# Heves County

Heves county (Hungarian: Heves vármegye, pronounced) lies in northern Hungary, between the right bank of the river Tisza and the Mátra and Bükk mountains. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Pest, Nógrád, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok. Eger is the county seat.

## Tourist sights

* Lake Tisza
* Bükk National Park
* Bélapátfalva, abbey
* Castle and City of Eger
* Erdőtelek Arboretum
* Feldebrő, 11th century Romanesque church
* Gyöngyös, Mátra Museum
* Hatvan, Grassalkovich mansion
* Kisnána castle
* Noszvaj, De la Motte mansion
* Parád
* Sirok castle
* Szilvásvárad, Szalajka Valley
* Szarvaskő, castle ruins

## Geography

Heves county is a geographically diverse area; its northern part is mountainous (the Mátra and Bükk are the two highest mountain ranges in Hungary), while at south it includes a part of the Great Hungarian Plain. From south it is bordered by Lake Tisza, the largest artificial lake in Hungary. The average temperature is between 8 and 10 °C (higher on the southern parts of the county).

### Rivers

* Zagyva
* Tarna
* Tisza
* Laskó

### Highest point

* Kékestető, Mátra Mountains (1014 m; highest in Hungary)

### Lowest point

* Kisköre (86 m.)

## History

The county was a primary target for the Ottoman Empire during the Ottoman-Hungarian Wars where the Siege of Eger took place.

## Demographics

Religion in Heves County (2022 census – of those who declared their religion (60.7%))
In 2015, it had a population of 301,296 and the population density was 83/km$^2$.
| Year | County population | Change |
| 1949 | 316,273 | n/a |
| 1960 | 347,856 | 9.99% |
| 1970 | 340,146 | -2.22% |
| 1980 | 350,360 (record) | 3.00% |
| 1990 | 334,408 | -4.55% |
| 2001 | 325,727 | -2.60% |
| 2011 | 308,882 | -5.17% |
| 2015 | 301,296 | -2.51% |
| 2018 | 295,792 | -1.86% |

### Ethnicity

Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx. 19,000), Germans (1,000) Slovaks (500) and Romanians (500).
Total population (2011 census): 308,882 Ethnic groups (2011 census): Identified themselves: 279,714 persons:
* Hungarians: 257,659 (92.12%)
* Gypsies: 19,312 (6.90%)
* Others and indefinable: 2,743 (0.98%)
Approx. 43,000 persons in Heves County did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.

### Religion

Religious adherence in the county according to 2011 census:
* Catholic – 162,014 (Roman Catholic – 160,885; Greek Catholic – 1,098);
* Reformed – 14,729;
* Evangelical – 1,084;
* Other religions – 4,894;
* Non-religious – 43,193;
* Atheism – 3,298;
* Undeclared – 79,670.

## Regional structure

| № | English and Hungarian names | Area (km$^2$) | Population (2011) | Density (pop./km$^2$) | Seat | № of municipalities |
| 1 | Bélapátfalva District Bélapátfalvai járás | 180.89 | 8,978 | 50 | Bélapátfalva | 8 |
| 2 | Eger District Egri járás | 602.05 | 87,939 | 146 | Eger | 22 |
| 3 | Füzesabony District Füzesabonyi járás | 578.55 | 30,416 | 53 | Füzesabony | 16 |
| 4 | Gyöngyös District Gyöngyösi járás | 750.78 | 73,834 | 98 | Gyöngyös | 25 |
| 5 | Hatvan District Hatvani járás | 352.16 | 51,246 | 146 | Hatvan | 13 |
| 6 | Heves District Hevesi járás | 697.68 | 35,036 | 50 | Heves (town) | 17 |
| 7 | Pétervására District Pétervásárai járás | 475.07 | 21,433 | 45 | Pétervására | 20 |
| Heves County | Heves County | 3,637.25 | 308,882 | 85 | Eger | 121 |

## Politics
### County Assembly

The Heves County Council, elected at the 2024 local government elections, is made up of 15 counselors, with the following party composition:
| Party | Seats |
| Fidesz-KDNP | 9 |
| Our Homeland Movement | 2 |
| Democratic Coalition | 2 |
| Momentum Movement | 1 |
| Jobbik | 1 |

### Presidents of the General Assembly

List of presidents since 1990 :
| Róbert Szabó (Fidesz-KDNP) | 2014– |

#### Members of the National Assembly

The following members elected of the National Assembly during the 2022 parliamentary election:
| Constituency | Member | Party |
| Heves County 1st constituency | Gábor Pajtók | Fidesz–KDNP |
| Heves County 2nd constituency | László Horváth | Fidesz–KDNP |
| Heves County 3rd constituency | Zsolt Szabó | Fidesz–KDNP |

## Municipalities

Heves County has 1 urban county, 10 towns, 3 large villages and 107 villages.

