This article is about the former Hungarian county. For other meanings see Orava (disambiguation).

Orava (-Slovak, in Hungarian and Latin: Árva, in German: Arwa, in Polish: Orawa) is the name of a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in northern Slovakia and southern Poland. Today, Orava is only an informal designation of the corresponding territory.

Geography

Orava county shared borders with the Austrian land Galicia and the Hungarian counties Trencsén (Trenčín), Turóc (Turiec) and Liptó (Liptov). The county's territory was situated along the Orava River between Zázrivá and the Tatra mountains. Its area was 2018 km² around 1910.

Capitals

The capital of the county was the Orava Castle, then Veličná and since late 17th century Dolný Kubín.

History

Orava county as a Hungarian comitatus arose before the 15th century. In 1918 (confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon 1920), Orava county became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia. After a border dispute (treated in detail under Spiš county) several villages in the north-east of Orava county were exchanged between Poland and Czechoslovakia.

During World War II, when Czechoslovakia was split temporarily, Orava was part of independent Slovakia. After World War II Orava county was in Czechoslovakia again. In 1993, Czechoslovakia was split and Orava became part of Slovakia.

Districts

In the early 20th century, the districts and their capitals were:

• Dolný Kubín (Hungarian: Alsókubin)
• Vár, capital Tvrdošín (Hungarian: Turdossin)
• Námestovo (Hungarian: Námesztó)
• Trstená (Hungarian: Trsztena)

External links

• http://www.orava.sk (Slovak only)