Balassagyarmat

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Balassagyarmat
Aerial photography: Balasagyarmat, County House with the Medium and High Security Prison

Coat of arms
Balassagyarmat is located in Hungary
Balassagyarmat
Location of Balassagyarmat
Coordinates: 48°04′43″N 19°17′39″E / 48.07864°N 19.29403°E / 48.07864; 19.29403Coordinates: 48°04′43″N 19°17′39″E / 48.07864°N 19.29403°E / 48.07864; 19.29403
Country  Hungary
County Nógrád
Area
 • Total 29.03 km2 (11.21 sq mi)
Population (2005)
 • Total 17,704
 • Density 610/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 2660
Area code(s) 35

Balassagyarmat (formerly Balassa-Gyarmath, German: Jahrmarkt) is a town in northern Hungary. It was the seat of the Nógrád comitatus.

Contents

History [edit]

The town's coat-of-arms bears the Latin inscription "Civitas Fortissima" (the bravest city), because in January 1919 Czechoslovak troops crossed the demarcation line delineated in December 1918 in preparation for the Treaty of Trianon, illegally occupying towns south of the line, including Balassagyarmat. The local population managed to push back the Czechoslovak troops in a serious military encounter in which many of the civilian participants lost their lives.[1]

The heroics of the town's people against the illegal and unprovoked invasion has been immortalised in the Kárpátia(hu) song "Civitas Fortissima"[2]

Geography [edit]

The town lies on the left bank of the Ipoly river, which marks the state border with Slovakia.

Demographics [edit]

In 2001 Balassagyarmat had 18,474 inhabitants. The population were homogeneous with Hungarian majority (Magyars 98%, Roma 2%),[3] 100% of the total population speak Hungarian as their mother tongue.

Famous people [edit]

International relations [edit]

Twin towns — Sister cities [edit]

Balassagyarmat is twinned with:

External links [edit]

See also [edit]

References [edit]