Zala is the name of an administrative county (comitatus or megye) in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary. Zala is also a river in Hungary, see Zala River.

Zala county

Zala county lies in south-western Hungary. It shares borders with Croatia and Slovenia and the Hungarian counties Vas, Veszprém and Somogy. The capital of Zala county is Zalaegerszeg. Its area is 3784 km². Lake Balaton lies partly in the county.

Zala (former county)

Zala is also the name of a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in south-western Hungary, northern Croatia and eastern Slovenia. The territory of the historic county comprises the present Hungarian county Zala and part of present Veszprém county, the Croatian region of Međimurje to the south-west of it, bordered by the river Drave, and a small region around Lendava in present-day Slovenia. The capital of the county was Zalaegerszeg.

Geography

Zala county shared borders with the Austrian land Styria and the Hungarian counties Vas, Veszprém, Somogy, Belovár-Körös and Varasd (the latter two in Croatia-Slavonia). The river Drave formed its southern border, Lake Balaton its eastern border. The rivers Mura and Zala flowed through the county. Its area was 5974 km² around 1910.

History

Zala county arose as one of the first comitatus of the Kingdom of Hungary.

In 1918 (confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon 1920), the south-west of the county became part of the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Yugoslavia). The remainder stayed in Hungary, as the present Hungarian county Zala. A small part of former Vas county, north of Zalaegerszeg, went to Zala county. The part of Zala county north of Lake Balaton went to Veszprém County.

Since 1991, when Slovenia and Croatia became independent from Yugoslavia, the part of former Zala county between the rivers Mura and Drave is part of Croatia (region of Međimurje). The area around Lendava in presently in Slovenia.

Districts

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

• Zalaegerszeg
• Zalaszentgrót
• Sümeg
• Tapolca
• Balatonfüred
• Keszthely
• Pacsa
• Nagykanizsa
• Nova
• Letenye
• Prelog (Hungarian: Perlak)
• Čakovec (Hungarian: Csáktornya)
• Lendava (Hungarian: Alsólendva)

Urban districts:

• Zalaegerszeg
• Nagykanizsa

The towns Prelog and Čakovec are presently in Croatia, Lendava is presently in Slovenia.

Settlements of Zala

• Misefa