Somogy (, ; ; , ) is an administrative county (comitatus or vármegye) in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary.
Somogy County lies in south-western Hungary, on the border with Croatia's Koprivnica-Križevci and Virovitica-Podravina counties. It stretches between the river Dráva and the southern shore of Lake Balaton. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties of Zala, Veszprém, Fejér, Tolna, and Baranya. Somogy is the most sparsely populated county in Hungary. The county capital is Kaposvár. Its area is 6,036 km<sup>2</sup>.
History
Somogy was also the name of a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory, which was slightly larger than that of present Somogy County, is now in south-western Hungary. The capital of that county was also Kaposvár.
thumb|Aerial photograph of Kaposvár.
Demographics
In 2015, it had a population of 312,084 and the population density was 52/km<sup>2</sup>.
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! County population
! Change
|-
| 1949
| 361,213
|align="right"| n/a
|-
| 1960
| 368,183 (record)
|align="right"| 1.93%
|-
| 1970
| 357,009
|align="right"| -3.03%
|-
| 1980
| 360,270
|align="right"| 0.91%
|-
| 1990
| 344,708
|align="right"| -4.32%
|-
| 2001
| 335,237
|align="right"| -2.75%
|-
| 2011
| 316,137
|align="right"| -5.70%
|-
|2015
| 312,084
|align="right"| -1.29%
|-
|2018
| 303,802
|align="right"| -2.72%
|}
Ethnicity
Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx. 16,000), Germans (3,000) and Croats (1,500).
Total population (2011 census): 316,137<br />
Ethnic groups (2011 census):
Identified themselves: 287,692 persons:
- Hungarians: 265,464 (92,27%)
- Romani: 16,167 (5,62%)
- Germans: 3,039 (1,06%)
- Others and indefinable: 3,022 (1,05%)
:Approx. 46,000 persons in Somogy County did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.
Religion
Religious adherence in the county according to 2011 census:
- Catholic – 168,307 (Roman Catholic – 167,719; Greek Catholic – 546);
- Reformed – 21,176;
- Evangelical – 5,807;
- other religions – 3,829;
- Non-religious – 35,503;
- Atheism – 3,056;
- Undeclared – 78,459.
Regional structure
thumb|right|350px|Districts of Somogy County
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%"
|-bgcolor="D0D8DD"
| align="center"|No.
|style=width:175px; align="center"|English and<br />Hungarian names
| align="center"|Area<br /> <small>(km<sup>2</sup>)</small>
| align="center"|Population<br /> <small>(2011)</small>
| align="center"|Density<br /> <small>(pop./km<sup>2</sup>)</small>
| align="center"|Seat
| align="center"|No. of<br />municipalities
|-
|align="center"|1
|Barcs District<br /> Barcsi járás
| align="right"| 696.47
|align="right"| 23,793
| align="right"| 34
|Barcs
| align="center"|26
|-
|align="center"|2
|Csurgó District<br /> Csurgói járás
| align="right"| 496.19
|align="right"| 16,862
| align="right"| 34
|Csurgó
| align="center"|18
|-
|align="center"|3
|Fonyód District<br /> Fonyódi járás
| align="right"| 645.44
|align="right"| 33,785
| align="right"| 52
|Fonyód
| align="center"|21
|-
|align="center"|4
|Kaposvár District<br /> Kaposvári járás
| align="right"| 1,591.36
|align="right"| 118,496
| align="right"| 74
|Kaposvár
| align="center"|78
|-
|align="center"|5
|Marcali District<br /> Marcali járás
| align="right"| 904.24
|align="right"| 34,472
| align="right"| 38
|Marcali
| align="center"|37
