Szatmár

Szatmár is the Hungarian toponym for a historic and geographic region centered on the city of Satu Mare in northwestern Romania. It also denotes the former Szatmár County of the Kingdom of Hungary, whose administrative center was the city known in Hungarian as Szatmárnémeti (today Satu Mare). The name remains in use in Hungarian to refer to the city and the surrounding area.

Historically, Szatmár County was part of the medieval and early modern Kingdom of Hungary. After World War I, the 1920 Treaty of Trianon allocated most of the county to Romania, where it became Satu Mare County. During World War II, from 1940 to 1944, the region was briefly reassigned to Hungary as part of Northern Transylvania, before returning to Romanian administration after the war. Today the term Szatmár persists in cultural and regional references, especially within Hungarian communities.

Geography and economy of the Szatmár region are dominated by a western Romanian plain landscape, with flat to gently rolling terrain and a river system linked to the Someș/Szamos network. The area is characterized by agricultural activity, complemented by light industry, transport, and cross-border trade. The major urban center remains Satu Mare, which serves as a regional hub for administration, services, and commerce.

Demographics and culture reflect a historically multiethnic region. Hungarian and Romanian communities are both present, with smaller populations of Roma and other groups. The Hungarian language is widely used in towns with a Hungarian heritage, and the region preserves a diverse cultural life, including folk traditions, religious institutions of Roman Catholic and Reformed denominations, and regional festivals.