Zemplín (region)
Encyclopedia
Zemplín is the name of an informal region located presently in eastern Slovakia
. It includes Slovak part of the former Zemplén county, often including the Slovak part of the Ung county (Slovak: Užská župa/Užský komitát).
in the north to the lowest point in Slovakia at 94 metres AMSL. The region is situated in the easternmost part of Slovakia (except for the region between Vihorlatské vrchy and the Latorica river, if former territory of Ung county isn't included). Rivers in the region include Bodrog
, Laborec, Latorica, Uh
, Ondava
and a very small part of the Tisza
river
Today Zemplín isn't an administrative region unlike its predecessor, but is divided between two of the 21 official tourism regions, Lower Zemplín and Upper Zemplín. Administratively, region is divided between Košice Region
, which includes Trebišov
and western part of Michalovce District
(if Ung county is included, eastern part of Michalovce and whole Sobrance District
also belong to Zemplín), and Prešov Region
, fully including Humenné
, Snina
and Medzilaborce
districts and from bigger part including Vranov nad Topľou
and Stropkov
districts. Major towns include Michalovce
, Trebišov
and Humenné
.
was an administrative unit of Great Moravia
already in the 9th century. After its integration in the Kingdom of Hungary
, it became known as the Zemplén county.
Between 1879 and 1901 over 32,000 emigrated from the Slovak districts of Semplin to the USA.
In 1918 Slovak part of Zemplín became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia
. The southern half (including the bigger part of the divided Sátoraljaújhely
) stayed in Hungary
as the county Zemplén.
During World War II
, when Czechoslovakia
was split temporarily, some of the Czechoslovak part of the county was occupied by Hungary under the First Vienna Award
, and added to the counties Zemplén and Ung. After World War II, the pre-war border was restored, and the Hungarian county Zemplén merged with the county Borsod
and the Hungarian part of Abov-Turňa
to form the present Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
county. Since the separation
of Czechoslovakia into Slovakia
and the Czech Republic
in 1993, the northern part of Zemplín is part of Slovakia
, divided between eastern parts Košice Region and Prešov Region.
See also: List of traditional regions of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It includes Slovak part of the former Zemplén county, often including the Slovak part of the Ung county (Slovak: Užská župa/Užský komitát).
Geography
Zemplín region varies from the Carpathian MountainsCarpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
in the north to the lowest point in Slovakia at 94 metres AMSL. The region is situated in the easternmost part of Slovakia (except for the region between Vihorlatské vrchy and the Latorica river, if former territory of Ung county isn't included). Rivers in the region include Bodrog
Bodrog
The Bodrog is a river in eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary. It is a tributary to the river Tisza. The Bodrog is formed by the confluence of the rivers Ondava and Latorica near Zemplin in eastern Slovakia...
, Laborec, Latorica, Uh
Uzh River
The Uzh is a river in Ukraine and Slovakia. Its name comes from the ancient west slavic dialect word už, meaning "Snake", ....
, Ondava
Ondava
The Ondava is a 146.5 km long river in Slovakia, the northern source river of the Bodrog. Its source is in the Low Beskids , near the village Nižná Polianka, close to the border with Poland...
and a very small part of the Tisza
Tisza
The Tisza or Tisa is one of the main rivers of Central Europe. It rises in Ukraine, and is formed near Rakhiv by the junction of headwaters White Tisa, whose source is in the Chornohora mountains and Black Tisa, which springs in the Gorgany range...
river
Today Zemplín isn't an administrative region unlike its predecessor, but is divided between two of the 21 official tourism regions, Lower Zemplín and Upper Zemplín. Administratively, region is divided between Košice Region
Košice Region
The Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²...
, which includes Trebišov
Trebišov District
Trebišov District is a district inthe Košice Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was mostly part of the Hungarian county of Zemplín, apart from a small area...
and western part of Michalovce District
Michalovce District
Michalovce District is a district inthe Košice Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was split between the Hungarian counties of Zemplín and Uh .-Municipalities:* Bajany...
