558,361[1]
 • Rank3rd in Hungary
GDP
[2]
 • TotalHUF 1,149 billion
€3.691 billion (2016)
Postal code
423x, 4244–4246, 4267, 43xx–49xx
Area code(s)(+36) 42, 44, 45
ISO 3166 codeHU-SZ
Websitewww.szszbmo.hu

Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg (Hungarian: Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg vármegye, pronounced [ˈsɒbolt͡ʃ ˈsɒtmaːr ˈbɛrɛɡ]) is an administrative county (Hungarian: vármegye) in north-eastern Hungary, bordering Slovakia (Košice Region), Ukraine (Zakarpattia Oblast), and Romania (Bihor and Satu Mare counties). It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Hajdú––Bihar and Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén. The capital of Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg county is Nyíregyháza.

Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County was organised after World War II from the previous counties Szatmár–Ugocsa–Bereg and Szabolcs. Before 1991 it was called Szabolcs-Szatmár County.

Geography

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Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg is in the north-eastern tip of Hungary. It borders Ukraine (Zakarpattia Oblast), Slovakia (Košice Region), and Romania (Bihor and Satu Mare counties), and has good connections both by road and rail. Within Hungary, the county is bordered by Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén County and the Tisza River to the north-west and Hajdú–Bihar County to the south-west.

The early Hungarians transformed this region significantly by clearing large areas of forest to make way for pastures and farmland. Approximately 5 to 6 square kilometres of forest were cleared for the construction of the Szabolcs earthwork in the ninth and tenth centuries, and its ruins are still present. The area was the gateway for the Mongol invasion of Hungary in the 1240s, and suffered considerable destruction and population decrease during the raids. With the subsequent development of the country, the region became even more marginalized in the 15th century. Ongoing civil war, rebellion, and war exacted a heavy price and further hindered the region's development.

The county's borders have been altered frequently over the years, its current territory being established in 1950 with the amalgamation of the counties of Szabolcs–Ung and Szatmár–Bereg–Ugocsa.

There are many forests, fields, pastures, meadows, and moorland forests in the county. The bog moss moors at Csaroda, the Nyíres lake, and the Bábtava lake are especially valuable, as they contain many rare species of fauna and flora.

Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg is Hungary's sixth-biggest county with a total land area of 5,936 square kilometres (2,292 square miles). From a geographical aspect, it is possible to divide the county into two main regions: The Upper Tisza Valley and the Nyírség. Tisza is one of the most important rivers of the county, entering Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg — and Hungary — at Tiszabecs, and leaving at Tiszadob. Its segment in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county is 235 kilometres long, out of which 208 kilometres (129 miles) belongs to the Upper Tisza Valley, reaching the area of Tokaj and Rakamaz. The larger area named the Nyírség is derived from the word nyír meaning birch, as the region is dominated by birch woodlands. The northern part of Nyírség is covered with sandy forest soils, the southern areas have loose wind-blown sand. Alluvial and meadow soils are found in the Upper Tisza region.

The county has a continental climate; it is cooler than the Great Plain because it is further north. Summers are cooler than in other parts of the Plains. Annual precipitation is 550–600 millimetres. The higher than average number of days of sunshine make ideal conditions for the growing of tomatoes, sunflower, tobacco, apples, and other fruits such as plums—for which the county is famous, being eaten fresh, dried into prunes (some made into lekvar) and fermented into well-known brandies.

The county has 229 settlements, of which 20 are towns. The county capital and largest city is Nyíregyháza with a population of 116,900 in 2003. The other cities have relatively small populations, only those of Kisvárda and Mátészalka having around 18,000 inhabitants. The eastern part of the county is lightly populated and is dotted with small villages which often have very poor economic conditions.

The Tisza River

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The Upper Tisza region has many streams and rivers, but the Nyírség region has little surface water. The most important of Tisza's tributaries is the river Szamos, which is also characterised by great variations in water volume. There are irrigation systems, a water barrage, and a hydroelectric power station on the Tisza at Tiszalök.

Lakes of various sizes have evolved in sandy areas such as the basin of the Sóstó (Salty lake) of Nyíregyháza, whose alkaline, hydrogen-carbonated waters have medicinal qualities. Many water reservoirs have been built according to local demand. Thermal waters of 55–65 °C can be brought to the surface from wells as shallow as 1,000 metres. The most important thermal water reserves are in Nyíregyháza, Kisvárda, Mátészalka, and Tiszavasvári. The county's geothermal energy still awaits exploitation.

The county has relatively few mineral reserves. Almost all of the large energy source transport systems cross the county.

Demographics

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Religion in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County (2022 census – of those who declared their religion (66.7%))

  Calvinistic (44.6%)
  Roman Catholic (21.1%)
  Greek Catholic (17.1%)
  Lutheran (2.4%)
  Faith Church (0.8%)
  Other Christian denomination (2.5%)
  Other religion (0.2%)
  Not religious (11.3%)
See also: Demographics of Hungary

In 2015, it had a population of 562,357 and the population density was 92/km².

