Torontál (Hungarian, in Serbian: Torontal) is the name of administrative county (comitatus) of the historic Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in northern Serbia (eastern Vojvodina), western Romania and southern Hungary. The capital of the county was Zrenjanin (in Hungarian: Nagybecskerek).

Geography

Torontál county is part of the Banat region. It shared borders with Serbia and the Hungarian counties Szerém, Bács-Bodrog, Csongrád, Csanád, Arad and Temes (the first county was part of Croatia-Slavonia). The river Danube formed its southern border, the river Tisza its western border, and the river Mureş/Maros its northern border. Its area was 10042 km² around 1910.

History

Torontál county was formed before the 15th century. The county was taken by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. After the Banat was captured by the Austrians, the county fell alternately under Austrian and Hungarian rule. Torontál county was incorporated into the Kingdom of Hungary in the 1860s.

In 1918 (confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon 1920), most of the county became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia). The north-east of the county became part of Romania, and the northernmost part of the county (a small area south of Szeged) stayed in Hungary and became part of the new county Csanád-Arad-Torontál.

The Yugoslavian part of pre-1918 Torontál county (the western Banat region) is presently part of Serbia, autonomous region Vojvodina. The Romanian part is now part of Timiş county. The Hungarian part is now part of Csongrád county.

Districts

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

• Zrenjanin (Hungarian: Nagybecskerek)
• Pančevo (Hungarian: Pancsova)
• Novi Bečej (Hungarian: Törökbecse)
• Kikinda (Hungarian: Nagykikinda)
• Novi Kneževac (Hungarian: Törökkanizsa)
• Sânnicolau Mare (Hungarian: Nagyszentmiklós)
• Periam (Hungarian: Perjamós)
• Jimbolia (Hungarian: Zsombolya)
• Cenei (Hungarian: Csene)
• Međa (Hungarian: Párdány)
• Jaša Tomić (Hungarian: Módos)
• Banloc (Hungarian: Bánlak)
• Alibunar (Hungarian: Alibunár)
• Kovačica (Hungarian: Antalfalva)

Urban county:

• Pančevo (Hungarian: Pancsova)

Urban districts:

• Zrenjanin (Hungarian: Nagybecskerek)
• Kikinda (Hungarian: Nagykikinda)

The towns Sânnicolau Mare, Periam , Jimbolia, Cenei and Banloc are presently in Romania, the other mentioned towns are presently in Serbia.