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Great Hungarian Plain

geography Maturity 7-9 Next article →

The Great Hungarian Plain is a huge area of land. People often call it the Alföld.

HU region 1. Alföld
HU region 1. Alföld

It makes up about 56% of the country of Hungary. This plain is the biggest part of a much larger area called the Pannonian Plain. The plain sits near several different landforms. To the north and east, you will find the Carpathians. In the southwest, the Transdanubian Mountains and the Dinaric Alps sit nearby. The Sava river marks the southern edge.

Hortobágy
Hortobágy

The land here looks very different depending on where you stand. Most of the ground is flat. Some parts have gentle, rolling hills. The highest spot is a place called Hoportyó. The lowest part of the plain is the Tisza River.

The Tisza is the most important river in the whole region. Many people enjoy the many medicinal baths found in local towns. You can visit places like Debrecen, Gyula, or Hajdúszoboszló to swim. There are also many fun celebrations. You might see a Goulash Festival in Szolnok or a Flower Carnival in Debrecen.

This land has a very old history. It was once a meeting point for cultures from East and West Europe. Long ago, people began farming here during the Neolithic era. One group was the Körös culture, which lived in what is now Serbia. Later, the Linear Pottery culture became very common across Europe. During the Bronze Age, people traded metal ores across long distances.

Tanya alfold
Tanya alfold

Scientists even studied old DNA from burials in the area. They found that people's bodies changed over thousands of years. For example, people in the Iron Age had different skin colors than earlier groups.

Many different groups of people have called this plain home. It was a heartland for Eurasian nomads. These groups included the Huns, Avars, and Magyars. Other tribes like the Cumans and Jasz people lived here too.

Hungary 13th cent
Hungary 13th cent

Because the land is so open, it felt like a natural home for these travelers. The plain is also a place where many smart people were born. The chemist János Irinyi invented the noiseless match here. Many famous writers and doctors also came from this region.

The plain is not just inside Hungary. It stretches out into many neighboring countries. In Serbia, the area includes Bačka, Banat, and Srem. Parts of the plain also reach into Croatia and Romania. In Slovakia, it is called the Eastern Slovak Lowland. In Ukraine, it is known as the Transcarpathian Lowland.

Tornyai Clouding over the Great Hungarian Plain
Tornyai Clouding over the Great Hungarian Plain

Even though it has different names, it is all part of one big, amazing landscape.

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🖼️ Images & Media (7)
File:Traktor, szántás, Alföld.jpg
Traktor, szántás, Alföld.jpg
File:Hortobagy-ziehbrunnen.jpg
Hortobagy-ziehbrunnen.jpg
File:HU region 1. Alföld.png
HU region 1. Alföld.png
File:Tanya alfold.jpg
Tanya alfold.jpg
File:Hortobágy.jpg
Hortobágy.jpg
File:Hungary 13th cent.png
Hungary 13th cent.png
File:Tornyai Clouding over the Great Hungarian Plain.jpg
Tornyai Clouding over the Great Hungarian...
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