The Žilina Region (; ; ) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions and consists of 11 districts (okresy) and 315 municipalities, from which 18 have a town status. The region was established in 1923, however, in its present borders exists from 1996. It is a more industrial region with several large towns. Žilina is the region administrative center and there is a strong cultural environment in Martin.

Geography

It is located in northern Slovakia and has an area of  km². The whole area is mountainous, belonging to the Western Carpathians. Some of the mountain ranges in the region include Javorníky, the Lesser Fatra and the Greater Fatra in the west, Oravská Magura, Chočské vrchy, Low Tatras and Western Tatras in the east. The whole area is part of the Váh river basin. Its main left tributaries are the Turiec and Rajčanka rivers and its right tributaries are Belá, Orava and Kysuca. The national parks on the region's territory are the Lesser, Greater Fatra, Low Tatras and Tatra; landscape protected areas are Strážovské vrchy, Kysuce and Horná Orava. The region borders Prešov Region in the east, Banská Bystrica Region in the south, Trenčín Region in the south-west and west, Czech Zlín Region and Moravian-Silesian regions in the north-west and Polish Silesian and Lesser Poland voivodeships in the north and north-east.

History

After the fall of Great Moravia in the early 9th century, the area became part of the Kingdom of Hungary in the 11th century practically to 1920. Before the break it was part of the Hungarian counties of Trencsén, Turóc, Árva and Liptó. After incorporation into Czechoslovakia, the counties continued to exist under their Slovak names of Trenčín, Turiec, Orava and Liptov, but only to 1923, when they were replaced by (grand) counties ((veľ)župy) From 1928 it was part of the administrative unit "Slovak Land". During the WWII Slovak Republic, the area was split between Trenčín and Tatra counties. Since 1928 it was part of the administrative after reincorporation into Czechoslovakia in 1945, the pre-war state was restored. In 1949-1960 there was a unit with the name Žilina Region but it was abolished in 1960 and the area became part of new Central Slovak Region, of which it was part until 1990 (except 1969-70) when it was abolished. After the independence of Slovakia in 1993, the current region was established in 1996. Since the administrative regions became autonomous in 2002, it is governed by the Žilina Self-Governing Region.

Population

It has a population of  people (31 December ). The population density in the region is (). The largest towns are Žilina, Martin, Liptovský Mikuláš, Ružomberok, Čadca and Dolný Kubín.

Ethnicity

Religion

Economy

From the stagnation in the 1990s the region now enjoys relative prosperity. The main employers are industry and tourism. The river Váh valley, which runs across the entire region, forms a strong industrial base with wood pulp and engineering factories as well as Volkswagen and Kia plants in Žilina and Martin.

Politics

Current governor of Žilina region is Erika Jurinová (OĽaNO) - first woman in this office in Slovakia. She won with 32 %. In election 2022 was elected also to the regional parliament :

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;"

|-

|+

! colspan="2" |Political party

! Seats won

! Percentage

|-

| style="background:;"|

|Independents

|

|43.9 %

|-

| style="background:;"|

|Centre-right coalition

|

|29.8 %

|-

| style="background:;"|

|Smer-SD

|

|17.5 %

|-

| style="background:;"|

|SNS

|

|8.8 %

|}

Parliamentary groups were formed after the elections. Their status in August 2022 is as follows :

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;"

|-

! Political group

! Seats

! Status

|-

|Independents II

|

|

|-

|SaS, OĽaNO

|

|

|-

|KDH

|

|

|-

|Smer-SD

|

|

|-

|Hlas-SD

|

|

|-

|Independents I

|

|

|-

|Independents III

|

|

|-

|Non-Inscrits

|

|

|}

Administrative divisions

The region is divided into 11 districts. There are 315 municipalities in the region of which 18 are towns.

