Bács-Kiskun County

BÁCS-KISKUN COUNTY
Bács-Kiskun county
Region	Southern Great Plain
County seat	Kecskemét
Area	8,445 km²
Population	547,000
Population density	65/km²
Municipalities	119

Bács-Kiskun is a county (megye in Hungarian) located in southern Hungary. It was created as a result of WWII, merging the pre war Bács-Bodrog and Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun counties. With an area of 8,445 km², Bács-Kiskun is the largest county in area. The county seat and largest city of Bács-Kiskun is Kecskemét.

The county is also part of the Danube-Kris-Mures-Tisa euroregion.

Geography

The county is Europe-wide known for its natural beauty. Kiskunság National Park is located in the area.

Location

Bács-Kiskun borders Baranya, Tolna, and Fejér on the west (across the Danube River); Pest to the north, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and Csongrád on the east, across the Tisza River. To the south Bács-Kiskun shares the international border with Serbia.

Bács-Kiskun lies on the Great Alföld. The difference between its highest and lowest elevations is only 80 m.

Rivers

• Danube
• Tisza

Lakes

• Lake Szelid
• Lake Vadkert

History

Bács-Kiskun county was created after World War II from the pre-1938 counties Bács-Bodrog and Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun (southern half).

Demographics

Although the population is decreasing, the birth rate in the county is positive, unlike in any other regions in Hungary.

Ethnicity

The population of the county is almost homogeneous, with a Hungarian majority. Some Croatian and German people live around Hajós and Baja.

Religion

The people of Bács-Kiskun are predominantly Christians, belonging to several different denominations.

Transportation

Highway M5 and Road 5 go through Bács-Kiskun. There are many second-class roads throughout the county, that way easy excess is available to every village. The international railroad Budapest-Subotica-Belgrade and the national rainroad Budapest-Cegléd-Szeged pass through Bács-Kiskun as well.

Regional structure

Two-thirds of the population lives in the twenty cities/towns, among which the largest is the county seat, Kecskemét, where one-sixth of the total population resides. The town with the largest population density is Kalocsa (353/km²), the lowest population density is in the village of Újsolt (6/km²). City/towns have an average population density of 126, while villages have an average of 36/km².

Even though Bács-Kiskun is the fifth largest county of Hungary by population, the population density is less than half of the country's average. The villages are typically large. 13% of the population lives on farms and homesteads.

City with county rights

• Kecskemét (county seat)

Cities and towns

(ordered by population, according to the 2001 census)

Baja (38,143)		Kunszentmiklós (9,078)
Kiskunfélegyháza (32,081)		Soltvadkert (7,782)
Kiskunhalas (29,688)		Bácsalmás (7,694)
Kalocsa (18,449)		Solt (7,063)
Kiskőrös (15,263)		Szabadszállás (6,680)
Kiskunmajsa (21,091)		Izsák (6,187)
Tiszakécske (11,878)		Kerekegyháza (6,051)
Lajosmizse (11,159)		Tompa (4,899)
Jánoshalma (9,866)		Dunavecse (4,249)
Kecel (9,259)

Villages

Ágasegyháza		Csólyospálos		Géderlak		Kunpeszér		Soltszentimre
Akasztó		Dávod		Hajós		Kunszállás		Sükösd
Apostag		Drágszél		Harkakötöny		Ladánybene		Szakmár
Bácsbokod		Dunaegyháza		Harta		Lakitelek		Szalkszentmárton
Bácsborsód		Dunafalva		Helvécia		Madaras		Szank
Bácsszentgyörgy		Dunapataj		Hercegszántó		Mátételke		Szentkirály
Bácsszőlős		Dunaszentbenedek		Homokmégy		Mélykút		Szeremle
Ballószög		Dunatetétlen		Imrehegy		Miske		Tabdi
Balotaszállás		Dusnok		Jakabszállás		Móricgát		Tass
Bátmonostor		Érsekcsanád		Jászszentlászló		Nagybaracska		Tataháza
Bátya		Érsekhalma		Kaskantyú		Nemesnádudvar		Tázlár
Bócsa		Fajsz		Katymár		Nyárlőrinc		Tiszaalpár
Borota		Felsőlajos		Kelebia		Ordas		Tiszaug
Bugac		Felsőszentiván		Kéleshalom		Orgovány		Uszód
Bugaspusztaháza		Foktő		Kisszállás		Öregcsertő		Újsolt
Császártöltés		Fülöpháza		Kömpöc		Páhi		Újtelek
Csátalja		Fülöpjakab		Kunadacs		Pálmonostora		Városföld
Csávoly		Fülöpszállás		Kunbaja		Petőfiszállás		Vaskút
Csengőd		Gara		Kunbaracs		Pirtó		Zsana
Csikéria		Gátér		Kunfehértó		Rém

Miscellaneous topics

List of famous residents

• József Bayer, member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• Jenő Ernst, doctor, biologist, member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• András Gáspár, Hungarian General
• János Hornyik, historian
• Dénes Jánossy, mailing member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• András Jelky, a man who travelled around the world in a strange way (1730-1783)
• József Katona, author
• László Kelemen, president of the first Hungarian Theater
• Zoltán Kodály, composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist and philosopher
• Kálmán Latabár, actor, comedian
• Béla Magyari, cosmonaut
• Lázár Mészáros, Hungary's first Minister of War
• Dezső Miskolczy, respected explorer of the mental disease, member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences
• Ferenc Móra, novelist
• Sándor Petőfi, Hungarian national poet
• Emma Sándor, composer, wife of Zoltán Kodály
• Ede Telcs, sculptor
• Kálmán Tóth, famous poet
• István Türr, Garibaldi's general