Kecskemét
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Country: | Hungary |
| County: | Bács-Kiskun |
| Area: | 321.36 km² |
| Population (2005): - Density: |
108,286 336.96/km² |
| Postal code: | 6000 |
| Area code: | 76 |
| Coordinates: | |
| Home page: | www.kecskemet.hu |
Kecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary. It is the 8th largest city of the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun.
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[edit] Location
Kecskemét lies halfway between Budapest and Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them, almost equal distance from the two big rivers of the country, the Danube and the Tisza.
[edit] Geography
Kecskemét was formed at the meeting point of a large sandy region and a sandy yellow soil, its height is 120 meters above sea level. The territory west of the city is covered by wind-blown sand that is characterized by the almost parallel northern-southern sand-hills and the plain lands among them. At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries the pastures were impoverished, at many places destroying the natural vegetation cover and at many places causing movement of the sand that seriously endangered the town, too. The sand that was blown by the wind was later tied up by afforestation and planting fruit and vines.
[edit] Climate
The characteristic feature of weather in the Kecskemét region of Kiskunság is extremism, that's why the region is often in the center of attention. The characteristic weather of the Kecskemét region is continental warm, dry, sometimes extreme. The favourable conditions of sunlight make it possible for the region to produce world famous products of some plants like wheat, apricot, red pepper, tomato, etc. The warmest month in Kecskemét is July with an average temperature of 20.9 degrees Celsius, the coldest is January with −1.9 degrees Celsius.
The early spring and late autumn frosts are frequent in the Great Hungarian Plain. The tendency of frost usually disappears only from the middle of April, and from the third decade of October we have to count on having air temperature below 0 °C.
Kecskemét is in the center of Kiskunság one of Hungary's famous regions. The Kiskunság National Park was established in 1975 to preserve the different species of plants and animals that can be found in this region. It is a so called "mosaic" type arranged national park, consisting of units that are not close to each other which is considered a rarity in the international sense as well.
[edit] Demographics
Kecskemét has 107,267 residents (2001). The population is homogeneous with a Hungarian majority. There are a few thousand Roma minority living here; they formed their independent minority government in 1994. (95% Hungarian; 0.8% Roma; 0.4% German; 0.2% Slovakian; 4.8% other.)
[edit] History
According to archaeological findings the area has been inhabited at least for 5000 years. In the 14th century Kecskemét was already a town. During the Ottoman occupation of Hungary the town prospered thanks to its role in trade and the fact that people were moving to the towns from the more vulnerable villages. The Ottoman Sultan took a liking to the town and spared it destruction.
In the 19th century it was already part of an important wine district, and it is still known for its barackpálinka, an apricot brandy.
The composer Zoltán Kodály was born here in 1882 in the current train station.
Because of the excellent town planning skills of József Kerényi, the historical character of the city was kept alive in modern times.
[edit] City parts of Kecskemét
Kecskemét is divided into 21+1 sections.
- Belváros (Downtown)
- I. Árpádváros
- II. Máriaváros
- III. Széchenyiváros
- IV. Bethlenváros
- V. Rákócziváros
- VI. Erzsébetváros
- VII. Kossuthváros
- VIII. Hunyadiváros
- IX. Szent István-város (Műkertváros, Szolnoki-hegy)
- X. Szent László-város (Rendőrfalu)
- XI. Alsószéktó (Szeleifalu)
- XII. Felsőszéktó (Petőfiváros, Sutusfalu)
- XIII. Talfája
- XIV. Katonatelep
- XV. Repülőtér (Reptéri-lakótelep)
- XVI. Matkó
- XVII. Kadafalva
- XVIII. Szarkás
- XIX. Hetényegyháza
- XX. Méntelek
- XXI. Borbáspuszta
[edit] Tourist sights
- City Hall
- "Cifra Palota"
- Old Church
- Synagogue
- József Katona Theatre
[edit] Sports, Martial Arts
- Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu Kenjutsu --> Official Site (in english)
- Okinawa Kobudo --> Official Hungarian Okinawa Kobudo - Oshukai Site (in hungarian)
[edit] Sister cities
[edit] Miscellaneous topics
The name of the city stems from the Hungarian word kecske meaning 'goat'.
[edit] Local regular military unit
The MH 59th "Szentgyörgyi Dezső" Air Base, the only jet fighter unit of the Magyar Honvédség stations in the city.
[edit] List of famous residents
- András Gáspár (1804–1884) Hungarian General
- János Hornyik (1812–1885) historian
- József Katona (1791–1830) author
- László Kelemen (1760–1814) president of the first Hungarian Theater
- Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist and philosopher
- Kálmán Latabár (1902–1970) actor, comedian
There are streets, squares, and statues named after all of them in Kecskemét.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
| Counties of Hungary |  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Counties: | Bács-Kiskun | Baranya | Békés | Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén | Csongrád | Fejér | Győr-Moson-Sopron | Hajdú-Bihar | Heves | Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok | Komárom-Esztergom | Nógrád | Pest | Somogy | Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg | Tolna | Vas | Veszprém | Zala | |
| Urban counties: | Békéscsaba | Debrecen | Dunaújváros | Eger | Érd | Győr | Hódmezővásárhely | Kaposvár | Kecskemét | Miskolc | Nagykanizsa | Nyíregyháza | Pécs | Salgótarján | Sopron | Szeged | Szekszárd | Székesfehérvár | Szolnok | Szombathely | Tatabánya | Veszprém | Zalaegerszeg | |
| Capital: | Budapest | |
| See also: Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Hungary; Geography of Hungary | ||