Year County population[3] Change
1949 558,098 n/a
1960   586,451 5.08%
1970   565,557 -3.56%
1980   593,829 (record) 5.00%
1990   572,301 -3.63%
2001   582,256 1.74%
2011   559,272 -3.95%
2015   562,357 0.55%
2018   558,361 -0.71%

Ethnicity

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Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minority populations in the county are Romani (about 44,000), German (about 2,000), and Ukrainian (about 1,000).

Total population (2011 census): 559,272
Ethnic groups (2011 census):[4]

  • Hungarians: 476,256 (90.55%)
  • Romani: 44,133 (8.40%)
  • Others and indefinable: 5,569 (1.06%)

About 66,000 people in Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County did not declare their ethnicity during the 2011 census.

Religion

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See also: Religion in Hungary

Religious adherence in the county according to 2011 census:[5]

Regional structure

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District of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County
№ English and
Hungarian names 		Area
(km²) 		Population
(2011) 		Density
(pop./km²) 		Seat № of
municipalities
1 Baktalórántháza District
Baktalórántházai járás 		254.47 19,123 75 Baktalórántháza 12
2 Csenger District
Csengeri járás 		246.51 13,485 55 Csenger 11
3 Fehérgyarmat District
Fehérgyarmati járás 		707.37 37,259 53 Fehérgyarmat 50
4 Ibrány District
Ibrányi járás 		304.91 23,679 78 Ibrány 8
5 Kemecse District
Kemecsei járás 		246.41 22,066 90 Kemecse 11
6 Kisvárda District
Kisvárdai járás 		523.09 56,114 107 Kisvárda 23
7 Mátészalka District
Mátészalkai járás 		624.70 64,015 102 Mátészalka 26
8 Nagykálló District
Nagykállói járás 		377.36 30,403 81 Nagykálló 8
9 Nyírbátor District
Nyírbátori járás 		695.94 43,040 62 Nyírbátor 20
10 Nyíregyháza District
Nyíregyházi járás 		809.61 168,118 208 Nyíregyháza 15
11 Tiszavasvári District
Tiszavasvári járás 		381.61 27,684 73 Tiszavasvári 6
12 Vásárosnamény District
Vásárosnaményi járás 		617.94 35,323 57 Vásárosnamény 28
13 Záhony District
Záhonyi járás 		145.95 18,963 130 Záhony 11
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County 5,935.83 559,272 94 Nyíregyháza 229

Economy

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The county borders three countries, and it is the only Hungarian county bordering Ukraine. The railway border crossing toward Ukraine is well developed; its high capacity is able to meet the requirements of transit and bilateral trade. Following the reconstruction of the road border crossing, the county is also able to cope with increased road transportation.

Several regions in the county have tourism potential, mostly unexploited. Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg has several agricultural products of excellent quality, with capacity for higher production. There is an abundance of low-cost, semiskilled labour.

The county's biggest problem is the economic crisis. There is a shortage of local capital and inward investment, which restrains the creation of new jobs, thus the unemployment rate remains the second highest in Hungary. Manufacturing lags the rest of the country, most notably lacking high quality, high-value-added products. The marginal soil quality limits the scope of agricultural production to a few products which suffer from shrinking export markets to the east.

It is home to the Szakoly Power Plant.

Politics

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Main article: Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County Assembly

The Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County Council, elected at the 2024 local government elections[6], is made up of 25 counselors,[7] with the following party composition:

 
Countyhall of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg
Party Seats Current County Assembly
  Fidesz-KDNP 17                                    
  Our Homeland Movement 4                                    
  Democratic Coalition 2                                  
  Association for Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County 2                                    

Presidents of the General Assembly

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List of presidents since 1990[8]
Oszkár Seszták (Fidesz-KDNP) 2014–

Municipalities

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Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County has 1 urban county, 27 towns, 15 large villages and 186 villages.

City with county rights

(ordered by population, as of 2011 census)

Towns
Villages

  municipalities are large villages.

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Notable people from Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg

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International relations

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Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County has a partnership relationship with:[9]

References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.
 
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County.
  1. ^ nepesseg.com, population data of Hungarian settlement
  2. ^ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
  3. ^ népesség.com, "Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg megye népessége 1870–2015"
  4. ^ 1.1.6. A népesség anyanyelv, nemzetiség és nemek szerint – Frissítve: 2013.04.17.; Hungarian Central Statistical Office (in Hungarian)
  5. ^ 2011. ÉVI NÉPSZÁMLÁLÁS, 3. Területi adatok, 3.16 Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg megye, (in Hungarian) [1]
  6. ^ "Nemzeti Választási Iroda - Helyi önkormányzati választások". vtr.valasztas.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 26 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Megyei közgyűlés tagjai 2019–2024 (Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg megye)". valasztas.hu. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
  8. ^ Önkormányzati választások eredményei (in Hungarian)
  9. ^ "Magyar Hírlap • Testvérmegyei szándéknyilatkozatot írtak alá Szatmárnémetiben". Archived from the original on 2 August 2015.
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