|-
|align="center"|6
|Nagyatád District<br /> Nagyatádi járás
| align="right"| 647.07
|align="right"| 26,003
| align="right"| 40
|Nagyatád
| align="center"|18
|-
|align="center"|7
|Siófok District<br /> Siófoki járás
| align="right"| 657.05
|align="right"| 51,099
| align="right"| 78
|Siófok
| align="center"|24
|-
|align="center"|8
|Tab District<br /> Tabi járás
| align="right"| 427.24
|align="right"| 12,797
| align="right"| 30
|Tab
| align="center"|24
|-
|-bgcolor="E5E4E2"
!colspan="2"| Somogy County
| align="right"| 6,065.07
|align="right"| 312,084
| align="right"| 52
|Kaposvár
| align="center"|245
|}
Politics
thumb|275px|Somogy County Hall
The Somogy County Council, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 15 counselors, with the following party composition:
{| class="wikitable"
! style="background:#ccc" |
! style="background:#ccc" | Party
! style="background:#ccc" | Seats
! style="background:#ccc" colspan="9" | Current County Assembly
|-
| style="background-color: |
|Fidesz-KDNP
| style="text-align: right" | 9
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
|-
| style="background-color: |
| Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik)
| style="text-align: right" | 3
| style="background-color: |
| style="background-color: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| style="background-color: #ffdead |
| Association for Somogy (Somogyért)
| style="text-align: right" | 2
|style="background-color: #ffdead |
|style="background-color: #ffdead |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| style="background-color: |
| Momentum Movement (MM)
| style="text-align: right" | 1
|style="background-color:|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| style="background-color: |
| Democratic Coalition (DK)
| style="text-align: right" | 1
| style="background-color: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
Presidents of the General Assembly
{| class="wikitable" style="float:left; margin-left:1em;"
|- "
! colspan="2"|List of presidents since 1990
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
|István Gyenesei (Independent)||1990–1994
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
|István Kolber (MSZP)||1994–1998
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
|István Gyenesei (Somogyért)||1998–2006
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
|Attila Gelencsér (Fidesz-KDNP)||2006–2014
|---- bgcolor="#FFFFFF"
|Norbert Bíró (Fidesz-KDNP)||2014–
|}
Municipalities
Somogy County has 1 urban county, 15 towns, 2 large villages and 227 villages.
;City with county rights
(ordered by population, as of 2011 census)
- Kaposvár (66,245) – county seat
;Towns
- Siófok (25,045)
- Marcali (11,736)
- Barcs (11,420)
- Nagyatád (11,032)
- Balatonboglár (5,736)
- Balatonlelle (5,217)
- Csurgó (5,214)
- Fonyód (4,793)
- Tab (4,533)
- Nagybajom (3,330)
- Lengyeltóti (3,050)
- Kadarkút (2,653)
- Zamárdi (2,386)
- Balatonföldvár (2,207)
- Igal (1,270)
;Villages
- Alsóbogát
- Andocs
- Ádánd
- Babócsa
- Bábonymegyer
- Bakháza
- Balatonberény
- Balatonendréd
- Balatonfenyves
- Balatonkeresztúr
- Balatonmáriafürdő
- Balatonőszöd
- Balatonszabadi
- Balatonszárszó 8px
- Balatonszemes
- Balatonszentgyörgy
- Balatonújlak
- Bárdudvarnok
- Baté
- Bálványos
- Bedegkér
- Bélavár
- Beleg
- Berzence 8px
- Bodrog
- Bolhás
- Bolhó
- Bonnya
- Böhönye
- Bőszénfa
- Buzsák
- Büssü
