Makó
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| Makó | |
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  Makó
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Hungary |
| County | Csongrád |
| Area | |
| - Total | 229.23 km² (88.5 sq mi) |
| Population (2002) | |
| - Total | 25,619 |
| - Density | 112/km² (290.1/sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 6900 |
| Area code(s) | 62 |
Makó (Romanian: Macǎu, Yiddish: מאַקאָוו) is a town in Csongrád County in southeastern Hungary. It lies on the Maros River, near the Romanian border. The area of the town is 229.23 km² (89 sq mi) of which 196.8 km² (76 sq mi) is arable land. The climate is very warm with hot and dry summers. Makó and the surrounding region get the most sunshine in Hungary, about 85-90 sunny days a year. The sun shines more than 2,100 hours a year in Makó. However, the 100 year average of precipitation is only 585 mm per year. The average medium temperature is 10.9 C°.
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[edit] Economy
The main source of income for the population comes from agriculture
The town is famous for its onion and garlic produce. Both the climate and the soil structure make the town and its surroundings an ideal place for onion farming. Growing onions in the region goes back to the 1500s. The first records of significant garlic production goes back to the late 1700s. International recognition of the garlic grown in Makó has been prevalent since the Vienna Expo in 1873 and the Brussels Expo in 1888.
The mud of the Maros River has similar properties to some of the best in Hungary and the world. At times it is likened to that of the Dead Sea and the local spa has been one of the main attractions since 1961.
With the political changes in 1989, however, Makó lost most of its industry and unemployment (currently ca. 8%) became a serious issue. Even farmers experienced great difficulties. With the establishment of an industrial park, the town hopes to take advantage of its location at "The South-Eastern Gate of the European Union."
Makó is more recently famous due to the nearby Makó Trough, a basin-centered gas accumulation that could be one of the largest natural gas fields in continental Europe, provided the gas can be recovered economically. As of early March 2007, this had not yet been clearly demonstrated. At the 90% probability rate, Makó had certified recoverable resources of over 600 billion cubic meters of natural gas, according to a report by the Scotia Group, prepared for the field's exploration concession holder, the Canada-based Falcon Oil and Gas.
[edit] History
Once Makó used to be the capital of Csanád, a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary.
The town was once one of the largest centers of the Jewish population in Hungary. The synagogue has been rebuilt recently.
Many famous Hungarian people were born or lived in Makó. Perhaps the most recognized person among them is the American journalist, Joseph Pulitzer who was born there on April 18, 1847.
[edit] Geography
The former community pasture of the town near the Maros River became part of the Körös-Maros National Park. The traditional name of the area, Csordajárás shows its former use as grazing ground for cattles.
[edit] External links
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