(if Ung county is included, eastern part of Michalovce and whole Sobrance District
Sobrance District
Sobrance District is a district inthe Košice Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was mostly part of the Hungarian county of Ung, apart from the area around the municipalities of...
also belong to Zemplín), and Prešov Region
Prešov Region
The Prešov Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 13 districts.-Geography:It is located in north-eastern Slovakia and has an area of 8,975 km². The region has diverse types of landscapes occurring in Slovakia, but mostly highlands and hilly lands dominate the...
, fully including Humenné
Humenné District
Humenné District is a district inthe Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia....
, Snina
Snina District
Snina District is a district inthe Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was part of the Hungarian county of Zemplín.-Municipalities:*Belá nad Cirochou*Brezovec*Čukalovce*Dlhé nad Cirochou*Dúbrava*Hostovice...
and Medzilaborce
Medzilaborce District
Medzilaborce District is a district inthe Prešov Region of northeastern Slovakia. It is the least populated of Slovakia's 79 districts...
districts and from bigger part including Vranov nad Topľou
Vranov nad Toplou District
Vranov nad Topľou District is a district in the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was mostly part of the Hungarian county of Zemplín, apart from an area around Hanušovce nad Topľou which formed part of the county of...
and Stropkov
Stropkov District
Stropkov District is a district inthe Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was mostly part of the Hungarian county of Zemplín, apart from an area in the...
districts. Major towns include Michalovce
Michalovce
Michalovce is a town on the Laborec river in eastern Slovakia, with a population around 40,000. It is the biggest town of the Michalovce District in the Košice Region.-Geography:...
, Trebišov
Trebišov
Trebišov is a small industrial town in the easternmost part of Slovakia, with a population of around 23,000. The town is an administrative, economic and cultural center with machine and building materials industries.-History:...
and Humenné
Humenné
Humenné is a town in the Prešov Region in eastern Slovakia and the second largest town of the historic Zemplín region. It lies at the volcanic Vihorlat mountains and at the confluence of the Laborec and Cirocha Rivers.-Characteristics:...
.
History
The region of Zemplín, administered from Zemplín CastleZemplín Castle
Zemplín Castle was a former stronghold, administrative center and later private residence located near the River Bodrog in the village of Zemplín, Trebišov District, Košice Region in Eastern Slovakia.-History:...
was an administrative unit of Great Moravia
Great Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
already in the 9th century. After its integration in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, it became known as the Zemplén county.
Between 1879 and 1901 over 32,000 emigrated from the Slovak districts of Semplin to the USA.
In 1918 Slovak part of Zemplín became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The southern half (including the bigger part of the divided Sátoraljaújhely
Sátoraljaújhely
Sátoraljaújhely or אוהעלי ) is a town located in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in northern Hungary near the Slovak border. It is east from the county capital Miskolc.- History :...
) stayed in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
as the county Zemplén.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
was split temporarily, some of the Czechoslovak part of the county was occupied by Hungary under the First Vienna Award
First Vienna Award
The First Vienna Award was the result of the First Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace on November 2, 1938. The Arbitration and Award were direct consequences of the Munich Agreement...
, and added to the counties Zemplén and Ung. After World War II, the pre-war border was restored, and the Hungarian county Zemplén merged with the county Borsod
Borsod
Borsod was the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary in present-day northeastern Hungary. The capital of the county was Miskolc...
and the Hungarian part of Abov-Turňa
Abov
Abov is:* historically the Slovak name of a county in the Kingdom of Hungary * today an informal designation of the part of that county situated in Slovakia, as well as the official name of one of Slovakia's tourist regions...
to form the present Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is the name of an administrative county in north-eastern Hungary , on the border with Slovakia. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Nógrád, Heves, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. The capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county is Miskolc...
county. Since the separation
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
of Czechoslovakia into Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
in 1993, the northern part of Zemplín is part of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, divided between eastern parts Košice Region and Prešov Region.
See also: List of traditional regions of Slovakia