falvak

Falvak is the Hungarian term for villages; falvak is the plural form of falu, which means a small rural settlement. In everyday language, falu refers to a village, while falvak denotes multiple villages. In official administrative usage, a village may be organized as a local municipality called a község (village), while larger towns and cities are municipalities called város.

Each község is governed by a polgármester (mayor) and a képviselő-testület (representative body). Some villages are grouped into micro-regions or joined with nearby municipalities to share services such as schooling, waste management, and infrastructure planning. Although falvak are typically small, they form a key part of Hungary’s rural landscape and its regional diversity.

Falvak are distributed across Hungary, with higher concentrations in the Great Hungarian Plain and other rural areas. Demographically, many villages face challenges such as aging populations and outmigration of younger residents to urban areas or abroad. Economies are traditionally based on agriculture and related activities, though some villages also rely on small-scale industry, crafts, tourism, or the provision of services to nearby towns.

Culturally, falvak preserve local Hungarian traditions, regional architectural styles, and community events, contributing to regional identity. The term is also used in reference to rural settlements in neighboring countries with Hungarian-speaking communities.

See also: falu; község; város.