Csongrád-Csanád County

Csongrád-Csanád ( ) is an administrative county (comitatus or vármegye) in southern Hungary, straddling the river Tisza, on the border with Serbia and Romania. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Bács-Kiskun County, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County and Békés. The administrative centre of Csongrád-Csanád county is Szeged. The county is also part of the Danube–Criș–Mureș–Tisa Euroregion.

History

On October 3, 2017, the Hungarian Parliament passed a resolution to rename Csongrád County to Csongrád-Csanád County, which took effect on June 4, 2020. The resolution was submitted by János Lázár, then-Minister of the Prime Minister's Office, who called the renaming symbolic as more than a dozen settlements in the area still share Csanád County's identity.

Geography

This county has a total area of – 4,58% of Hungary.

The area of Csongrád-Csanád County is flat. It has a high number of sunshine hours and excellent soil, which makes it the most important agricultural area of Hungary. Its most famous products are paprika from Szeged and onions from Makó, but grain, vegetables, and fruits are also significant. Half of the onions, paprika, and vegetables produced in Hungary are from Csongrád-Csanád. The county is also rich in oil and natural gas.

The highest point is Ásotthalom (125 m), the lowest is Gyálarét (78 m; lowest point of Hungary).

Neighbours

Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County in the North.
Békés County in the East.
and in the South – Timiș County, Arad County, North Banat District and North Bačka District
Bács-Kiskun County in the West.

Demographics

After the end of the Ottoman occupation in 1715, the county was nearly uninhabited, with a population density of less than 5/km2. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the county was repopulated by ethnic Hungarians from the relatively overpopulated northern and western counties of the Kingdom of Hungary. According to the 2001 census, the county is home for 423,826 people (216,936 people live in urban counties) with a population density is 100/km2. It has a Hungarian majority.

In 2015, it had a population of 406,205 and the population density was 95/km2.

Ethnicity

Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx. 5,000), Romanian (1,500), German (1,300) and Serb (1,300).

Total population (2011 census): 417,456

Ethnic groups (2011 census):

Identified themselves: 367,193 persons:

Hungarians: 355,554 (96.83%)
Gypsies: 4,720 (1.29%)
Others and indefinable: 6,919 (1.88%)

Approximately 59,000 persons in Csongrád-Csanád County did not declare their ethnic group on the 2011 census.

Religion

Religious adherence in the county according to the 2011 census:

Catholic – 165,955 (Roman Catholic – 164,060; Greek Catholic – 1,855);
Reformed – 29,289;
Evangelical – 3,488;
Orthodox – 923;
Judaism – 263;
Other religions – 7,278;
Non-religious – 90,836;
Atheism – 6,585;
Undeclared – 112,839.

Regional structure

thumb|350px|Districts of Csongrád-Csanád County|alt=

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"

|-bgcolor="D0D8DD"

| align="center"|No.

|style=width:175px; align="center"|English and Hungarian names

| align="center"|Area (km2)

| align="center"|Population (2011)

| align="center"|Density (pop./km2)

| align="center"|Seat

| align="center"|No. of municipalities

|align="center"|1

|Csongrád District Csongrádi járás

| align="right"| 339.24

|align="right"| 22,996

| align="right"| 68

|Csongrád (town)

| align="center"|4

|align="center"|2

|Hódmezővásárhely District Hódmezővásárhelyi járás

| align="right"| 707.77

|align="right"| 56,560

| align="right"| 80

|Hódmezővásárhely

| align="center"|4

|align="center"|3

|Kistelek District Kisteleki járás

| align="right"| 410.20

|align="right"| 18,185

| align="right"| 44

|Kistelek

| align="center"|6

|align="center"|4

|Makó District Makói járás

| align="right"| 688.85

|align="right"| 45,138

| align="right"| 66

|Makó

| align="center"|15

|align="center"|5

|Mórahalom District Mórahalmi járás

| align="right"| 561.71

|align="right"| 28,986

| align="right"| 52

|Mórahalom

| align="center"|10

|align="center"|6

|Szeged District Szegedi járás

| align="right"| 741.10

|align="right"| 204,263

| align="right"| 276

|Szeged

| align="center"|13

|align="center"|7

|Szentes District Szentesi járás

| align="right"| 813.84

|align="right"| 41,328

| align="right"| 51

|Szentes

| align="center"|8

|-bgcolor="E5E4E2"

!colspan="2"| Csongrád-Csanád County

| align="right"| 4,262.71

|align="right"| 417,456

| align="right"| 98

|Szeged

| align="center"|60

Transport

Road network

thumbnail|right|M5 motorway near Röszke.

thumbnail|right|Main road 45 near Szentes.

In 2012, Csongrád-Csanád County had a dense network of public roads, in total length of 1,350 km, of which 281 km were main roads. Inland, connections were provided by 1,049 km of county and communal roads and 20 km were covered with light road surfaces.

