Balkány
Encyclopedia
Balkány is a town
in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg
county, in the Northern Great Plain
region
of eastern Hungary
.
of 89.99 km² (35 sq mi) and has a population
of 6,852 people (2002). It lies approximately 28 km (17 mi) southeast from Nyíregyháza
and 40 northeast from Debrecen
. There are many small towns surrounding Balkány, including Biri
, Geszteréd
, Bököny
, Szakoly
, and Nyírmihálydi.
region. Average annual precipitation is about 560–590 mm, and the annual average temperature is between 9.5 to 9.6 °C (49.1 to 49.3 ).
in which it refers to swamp
or wetland. The first owners of the region were the Gut-Keled noble family whose members received Balkány as a gift from the king in 1289. Consequently, Balkány was divided up by the family, the western part was given to Paul(Pál) and Thomas(Tamás), the easetern part was taken by Paul's son, Lawrence(Lőrinc). During the attacks of the Turks and other Nomad tribes, the town lost its population. The following records date to 1578. In the early 18th century, the town rose in population and power was shared among the most prosperous families such as Bezdédy, Désy, Finta, Gencsy, Gődény, Guth, and Koczogh. In 1839, It was the largest city in the county with a population of 3,006.
There are a number of kindergartens and two elementary and middle school providing the nearly 1,300 children with many extracurricular activities. In the summer, children are able to participate in summer camps directed by the schools.
with: Lázári, Romania
Slopnice
, Poland
Chlebnice
, Slovakia
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg is an administrative county in north-eastern Hungary, bordering Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Hajdú-Bihar and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén...
county, in the Northern Great Plain
Northern Great Plain
Northern Great Plain is a statistical region of Hungary. It is part of Great Plain and North region. Northern Great Plain includes the counties of Hajdú-Bihar, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. It is also one of the largest plains in the world with an area of about 3000 square...
region
Region
Region is most commonly found as a term used in terrestrial and astrophysics sciences also an area, notably among the different sub-disciplines of geography, studied by regional geographers. Regions consist of subregions that contain clusters of like areas that are distinctive by their uniformity...
of eastern Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Geography
It covers an areaArea
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 89.99 km² (35 sq mi) and has a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 6,852 people (2002). It lies approximately 28 km (17 mi) southeast from Nyíregyháza
Nyíregyháza
- Tourist sights :Nyíregyháza also has several museums and exhibitions, showing the city's rich cultural heritage.* Collection of the International Medallion Art and Small Sculpture Creative Community of Nyíregyháza-Sóstó – periodic exhibitions of works of contemporary artists-Twin towns — Sister...
and 40 northeast from Debrecen
Debrecen
Debrecen , is the second largest city in Hungary after Budapest. Debrecen is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar county.- Name :...
. There are many small towns surrounding Balkány, including Biri
Biri
-Places:*Biri, Norway, a village and former municipality in Norway*Biri, Hungary, a village in Hungary*Biri, Northern Samar, a municipality in the Philippines*Biri, India, a village in Jaunpur, India*Block Island, an island town in Rhode Island, -Places:*Biri, Norway, a village and former...
, Geszteréd
Geszteréd
Geszteréd is a village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 1789 people ....
, Bököny
Bököny
Bököny is a village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.-Geography:It covers an area of and has a population of 3275 people ....
, Szakoly
Szakoly
Szakoly is a village in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. It is 135 miles to the east of Budapest and 21 miles to the north east of Debrecen..-Geography:...
, and Nyírmihálydi.
Climate
Balkány has nearly 2,000 hours of annual sunshine, which is the second highest after the AlföldAlfold
Alfold is small village and civil parish on the Surrey/West Sussex border in England. The parish clerk is Mrs L.R. Enticknap.Originally sited perhaps for the glass making . Charcoal was extensively burnt in the parish for gunpowder works in Dunsfold, Cranleigh, and Sussex.Alfold is not mentioned in...
region. Average annual precipitation is about 560–590 mm, and the annual average temperature is between 9.5 to 9.6 °C (49.1 to 49.3 ).
History
Balkány was first mentioned in 1214. The meaning of its name probably comes from TurkishTurkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
in which it refers to swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
or wetland. The first owners of the region were the Gut-Keled noble family whose members received Balkány as a gift from the king in 1289. Consequently, Balkány was divided up by the family, the western part was given to Paul(Pál) and Thomas(Tamás), the easetern part was taken by Paul's son, Lawrence(Lőrinc). During the attacks of the Turks and other Nomad tribes, the town lost its population. The following records date to 1578. In the early 18th century, the town rose in population and power was shared among the most prosperous families such as Bezdédy, Désy, Finta, Gencsy, Gődény, Guth, and Koczogh. In 1839, It was the largest city in the county with a population of 3,006.
Today
Balkány is home to 6,852 people (2005) most of which live on the countryside. Unemployment is a serious problem: there are more jobs being lost than created. Like in the past, the biggest sector of employment is agriculture. However, the lack of investment and low prices for good create an unfriendly business environment.There are a number of kindergartens and two elementary and middle school providing the nearly 1,300 children with many extracurricular activities. In the summer, children are able to participate in summer camps directed by the schools.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Balkány is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with: Lázári, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
Slopnice
Slopnice
Słopnice is a village in Limanowa County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Słopnice. It lies approximately west of Limanowa and south-east of the regional capital Kraków....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Chlebnice
Chlebnice
Chlebnice is a village and municipality in Dolný Kubín District in the Žilina Region of northern Slovakia....
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
External links
- Official Website in Hungarian
- Tourist info
- Aerial Pictures of Balkány