Hajdú–Bihar County

Hajdú–Bihar County

Hajdú–Bihar is a county in eastern Hungary, next to the border with Romania. It is not the same as Bihor County, Bihar County, or Bihar.

The county is surrounded by other Hungarian counties. These include Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Borsod–Abaúj–Zemplén, Jász–Nagykun–Szolnok, and Békés.

The main city and capital of Hajdú–Bihar county is Debrecen. Debrecen is an important cultural and economic center. Together with Bihor County in Romania, Hajdú–Bihar forms the Biharia Euroregion. This shows strong connections between the two areas.

Geography

The Hajdú–Bihar county is in the eastern part of Hungary. It is mostly flat and part of the Pannonian Plain, also called the Grand Plain. The highest point is just a little over 170 metres tall. The land gently slopes down toward the south to its lowest point, around 85 metres above sea level.

Over thousands of years, wind and rivers have shaped the land. Long ago, this area was covered by a huge inland sea. Then, the Carpathian Mountains rose up, and fast rivers carried away water and soil. Today, two important rivers, the Tisza and the Körös, flow through the region. The Hortobágy National Park, a wide flat area also called the "Puszta", was once flooded by the Tisza river. After people built structures to control the river, the area became dry and developed unique plants and animals. The western part of the county includes the Hortobágy National Park.

History

Hajdú–Bihar county was created after World War II. It was made by joining two older counties, Hajdú and Bihar. To learn more about the history before World War II, you can read the articles about these two counties.

Demographics

In 2015, Hajdú-Bihar County had a population of 537,268 people.

The main minority groups in the county are Roma, Romanian, and German.

The largest religious group in the county is Reformed, followed by Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Evangelical, Orthodox, and other religions. Many people also identify as Non-religious.

Regional structure

Economy

Infrastructure

Important highways, such as numbers 4, 33, 35, 42, and 47, connect to this county. You can also use the M3 motorway, which ends in the city of Debrecen. The county has 1,511 kilometers of public roads, with 122 bridges crossing rivers and canals. These roads lead to Romania through the cities of Ártánd and Nyírábrány.

Politics

County Assembly

Main article: Hajdú-Bihar County Council

The Hajdú–Bihar County Council was elected in 2024. It has 24 counselors from different parties.

Presidents of the General Assembly

Members of the National Assembly

The following members were elected to the National Assembly in the 2022 parliamentary election:

Municipalities

Hajdú–Bihar County has 1 urban county, 20 towns, 10 large villages, and 51 small villages. The biggest cities are Debrecen, Hajdúböszörmény, Hajdúnánás, and Hajdúszoboszló. Debrecen is the main city and has the most people.

Other towns and villages include places like Balmazújváros, Berettyóújfalu, Püspökladány, and Kaba. There are also villages such as Ártánd, Darvas, and Hortobágy.

International relations

Hajdú-Bihar County partners with other places around the world. They work together in a friendly way.