Places of interest

  • Bytča with Bytča Castle and Marriage palace
  • Čičmany: Village with special folk architecture
  • Horná Orava Protected Landscape Area
  • Kysuce Protected Landscape Area
  • Low Tatras National Park
  • Lesser Fatra National Park
  • Museum of the Slovak Village in Martin, Museum of the Kysuce village in Nová Bystrica, Museum of the Orava village in Zuberec and Museum of the Liptov village in Pribylina
  • Orava Castle
  • Strážov Mountains Protected Landscape Area
  • Tatra National Park - Western Tatras
  • Towns in the Liptov region: Ružomberok, Liptovský Mikuláš and Liptovský Hrádok
  • Demänovská Ice Cave
  • Važecká Cave
  • Greater Fatra National Park
  • Vlkolínec near Ružomberok (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Wooden churches of the Slovak Carpathians - Wooden churches in Leštiny and Tvrdošín (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
  • Žilina with Holy Trinity Cathedral, Church of Saint Stephen the King, Budatín Castle, etc.
  • Stará Bystrica astronomical clock, the youngest astronomical clock in the world and the only in Slovakia. Located in the village of Stará Bystrica.

<gallery>

File:Strečno hrad.jpg|Strečno Castle

File:Mariánske námestie (Žilina) (1).jpg|Žilina

File:Žilina, Kostol Najsvätejšej Trojice.JPG|Holy Trinity Cathedral, Žilina

File:Kostol sv. Štefana Kráľa v Žiline.jpg|Church of Saint Stephen the King, Žilina

File:Budatín hrad - by Pudelek.jpg|Budatín Castle, Žilina

File:Hrad Bytča - panoramio (2).jpg|Bytča Castle, Bytča

File:Bytča, Sobášny palác (1).jpg|Marriage palace, Bytča

File:Cicmany-radenv dom2.jpg|Čičmany

File:Čičmany Čičmany Slovakia.jpg|Typical ornaments of Čičmany

File:Martin, Múzeum slovenskej dediny (78).jpg|Museum of the Slovak village, Martin

File:KaplnkaZborov.jpg|Museum of the Kysuce village, Nová Bystrica

File:Pribylina - muzeum liptovskej dediny 01.jpg|Museum of the Liptov village, Pribylina

File:Artikularkirche Lestiny.jpg|Wooden church in Leštiny (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

File:TvrdosinFotoThalerTamas.JPG|Wooden church in Tvrdošín (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

File:Oravský hrad (nádvoří).jpg|Orava Castle

File:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 006.jpg|Vlkolínec (UNESCO World Heritage site)

File:Vlkolínec, Slovakia 019.jpg|Street in Vlkolínec

File:Radnica Ružomberok.jpg|Ružomberok

File:Liptovský Mikuláš - bývalý župný dom - 2020.jpg|Liptovský Mikuláš

File:Hrad a kaštieľ Liptovský Hrádok in Liptovský Hrádok, Liptov, Slovakia, 2016 June - 3.jpg|Liptovský Hrádok

File:Važecká jaskyňa 1.JPG|Važecká Cave, Važec

File:Bystrá from Klin.jpg|Tatra National Park - Western Tatras

File:Roháčské plesá - panoramio.jpg|Roháčske tarns in Western Tatras

File:Demanova Ice Cave 23.jpg|Demänovská Ice Cave

File:Skalné okno na vrchu Ohnište (1538m) - panoramio.jpg|Low Tatras National Park

File:Nízke Tatry - Ďumbier cirque1.jpg|Low Tatras National Park

File:Ostredok, Veľká Fatra (SVK) - NW slope.jpg|Greater Fatra National Park

File:Stohové sedlo, Veľký Rozsutec.jpg|Lesser Fatra National Park

File:CHKO Kysuce - panoramio (2).jpg|Kysuce Protected Landscape Area

File:NPR Súľovské skaly (19).jpg|Súľov Rocks in Strážov Mountains Protected Landscape Area

File:NPR Súľovské skaly (14).jpg|Súľov Rocks in Strážov Mountains Protected Landscape Area

File:031 01 Demänovská Dolina, Slovakia - panoramio (2).jpg|Demänovská Cave of Liberty

</gallery>

Explanatory notes

References

  • Žilinský samosprávny kraj —Official website