Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén County

Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén is a large county in north-eastern Hungary, close to the border with Slovakia. It is surrounded by other Hungarian counties such as Nógrád, Heves, Hajdú–Bihar, and Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg. The main city and capital of the county is Miskolc.

This county is special because it is the second largest in Hungary by both size and number of people. It also has two important places that are protected by UNESCO, including the Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst and the beautiful Tokaj Wine Region Historic Cultural Landscape. These places show the rich natural and cultural history of the area.

Origins and meanings of name

This county is named after three old castles.

Borsod comes from a castle that may have been named after its first leader, Bors. The name means "place belonging to Bors." The castle stood near modern-day Edelény.
Abaúj is a shorter name for its castle, Abaújvár. The Aba part refers to a family called the Aba clan, and új vár means "new castle." This castle was near the village of Abaújvár.
Zemplén is named after its castle too. The name comes from a word meaning "earth" or "ground" because the castle had walls made of earth. You can still see some parts of it near the village Zemplín in Slovakia.

History

Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén county was created after World War II from the pre-1938 counties Borsod–Gömör–Kishont, Abaúj–Torna and Zemplén.

The area has a long history dating back to the Middle Ages. During this time, it was divided into several smaller regions and was ruled by different families and groups of people. Important towns like Miskolc and Kassa (today's Košice, Slovakia) grew during this period. Wine making also became important, especially in the Tokaj-Hegyalja area, which is famous for its Tokay wine.

Later, the area was part of bigger changes in Hungary. After World War I, some parts of the region went to Czechoslovakia, but after World War II, the current county was formed with Miskolc as its capital. During the Socialist era, the area became a center for heavy industry, and many new towns grew. After this time, the area worked on developing tourism to attract visitors to its natural and cultural sites.

Coat of arms and flag

The coat of arms

The county’s coat of arms was designed in 1991, combining parts from older counties that now make up Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén. The flag is split into two vertical sections, red and blue, with the coat of arms and the county’s name stitched in gold below it. The flag’s shape is twice as long as it is wide. The county council sets the rules for using both the coat of arms and the flag.

Geography

Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén is a very diverse area in Hungary. It is where the Northern Mountains meet the Great Hungarian Plain. The northern part of the county has mountains with some of the highest peaks and deepest caves in the country, while the southern part is flat.

The county has several important rivers, including the Tisza, which forms a natural border with another county, and its tributaries Sajó, Bodrog, and Hernád.

The highest points in the county are Istállós-kő in the Bükk Mountains and Nagy-Milic in the Zemplén Mountains.

Rivers

Highest points

Istállós-kő, Bükk Mountains
Nagy-Milic, Zemplén Mountains

Demographics

Ethnicity

In the 2022 Census, most people (83.5%) in the county identified as Hungarian. A small group (7.5%) said they belonged to another ethnic group, and 13.0% did not answer this question. The most common ethnic groups besides Hungarian were Romani (6.0%), Slovakian (0.4%), German (0.3%), and Ruthenian (0.2%). A few people identified with other ethnic groups.

Religion

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1870	382,264	—
1880	373,830	−2.2%
1890	408,174	+9.2%
1900	469,681	+15.1%
1910	513,193	+9.3%
1920	535,588	+4.4%
1930	585,154	+9.3%
1941	633,105	+8.2%
1949	630,621	−0.4%
1960	725,303	+15.0%
1970	779,421	+7.5%
1980	809,468	+3.9%
1990	761,963	−5.9%
2001	744,404	−2.3%
2011	686,266	−7.8%
2022	623,024	−9.2%
Source:

Regional structure

Districts of Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén County

No.	English and Hungarian names	Area (km²)	Population (2022)	Density (pop./km²)	Seat	No. of municipalities
1	Cigánd District Cigándi járás	389.99	14,767	38	Cigánd	15
2	Edelény District Edelényi járás	717.86	31,615	44	Edelény	45
3	Encs District Encsi járás	378.39	21,059	56	Encs	29
4	Gönc District Gönci járás	549.67	15,665	28	Gönc	32
5	Kazincbarcika District Kazincbarcikai járás	341.70	58,445	171	Kazincbarcika	22
6	Mezőcsát District Mezőcsáti járás	351.27	13,515	38	Mezőcsát	8
7	Mezőkövesd District Mezőkövesdi járás	723.87	38,899	54	Mezőkövesd	23
8	Miskolc District Miskolci járás	972.80	227,095	233	Miskolc	39
9	Ózd District Ózdi járás	385.57	49,038	127	Ózd	17
10	Putnok District Putnoki járás	391.25	17,145	44	Putnok	26
11	Sárospatak District Sárospataki járás	477.67	21,154	44	Sárospatak	16
12	Sátoraljaújhely District Sátoraljaújhelyi járás	321.38	20,099	63	Sátoraljaújhely	21
13	Szerencs District Szerencsi járás	432.07	36,715	85	Szerencs	16
14	Szikszó District Szikszói járás	309.25	17,173	56	Szikszó	24
15	Tiszaújváros District Tiszaújvárosi járás	248.87	29,438	118	Tiszaújváros	16
16	Tokaj District Tokaji járás	255.81	11,202	44	Tokaj	11
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County		7,249.67	623,024	86	Miskolc	358

Economy

Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén is an important industrial area in Hungary because of its rich resources, like brown coal. Major industrial centers include Miskolc, Ózd, Tiszaújváros, and Kazincbarcika. After big changes in the country's government, the industry faced some difficulties.

The county is home to the Borsod Power Plant, one of Hungary's largest plants that uses natural materials to create energy.

Politics

County Assembly

Main article: Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Assembly

The Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén County Council was elected in 2024. It has 29 counselors representing different parties.

County hall of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén

Presidents of the County Assembly

Members of the National Assembly

The members of the National Assembly were elected in the 2022 parliamentary election.

Seats	Current County Assembly
Fidesz-KDNP	17
Our Homeland Movement	5
Democratic Coalition	3
Momentum Movement	2
Hungarian Socialist Party	1

Constituency	Member
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County 1st constituency	Katalin Csöbör	Fidesz–KDNP
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County 2nd constituency	János Kiss	Fidesz–KDNP
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County 3rd constituency	Gábor Riz	Fidesz–KDNP
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County 4th constituency	Zoltán Demeter	Fidesz–KDNP
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County 5th constituency	Richárd Hörcsik	Fidesz–KDNP
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County 6th constituency	Zsófia Koncz	Fidesz–KDNP
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County 7th constituency	András Tállai	Fidesz–KDNP

Municipalities

Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén County has 1 urban county, 27 towns, 8 large villages and 322 villages.

This county has the most cities, towns, and villages in Hungary, totaling 358. About half of the people live in cities or towns.

City with county rights

(ordered by population, as of 2011 census)

Miskolc (167,754) – county seat

Towns

Ózd (34,481)
Kazincbarcika (29,010)
Mezőkövesd (16,559)
Tiszaújváros (16,500)
Sátoraljaújhely (15,783)
Sárospatak (12,991)
Sajószentpéter (12,012)
Edelény (9,986)
Szerencs (9,198)
Putnok (6,905)
Felsőzsolca (6,613)
Encs (6,344)
Mezőcsát (5,980)
Alsózsolca (5,766)
Szikszó (5,631)
Nyékládháza (5,023)
Emőd (5,007)
Tokaj (4,530)
Szendrő (4,065)
Mezőkeresztes (3,886)
Borsodnádasd (3,169)
Abaújszántó (3,147)
Cigánd (2,963)
Sajóbábony (2,887)
Rudabánya (2,583)
Gönc (2,059)
Pálháza (1,061)

Villages

municipalities are large villages.

Tourist sights

Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén has many beautiful places to visit. You can explore old castles like the Castle of Boldogkő, Castle Cserépvár, and the Castle of Dédes. Other famous castles include the Castle of Diósgyőr, Castle of Füzér, the Castle of Sárospatak, and the Castle of Szerencs.

Nature lovers will enjoy visiting the Dripstone cave of Aggtelek, the Bükk National Park, and the beautiful area of Lillafüred. These spots offer great opportunities to see nature up close.