- Csákány
- Cserénfa
- Csokonyavisonta
- Csoma
- Csömend
- Csököly
- Csombárd
- Csurgónagymarton
- Darány
- Drávagárdony
- Drávatamási
- Ecseny
- Edde
- Felsőmocsolád
- Fiad
- Fonó
- Főnyed
- Gadács
- Gadány
- Gamás
- Gálosfa
- Gige
- Gölle
- Gyékényes
- Görgeteg
- Gyugy
- Hajmás
- Hács
- Háromfa
- Hedrehely
- Hencse
- Heresznye
- Hetes
- Hollád
- Homokszentgyörgy
- Hosszúvíz
- Iharos
- Iharosberény
- Inke
- Istvándi
- Jákó
- Juta
- Kapoly
- Kaposfő
- Kaposgyarmat
- Kaposhomok
- Kaposkeresztúr
- Kaposmérő
- Kaposszerdahely
- Kaposújlak
- Karád
- Kastélyosdombó
- Kaszó
- Kazsok
- Kálmáncsa
- Kánya
- Kára
- Kelevíz
- Kercseliget
- Kereki
- Kéthely
- Kisasszond
- Kisbajom
- Kisberény
- Kisbárapáti
- Kisgyalán
- Kiskorpád
- Komlósd
- Kötcse
- Kőröshegy
- Kőkút
- Kutas
- Lábod
- Lad
- Lakócsa
- Látrány
- Libickozma
- Lulla
- Magyaratád
- Magyaregres
- Mernye
- Mesztegnyő
- Mezőcsokonya
- Mike
- Miklósi
- Mosdós
- Nagyberki
- Nagyberény
- Nagycsepely
- Nagykorpád
- Nagyszakácsi
- Nágocs
- Nemesdéd
- Nemeskisfalud
- Nemesvid
- Nikla
- Nyim
- Orci
- Ordacsehi
- Osztopán
- Öreglak
- Ötvöskónyi
- Őrtilos
- Pamuk
- Patalom
- Patca
- Patosfa
- Pálmajor
- Péterhida
- Pogányszentpéter
- Polány
- Porrog
- Porrogszentkirály
- Porrogszentpál
- Potony
- Pusztakovácsi
- Pusztaszemes
- Ráksi
- Rinyabesenyő
- Rinyakovácsi
- Rinyaszentkirály
- Rinyaújlak
- Rinyaújnép
- Ságvár
- Sántos
- Sávoly
- Segesd
- Sérsekszőlős
- Siójut
- Som
- Somodor
- Somogyacsa
- Somogyaracs
- Somogyaszaló
- Somogybabod
- Somogybükkösd
- Somogycsicsó
- Somogydöröcske
- Somogyegres
- Somogyfajsz
- Somogygeszti
- Somogyjád
- Somogymeggyes
- Somogysimonyi
- Somogyszentpál
- Somogyszil
- Somogyszob
- Somogysámson
- Somogysárd
- Somogytúr
- Somogyudvarhely
- Somogyvámos
- Somogyvár
- Somogyzsitfa
- Szabadi
- Szabás
- Szántód
- Szegerdő
- Szenna
- Szenta
- Szentbalázs
- Szentborbás
- Szentgáloskér
- Szenyér
- Szilvásszentmárton
- Szorosad
- Szólád
- Szőkedencs
- Szőlősgyörök
- Szulok
- Tapsony
- Tarany
- Taszár
- Táska
- Tengőd
- Teleki
- Tikos
- Torvaj
- Tótújfalu
- Törökkoppány
- Újvárfalva
- Várda
- Varászló
- Vése
- Visnye
- Visz
- Vízvár
- Vörs
- Zala
- Zákány
- Zics
- Zimány
- Zselickisfalud
- Zselickislak
- Zselicszentpál
8px municipalities are large villages.
See also
- List of tourist attractions in Somogy County
- Slovenes in Somogy
Gallery
<gallery class="center" widths="200" heights="200px" perrow="6" style="border: 5px solid #a86; box-shadow: 0.1em 0.1em 0.5em rgba(0,0,0,0.75); border-radius: 0.5em;">
File:Kaposvár Nagyboldogasszony Székesegyház.jpg|Kaposvár, the capital of the county
File:Siófok vasútállomás.jpg|Siófok, the Capital of Balaton
File:Siofok-passe du port.jpg|Lake Balaton near Balatonföldvár
File:Koroshegy viaduct 03.jpg|Kőröshegy Viaduct in Kőröshegy
File:Kaposvar House of Rippl-Ronai.jpg|House of József Rippl-Rónai
File:Lakóház-tájház, Istvándi.JPG|Traditional Hungarian house in Istvándi
File:Somogyvámos - The temple in the puszta.jpg|Pusztatemplom of the Árpád era near Somogyvámos
File:Balatonvilágosi kilátás.jpg|Lake Balaton at Balatonvilágos
</gallery>
International relations
Somogy County has a partnership relationship with:
{|class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
- Gansu Municipality, China
|}
References
External links
- Official site in Hungarian
- Somogyi Hírlap (sonline.hu) - The county portal
- Hungary at GeoHive