Balkány (Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary. It covers an area of 89.99 km2 (35 sq mi) and has a population of 6,852 people (2002). It lies approximately 28 km (17 mi) southeast from Nyíregyháza and 40 northeast from Debrecen. There are many small towns surrounding Balkány, including Biri, Geszteréd, Bököny, Szakoly, and Nyírmihálydi. Balkány was first mentioned in 1214. The meaning of the name has most likely to do with swamp or wetland. The first landlords of the region were the Gut-Keled noble family who were given Balkány as a gift by the king in 1289. Balkány was then divided up by the family, the western part went to Paul (Pál) and Thomas (Tamás), the eastern part was taken by Paul's son, Lawrence (Lőrinc). As a result of attacks by the Ottoman Turks and other nomadic tribes Balkány became a ghost town until the late 16th century. In the early 18th century, the town's population rose again, governance was shared among the most prosperous families such as Bezdédy, Désy, Finta, Gencsy, Gődény, Guth, and Koczogh. In 1839, it was the largest city in the county with a population of 3,006. More information...
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