### City with county rights

(ordered by population, as of 2011 census)
* Eger (56,569) – county seat

### Towns

* Gyöngyös (31,421)
* Hatvan (20,519)
* Heves (10,753)
* Füzesabony (7,880)
* Lőrinci (5,831)
* Verpelét (3,786)
* Bélapátfalva (3,092)
* Kisköre (2,869)
* Gyöngyöspata (2,586)
* Pétervására (2,326)

### Large villages

* Kál
* Parád
* Recsk

### Villages

* Abasár
* Adács
* Aldebrő
* Andornaktálya
* Apc
* Atkár
* Átány
* Balaton
* Bátor
* Bekölce
* Besenyőtelek
* Boconád
* Bodony
* Boldog
* Bükkszék
* Bükkszenterzsébet
* Bükkszentmárton
* Csány
* Demjén
* Detk
* Domoszló
* Dormánd
* Ecséd
* Egerbakta
* Egerbocs
* Egercsehi
* Egerfarmos
* Egerszalók
* Egerszólát
* Erdőkövesd
* Erdőtelek
* Erk
* Fedémes
* Feldebrő
* Felsőtárkány
* Gyöngyöshalász
* Gyöngyösoroszi
* Gyöngyössolymos
* Gyöngyöstarján
* Halmajugra
* Heréd
* Hevesaranyos
* Hevesvezekény
* Hort
* Istenmezeje
* Ivád
* Karácsond
* Kápolna
* Kerecsend
* Kisfüzes
* Kisnána
* Kompolt
* Kömlő
* Ludas
* Maklár
* Markaz
* Mátraballa
* Mátraderecske
* Mátraszentimre
* Mezőszemere
* Mezőtárkány
* Mikófalva
* Mónosbél
* Nagyfüged
* Nagykökényes
* Nagyréde
* Nagytálya
* Nagyút
* Nagyvisnyó
* Noszvaj
* Novaj
* Ostoros
* Parádsasvár
* Pálosvörösmart
* Petőfibánya
* Pély
* Poroszló
* Rózsaszentmárton
* Sarud
* Sirok
* Szajla
* Szarvaskő
* Szentdomonkos
* Szihalom
* Szilvásvárad
* Szúcs
* Szűcsi
* Tarnabod
* Tarnalelesz
* Tarnaméra
* Tarnaörs
* Tarnaszentmária
* Tarnaszentmiklós
* Tarnazsadány
* Tenk
* Terpes
* Tiszanána
* Tófalu
* Újlőrincfalva
* Vámosgyörk
* Váraszó
* Vécs
* Visonta
* Visznek
* Zagyvaszántó
* Zaránk

## Gallery

* Eger, the capital of the county
* Autumn in the Bükk Mountains
* Keglevich Mansion in Pétervására
* Romanesque church in Bélapátfalva
* Waterfall in the Szalajka Valley near Szilvásvárad
* Grassalkovich Mansion in Hatvan
* Lake Tisza is the 3rd largest lake of Hungary
* Traditional residential house in Abasár

## International relations

Heves County has a partnership relationship with:
| Banská Bystrica Region, Slovakia Covasna County, Romania Harghita County, Romania | Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France Przemyśl County, Lesser Poland, Poland Värmland County, Sweden |

## References and notes
### References

* ↑ nepesseg.com, population data of Hungarian settlements
* ↑ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
* ↑ népesség.com, "Heves megye népessége 1870-2015"
* ↑ 1.1.6. A népesség anyanyelv, nemzetiség és nemek szerint – Frissítve: 2013.04.17.; Hungarian Central Statistical Office (in Hungarian)
* ↑ 2011. ÉVI NÉPSZÁMLÁLÁS, 3. Területi adatok, 3.10 Heves megye, (in Hungarian) Archived 2017-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
* ↑ "Nemzeti Választási Iroda - Helyi önkormányzati választások". vtr.valasztas.hu (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2024-10-26.
* ↑ "Megyei közgyűlés tagjai 2019-2024 (Heves megye)". valasztas.hu. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
* ↑ Önkormányzati választások eredményei (in Hungarian)
* ↑ "Heves megye parlamenti képviselői (Parlamenti Információs Rendszer 2022-)" (in Hungarian). Hungarian National Assembly.
* ↑ "Hargita Heves megye testvérmegyéje lett | EgerHírek". 15 August 2014.
* ↑ "Bővítenék a kapcsolatokat".