;Highway network

30px|link=M5 motorway (Hungary) 30px|link=European route E75 runs from Budapest to Röszke (Serbian border). ~ 47 km
30px|link=M9 expressway (Hungary) runs from Szombathely to Szeged. (planned)
30px|link=M43 motorway (Hungary) 30px|link=European route E68 runs from Szeged to Csanádpalota (Romanian border). - 58 km

;Road network

25px runs from Budapest to Röszke (Serbian border), via Kistelek and Szeged. - 52 km
25px runs from Szeged to Nagylak (Romanian border), via Makó. - 55 km
25px runs from Makó to Hódmezővásárhely. - 30 km
25px runs from Makó to Kiszombor (Romanian border). - 6 km
25px runs from Kunszentmárton to Hódmezővásárhely, via Szentes. - 43 km
25px runs from Szeged to Debrecen, via Hódmezővásárhely.
25px runs from Szeged to Bátaszék, via Mórahalom.
25px runs from Kiskunfélegyháza to Szentes, via Csongrád.
25px western bypass of Szeged.

Politics

County Assembly

The Csongrád-Csanád County Council, elected at the 2024 local government elections, is made up of 20 counselors, with the following party composition:

{| class="wikitable"

! style="background:#ccc" colspan="2" | Party

! style="background:#ccc" | Seats

! style="background:#ccc" colspan="12" | Current County Assembly

| style="background-color: |  

|Fidesz-KDNP

| style="text-align: right" | 10

|style="background-color: |  

| style="background-color: #568203 |  

| Our Homeland Movement

| style="text-align: right" | 5

|style="background-color: #568203 |  

| style="background-color: |  

| Democratic Coalition

| style="text-align: right" | 2

|style="background-color: |  

| style="background-color: #8E6FCE |  

| Momentum Movement

| style="text-align: right" | 2

|style="background-color: #8E6FCE |  

Presidents of the County Assembly

{| class="wikitable" style="float:left; margin-left:1em;"

! style="background:#ccc" |President

! style="background:#ccc" |Terminus

|- "

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

|István Lehmann (MSZP)||1990–1998

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

|Dr. József Frank (Fidesz)||1998–2006

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

|Anna Magyar (Fidesz-KDNP)||2006–2014

|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"

|Béla Kakas (Fidesz-KDNP)||2014–

Members of the National Assembly

The following members elected of the National Assembly during the 2022 parliamentary election:

{| class="wikitable"

!Constituency!!Member!!colspan="2"|Party

| Csongrád-Csanád County 1st constituency

| Sándor Szabó

|style="background-color: " |

| MSZP

| Csongrád-Csanád County 2nd constituency

| Béla Mihálffy

|style="background-color: " |

| Fidesz–KDNP

| Csongrád-Csanád County 3rd constituency

| Sándor Farkas

|style="background-color: " |

| Fidesz–KDNP

| Csongrád-Csanád County 4th constituency

| János Lázár

|style="background-color: " |

| Fidesz–KDNP

Municipalities

Csongrád-Csanád County has 2 urban counties, 8 towns, 7 large villages and 43 villages.

As a typical Great Plain county, Csongrád-Csanád has a relatively small number of municipalities. 72.5% of the population lives in cities/towns, so it is one of the most urbanized county in Hungary.

;Cities with county rights

(ordered by population, as of 2011 census)

Szeged (168,048) – county seat
Hódmezővásárhely (46,047)

;Towns

Szentes (28,509)
Makó (23,683)
Csongrád (17,242)
Sándorfalva (7,871)
Kistelek (7,103)
Mindszent (6,914)
Mórahalom (5,804)
Csanádpalota (2,923)

;Villages

Algyő 8px
Ambrózfalva
Apátfalva
Árpádhalom
Ásotthalom 8px
Baks
Balástya
Bordány
Csanádalberti
Csanytelek
Csengele
Derekegyház
Deszk
Domaszék
Dóc
Eperjes
Fábiánsebestyén
Felgyő
Ferencszállás
Forráskút
Földeák
Királyhegyes
Kiszombor 8px
Klárafalva
Kövegy
Kübekháza
Magyarcsanád
Maroslele
Mártély
Nagyér
Nagylak
Nagymágocs 8px
Nagytőke
Óföldeák
Ópusztaszer 8px
Öttömös
Pitvaros
Pusztamérges
Pusztaszer
Röszke
Ruzsa
Szatymaz
Szegvár 8px
Székkutas
Tiszasziget
Tömörkény
Újszentiván
Üllés
Zákányszék
Zsombó

8px municipalities are large villages.

Gallery

File:Fogadalmi templom (12498. számú műemlék) 19.jpg|Szeged, the capital of the county

File:Megyeháza (3538. számú műemlék) 45.jpg|County hall in Szentes

File:Tápé-Rét.JPG|Great Hungarian Plain in Csongrád-Csanád County

File:Szélmalom (3523. számú műemlék) 3.jpg|Windmill near Szeged

File:Volt Károlyi-kastély (3426. számú műemlék) 2.jpg|Károlyi Mansion in Nagymágocs

File:Halászház (17255. számú műemlék) 4.jpg|Traditional house in Csongrád

File:Kurcaparti tanösvény Mindszent - panoramio (42).jpg|River Kurca

File:Erdők temploma Ópusztaszer.JPG|Church of Forests in Ópusztaszer

</gallery>

References

External links

Official site in Hungarian
Délmagyarország (delmagyar.hu) - The county portal