Szatmár is the name of a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in north-western Romania and north-eastern Hungary, south of the river Tisza. The capital of the county was Carei (Romanian, Nagykároly in Hungarian).

Geography

Szatmár county shared borders with the Hungarian counties Szabolcs, Bereg, Ugocsa, Máramaros, Szolnok-Doboka, Szilágy and Bihar. It was situated south of the river Tisza. The river Someş/Szamos flows through the county. Its area was 6257 km² around 1910.

History

In 1918 (confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon 1920), most of the county became part of Romania. The north-west of the county remained in Hungary, and formed the new county Szatmár-Ugocsa-Bereg with parts of the former Bereg and Ugocsa counties. The capital of this county was Mátészalka , which was previously in Szatmár county.

After World War II, the county Szatmár-Ugocsa-Bereg was merged with Szabolcs county to form Szabolcs-Szatmár county. This county was renamed Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg in the 1990s.

The Romanian part of the county is now part of the Romanian county Satu Mare, except the easternmost part (including Baia Mare), which is in Maramureş county.

Districts

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

• Carei (Hungarian: Nagykároly)
• Satu Mare (Hungarian: Szatmárnémeti)
• Csenger
• Fehérgyarmat
• Mátészalka
• Seini (Hungarian: Szinérváralja)
• Baia Mare (Hungarian: Nagybánya)
• Şomcuta Mare (Hungarian: Nagysomkút)
• Ardud (Hungarian: Erdőd)

Urban county:

• Satu Mare (Hungarian: Szatmárnémeti)

Urban districts:

• Carei (Hungarian: Nagykároly)
• Baia Mare (Hungarian: Nagybánya)
• Baia Sprie (Hungarian: Felsőbánya)

Csenger , Fehérgyarmat and Mátészalka are presently in Hungary; the other mentioned towns are presently in Romania.