Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County was organised afterWorld War II from the previous countiesSzatmár–Ugocsa–Bereg andSzabolcs. Before 1991 it was called Szabolcs-Szatmár County.
The early Hungarians transformed this region significantly by clearing large areas of forest to make way for pastures and farmland. Approximately 5 to 6 square kilometres of forest were cleared for the construction of theSzabolcs earthwork in the ninth and tenth centuries, and its ruins are still present. The area was the gateway for theMongol invasion of Hungary in the 1240s, and suffered considerable destruction and population decrease during the raids. With the subsequent development of the country, the region became even more marginalized in the 15th century. Ongoing civil war, rebellion, and war exacted a heavy price and further hindered the region's development.
The county's borders have been altered frequently over the years, its current territory being established in 1950 with the amalgamation of the counties of Szabolcs–Ung and Szatmár–Bereg–Ugocsa.
There are many forests,fields,pastures,meadows, andmoorland forests in the county. Thebogmoss moors atCsaroda, the Nyíres lake, and the Bábtava lake are especially valuable, as they contain many rare species of fauna and flora.
Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg is Hungary's sixth-biggest county with a total land area of 5,936 square kilometres (2,292 square miles). From a geographical aspect, it is possible to divide the county into two main regions: TheUpper Tisza Valley and the Nyírség.Tisza is one of the most important rivers of the county, entering Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg — and Hungary — atTiszabecs, and leaving atTiszadob. Its segment in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county is 235 kilometres long, out of which 208 kilometres (129 miles) belongs to the Upper Tisza Valley, reaching the area ofTokaj andRakamaz. The larger area named the Nyírség is derived from the word nyír meaningbirch, as the region is dominated by birch woodlands. The northern part of Nyírség is covered with sandy forest soils, the southern areas have loose wind-blown sand. Alluvial and meadow soils are found in the Upper Tisza region.
The county has acontinental climate; it is cooler than the Great Plain because it is further north. Summers are cooler than in other parts of the Plains. Annualprecipitation is 550–600 millimetres. The higher than average number of days of sunshine make ideal conditions for the growing of tomatoes, sunflower, tobacco, apples, and other fruits such as plums—for which the county is famous, being eaten fresh, dried into prunes (some made intolekvar) and fermented into well-known brandies.
The county has 229 settlements, of which 20 are towns. The county capital and largest city isNyíregyháza with a population of 116,900 in 2003. The other cities have relatively small populations, only those ofKisvárda andMátészalka having around 18,000 inhabitants. The eastern part of the county is lightly populated and is dotted with small villages which often have very poor economic conditions.
The Upper Tisza region has many streams and rivers, but the Nyírség region has little surface water. The most important of the Tisza's tributaries is the riverSzamos, which is also characterised by great variations in water volume. There are irrigation systems, a waterbarrage, and a hydroelectric power station on the Tisza atTiszalök.
Lakes of various sizes have evolved in sandy areas such as the basin of the Sóstó (Salty lake) ofNyíregyháza, whosealkaline,hydrogen-carbonated waters have medicinal qualities. Many water reservoirs have been built according to local demand. Thermal waters of 55–65 °C can be brought to the surface from wells as shallow as 1,000 metres. The most important thermal water reserves are in Nyíregyháza, Kisvárda, Mátészalka, and Tiszavasvári. The county'sgeothermal energy still awaits exploitation.
The county has relatively few mineral reserves. Almost all of the large energy source transport systems cross the county.
The population of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County was 529,381 as of the 2022 Census, with apopulation density of 89 individuals per square kilometer (89/km2). The number ofhouseholds was 200,166 and the number offamilies was 142,636. Since the 2011 Census, the population decreased by 29,891 (-5.3%).[1]
In the 2022 Census, the majority (86.8%) of the population identified asHungarian. A minority of 6.1% identified as belonging to another ethnic group and 10.8% of the population did not respond. The ethnic groups most identified with wereRomani (5.1%),Ukrainians (0.3%), andGerman (0.2%). Small percentages identified as other domestic ethnic groups (0.4%) or other groups (0.2%).[1][a]
In the 2011 Census, 85.2% of the population identified as Hungarian. Nearly a tenth (8.9%) of the population identified as belonging to another ethnic group and 11.8% did not respond. Romani made up 7.9% of the population, German 0.3%, and Ukrainian 0.2%. Small percentages identified as other domestic ethnic groups (0.3%) or other groups (0.1%).[3][a]
Religion in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County (2022 census – of those who declared their religion (66.7%))
Calvinistic (44.6%)
Roman Catholic (21.1%)
Greek Catholic (17.1%)
Lutheran (2.40%)
Faith Church (0.80%)
Other Christian denomination (2.50%)
Other religion (0.20%)
Not religious (11.3%)
In the 2022 Census, 59.2% reported that they were religious adherents. The largest religious communities wereCalvinist (29.7%),Roman Catholic (14.1%),Greek Catholic (11.4%),Lutheran (1.6%), and Other Christian denomination (1.7%). Small numbers were affiliated withOrthodox Christianity,Judaism, and other religious groups (0.2%). Thenon-religious made up 7.6% of the population. A third (33.3%) of the population did not respond.
In the 2011 Census, 71.1% of the population were religious adherents. The largest religious community was Calvinist (34.6%). Others included Roman Catholic (19.4%), Greek Catholic (13.1%), Lutheran (2.0%), Other Christian denomination (1.7%). Small numbers were affiliated with Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, and other religious groups (0.2%).Atheists made up 0.4% of the population and other non-religious made up 7.9%. A fifth (20.6%) of the population did not respond.[1][5]
In 1930, the population was 47.1% Calvinist, 23.6% Roman Catholic, 18.0% Greek Catholic, 6.7% Jewish, 4.4% Lutheran, and others (0.2%).[3]
The county borders three countries, and it is the only Hungarian county bordering Ukraine. The railway border crossing towardUkraine is well developed; its high capacity is able to meet the requirements of transit and bilateral trade. Following the reconstruction of the road border crossing, the county is also able to cope with increased road transportation.
Several regions in the county have tourism potential, mostly unexploited. Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg has several agricultural products of excellent quality, with capacity for higher production. There is an abundance of low-cost, semiskilled labour.
The county's biggest problem is the economic crisis. There is a shortage of local capital and inward investment, which restrains the creation of new jobs, thus the unemployment rate remains the second highest in Hungary. Manufacturing lags the rest of the country, most notably lacking high quality, high-value-added products. The marginal soil quality limits the scope of agricultural production to a few products which suffer from shrinking export markets to the east.
The Szabolcs–Szatmár–Bereg County Council, elected at the 2024 local government elections,[6] is made up of 25 counselors,[7] with the following party composition:
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