Zala County

For other uses, see Zala (disambiguation).
Zala County

Flag

Coat of arms
Country Hungary
Region Western Transdanubia
County seat Zalaegerszeg
Area
  Total 3,783.89 km2 (1,460.97 sq mi)
Population (2011 census)
  Total 282,179
  Density 75/km2 (190/sq mi)
Website www.zala.hu

Zala (Slovene: Zalska županija or županija Zala) is an administrative county (comitatus or megye) in south-western Hungary. It is named after the Zala River. It shares borders with Croatia and Slovenia and the Hungarian counties Vas, Veszprém and Somogy. The capital of Zala county is Zalaegerszeg. Its area is 3,784 square kilometres (1,461 sq mi). Lake Balaton lies partly in the county.

History

Zala County on an old map

In the 10th century, the Hungarian Nyék tribe occupied the region around Lake Balaton. Their occupation was mainly in the areas known today as Zala and Somogy counties.[1]

Parts of the western territory of the former county of Zala are now part of Slovenia (South-Prekmurje). In 1919 it was part of the unrecognized state of the Republic of Prekmurje, which existed for just six days.

Regional structure

Cities with county rights

Medicinal thermal lake Hévíz

Cities and towns

(ordered by population, according to the 2001 census)

Villages

Coordinates: 46°40′N 16°50′E / 46.667°N 16.833°E

  1. Béla Kálmán, The world of names: a study in Hungarian onomatology, Akadémiai Kiadó, 1978, p. 134
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