Banská Bystrica Region

Banská Bystrica Region
Banskobystrický kraj
Region
Flag of Banská Bystrica Region
Flag
Coat of arms of Banská Bystrica Region
Coat of arms
Banská Bystrica Region
Banská Bystrica Region
Country Slovakia
CapitalBanská Bystrica
Government
 • BodyCounty Council of Banská Bystrica Region
 • GovernorOndrej Lunter (Independent)
Area
 • Total
9,454 km2 (3,650 sq mi)
Highest elevation
2,046 m (6,713 ft)
Lowest elevation
135 m (443 ft)
Population
 (2024)
 • Total
614,356
 • Density65/km2 (170/sq mi)
GDP
[1]
 • Total€7.121 billion (2016)
 • Per capita€10,917 (2016)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
ISO 3166 codeSK-BC
Websitewww.vucbb.sk

The Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak: Banskobystrický kraj, pronounced [ˈbanskɔbistritskiː ˈkraj]; Hungarian: Besztercebányai kerület, pronounced [ˈbɛstɛrt͡sɛbaːɲɒi ˈkɛrylɛt]) is one of the eight regions of Slovakia. It is the largest of the eight regions by area, and has a lower population density than any other region. The Banská Bystrica Region was established in 1923; its borders were last adjusted in 1996. Banská Bystrica consists of 514 municipalities, 24 of which have town status. Its administrative center is the eponymous town of Banská Bystrica, which is also the region's largest town. Other important towns are Zvolen and Lučenec.

Geography

It is located in the central part of Slovakia and has an area of 9,455 km2. The region is prevailingly mountainous, with several ranges within the area. The highest of them are the Low Tatras in the north, where the highest point, Ďumbier, is located. Some of the mountain ranges in the west include Kremnica Mountains, Vtáčnik and Štiavnica Mountains. The Javorie and Krupina Plain ranges are located in the centre. The Slovak Ore Mountains are running from the central areas to the east, along with its subdivisions (e.g. Poľana, Veporské vrchy, Muránska planina and Spiš-Gemer Karst). Lower lying areas are located in the south, represented by the Southern Slovak Basin, running along the borders with Hungary. Major rivers are the Hron in the northern half, Ipeľ in the south and centre, Rimava and for short length Slaná in the east. As for administrative division, the region borders Žilina Region in the north, Prešov Region in the north-east, Košice Region in the east, Hungarian Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in the south-east, Nógrád county in the south and Pest county in the south-west, Nitra Region in the west and Trenčín Region in the north-west.

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1970598,697—    
1980636,192+6.3%
1991659,341+3.6%
2001662,121+0.4%
2011660,563−0.2%
2021625,601−5.3%
Source: Censuses[2][3]

The population density in the region is 68.14/km2 (176.5/sq mi) (2020-06-30/-07-01),[4] which is the lowest of all Slovak regions and much lower than the country's average (110 per km2). The largest towns are Banská Bystrica, Zvolen, Lučenec and Rimavská Sobota. According to the 2014 census, there were 655,359 inhabitants in the region, with a majority of Slovaks (83.7%), but there is a substantial Hungarian minority (11.8%) along the border with Hungary, as well as smaller minorities of Roma (2.3%) and Czechs (<1%).[5]

Politics

The governor of Banská Bystrica region is Ondrej Lunter (Independent). He won with 48,5 %. In election 2022 was elected also regional parliament :

County Council of Banská Bystrica region
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
HousesCounty Council
Leadership
Governor
Structure
Seats49
Political groups
  Independent group (14)
  Centre-right group (11)[6]
  Voice (11)
  Alliance (9)
  Non-affiliated (4)
Elections
Last election
29 October 2022
Meeting place

Governor's office, Banská Bystrica
Website
Council of Banská Bystrica region

Administrative division

The Banská Bystrica Region consists of 13 districts (okresy).

There are 514 municipalities, of which 24 are towns, where the 56% of the region's population live.

Places of interest

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ Regions and Cities > Regional Statistics > Regional Economy > Regional GDP per Capita, OECD.Stats. Accessed on 16 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Statistical lexikon of municipalities 1970-2011" (PDF) (in Slovak).
  3. ^ "Census 2021 - Population - Basic results". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2021-01-01.
  4. ^ "Statistic of Slovak places by Dušan Kreheľ – Export". Archived from the original on 2021-07-09. Retrieved 2021-07-05.
  5. ^ POPULATION AND HOUSING CENSUS 2001 - Tab. 3a[dead link‍]
  6. ^ KDH, SaS, Independents
  • Kopa, Ľudovít; et al. (2006). The Encyclopaedia of Slovakia and the Slovaks. Bratislava, Slovakia: Encyclopaedic Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. ISBN 80-224-0925-1.