Somogy (Hungarian: Somogy vármegye, pronounced [ˈʃomoɟ]; Croatian: Šomođska županija; Slovene: Šomodska županija, German: Komitat Schomodei) is an administrative county (comitatusorvármegye) in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary.
Somogy County
Somogy vármegye
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Descending, from top: Sunset in Lake Balaton, Somogyvár Abbey, and Downtown of Kaposvár | |
Flag 
Coat of arms | |
Somogy County within Hungary
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| Coordinates: 46°25′N 17°35′E / 46.417°N 17.583°E / 46.417; 17.583 | |
| Country | Hungary |
| Region | Southern Transdanubia |
| County seat | Kaposvár |
| Districts | 8 districts |
| Government | |
| • Body | Somogy County Council |
| • President of the General Assembly | Norbert Bíró (Fidesz-KDNP) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6,065.07 km2 (2,341.74 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 5th in Hungary |
| Population
(2018)
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| • Total | 303,802[1] |
| • Rank | 13th in Hungary |
| GDP | |
| • Total | HUF 683 billion €2.195 billion (2016) |
| Postal code |
7253 – 729x, 74xx – 75xx, 7918, 7977 – 7979, 86xx – 873x, 884x – 885x
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| Area code(s) | (+36) 82, 84, 85 |
| ISO 3166 code | HU-SO |
| Website | www |
Somogy County lies in south-western Hungary, on the border with Croatia's Koprivnica-Križevci and Virovitica-Podravina counties. It stretches between the river Dráva and the southern shore of Lake Balaton. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties of Zala, Veszprém, Fejér, Tolna, and Baranya. Somogy is the most sparsely populated county in Hungary. The county capital is Kaposvár. Its area is 6,036 km2.
Somogy was also the name of a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory, which was slightly larger than that of present Somogy County, is now in south-western Hungary. The capital of that county was also Kaposvár.
Religion in Somogy County (2022 census – of those who declared their religion (62.0%))
In 2015, it had a population of 312,084 and the population density was 52/km2.
| Year | County population[3] | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 361,213 | n/a |
| 1960 |  368,183 (record)
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1.93% |
| 1970 |  357,009
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-3.03% |
| 1980 | 360,270
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0.91% |
| 1990 | 344,708
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-4.32% |
| 2001 | 335,237
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-2.75% |
| 2011 | 316,137
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-5.70% |
| 2015 | 312,084
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-1.29% |
| 2018 | 303,802
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-2.72% |
Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx. 16,000), Germans (3,000) and Croats (1,500).
Total population (2011 census): 316,137
Ethnic groups (2011 census):[4]
Identified themselves: 287,692 persons:
Religious adherence in the county according to 2011 census:[5]
| No. | English and Hungarian names |
Area (km2) |
Population (2011) |
Density (pop./km2) |
Seat | No. of municipalities |
| 1 | Barcs District Barcsi járás |
696.47 | 23,793 | 34 | Barcs | 26 |
| 2 | Csurgó District Csurgói járás |
496.19 | 16,862 | 34 | Csurgó | 18 |
| 3 | Fonyód District Fonyódi járás |
645.44 | 33,785 | 52 | Fonyód | 21 |
| 4 | Kaposvár District Kaposvári járás |
1,591.36 | 118,496 | 74 | Kaposvár | 78 |
| 5 | Marcali District Marcali járás |
904.24 | 34,472 | 38 | Marcali | 37 |
| 6 | Nagyatád District Nagyatádi járás |
647.07 | 26,003 | 40 | Nagyatád | 18 |
| 7 | Siófok District Siófoki járás |
657.05 | 51,099 | 78 | Siófok | 24 |
| 8 | Tab District Tabi járás |
427.24 | 12,797 | 30 | Tab | 24 |
| Somogy County | 6,065.07 | 312,084 | 52 | Kaposvár | 245 | |
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The Somogy County Council, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 15 counselors, with the following party composition:[6]
| Party | Seats | Current County Assembly | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fidesz-KDNP | 9 | ||||||||||
| Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik) | 3 | ||||||||||
| Association for Somogy (Somogyért) | 2 | ||||||||||
| Momentum Movement (MM) | 1 | ||||||||||
| Democratic Coalition (DK) | 1 | ||||||||||
| List of presidents since 1990[7] | |
|---|---|
| István Gyenesei (Independent) | 1990–1994 |
| István Kolber (MSZP) | 1994–1998 |
| István Gyenesei (Somogyért) | 1998–2006 |
| Attila Gelencsér (Fidesz-KDNP) | 2006–2014 |
| Norbert Bíró (Fidesz-KDNP) | 2014– |
Somogy County has 1 urban county, 15 towns, 2 large villages and 227 villages.
(ordered by population, as of 2011 census)
municipalities are large villages.
Somogy County has a partnership relationship with:
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