Neha Patil (Editor)

Zala County

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Country
  
Hungary

County seat
  
Zalaegerszeg

Area code(s)
  
(+36) 83, 92, 93

Founded
  
1214

Region
  
Western Transdanubia

Area rank
  
14th in Hungary

Area
  
3,784 km²

Population
  
1,628 (2001)

Zala County httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommons22

Postal code
  
8353 – 839x, 874x – 879x, 880x – 883x, 8855, 8856, 886x – 889x, 89xx

Clubs and Teams
  
Zalaegerszegi TE, ZTE KK, Andráshida SC, Hévíz FC, Nagykanizsa FC

Points of interest
  
Lake Balaton, Festetics Palace, Lake Hévíz, Őrség National Park, Kastélypark

Destinations
  
Lake Balaton, Hévíz, Balaton Uplands National, Keszthely, Őrség National Park

Zala (Slovene: Zalska županija or županija Zala) is an administrative county (comitatus or megye) in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia and Slovenia and the Hungarian counties Vas, Veszprém and Somogy. The capital of Zala county is Zalaegerszeg. Its area is 3,784 square kilometres (1,461 sq mi). Lake Balaton lies partly in the county.

Contents

Map of Zala County, Hungary

History

In the 10th century, the Hungarian Nyék tribe occupied the region around Lake Balaton. Their occupation was mainly in the areas known today as Zala and Somogy counties.

Parts of the western territory of the former county of Zala are now part of Slovenia (South-Prekmurje). In 1919 it was part of the unrecognized state of the Republic of Prekmurje, which existed for just six days.

Demographics

In 2015, it had a population of 277,290 and the population density was 73/km².

Ethnicity

Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx. 7,000), Croats (3,500) and Germans (2,000).

Total population (2011 census): 282,179
Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 255 069 persons:

  • Hungarians: 241 408 (94,64%)
  • Gypsies: 6 981 (2,74%)
  • Croats: 3 248 (1,27%)
  • Others and indefinable: 3 432 (1,35%)

    • Approx. 38,000 persons in Zala County did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.

    Religion

    Religious adherence in the county according to 2011 census:

  • Catholic – 62.8% (Roman Catholic – 62.6%; Greek Catholic – 0.1%);
  • Reformed – 2.5%;
  • Evangelical – 1.4%;
  • other religions – 0.8%;
  • Non-religious – 8.2%;
  • Atheism – 0.8%;
  • Undeclared – 23.5%.

    • Politics

    The Zala County Council, elected at the 2014 local government elections, is made up of 15 counselors, with the following party composition:

    Cities with county rights

  • Zalaegerszeg – county seat; 59,499 (as of 2011)
  • Nagykanizsa – 49,026 (as of 2011)

    • Towns

    (ordered by population, as of 2011 census)

    Villages

    municipalities are large villages.

    References

    Zala County Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA