Somogy County

Somogy (Hungarian: Somogy vármegye, pronounced [ˈʃomoɟ]; Croatian: Šomođska županija; Slovene: Šomodska županija, German: Komitat Schomodei) 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 km².

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.

Demographics

Religion in Somogy County (2022 census – of those who declared their religion (62.0%))

Roman Catholic (63.5%)

Calvinistic (9.5%)

Lutheran (2.6%)

Other Christian denomination (3.8%)

Other religion (0.5%)

Not religious (20.1%)

In 2015, it had a population of 312,084 and the population density was 52/km².

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
Ethnic groups (2011 census):^[4]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:^[5]

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

Politics

The Somogy County Council, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 15 counselors, with the following party composition:^[6]

Presidents of the General Assembly

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

municipalities are large villages.

Gallery

Kaposvár, the capital of the county
Siófok, the Capital of Balaton
Lake Balaton near Balatonföldvár
Kőröshegy Viaduct in Kőröshegy
House of József Rippl-Rónai
Traditional Hungarian house in Istvándi
Pusztatemplom of the Árpád era near Somogyvámos
Lake Balaton at Balatonvilágos

International relations

Somogy County has a partnership relationship with:

References

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Somogy County.

^ nepesseg.com, population data of Hungarian settlements
^ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
^ népesség.com, "Somogy megye népessége 1870-2015"
^ 1.1.6. A népesség anyanyelv, nemzetiség és nemek szerint – Frissítve: 2013.04.17.; Hungarian Central Statistical Office (in Hungarian)
^ 2011. ÉVI NÉPSZÁMLÁLÁS, 3. Területi adatok, 3.15 Somogy megye, (in Hungarian) [1]
^ Közgyűlés, (in Hungarian) [2]
^ Önkormányzati választások eredményei (in Hungarian)
^ kaposvarmost.hu - TOVÁBBI LEHETŐSÉGEKET KERES SOMOGY ÉS GANSU - July 2, 2016

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Somogy County.

Official site in Hungarian
Somogyi Hírlap (sonline.hu) - The county portal
Hungary at GeoHive