Balkány

Balkány is a town in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, in the Northern Great Plain region of eastern Hungary.

Geography
It covers an area of 89.99 km2 and has a population of 6,852 people (2002). It lies approximately 28 km southeast from Nyíregyháza and 40 northeast from Debrecen. There are many small towns surrounding Balkány, including Biri, Geszteréd, Bököny, Szakoly, and Nyírmihálydi.

Climate
Balkány has nearly 2,000 hours of annual sunshine, which is the second highest after the Alföld region. Average annual precipitation is about 560–590 mm, and the annual average temperature is between 9.5 to 9.6 °C.

History
Balkány was first mentioned in 1214. The meaning of its name probably comes from Turkish in which it refers to swamp or wetland. The first owners of the region were the Gut-Keled noble family whose members received Balkány as a gift from the king in 1289. Consequently, Balkány was divided up by the family, the western part was given to Paul(Pál) and Thomas(Tamás), the easetern part was taken by Paul's son, Lawrence(Lőrinc). During the attacks of the Turks and other Nomad tribes, the town lost its population. The following records date to 1578. In the early 18th century, the town rose in population and power was shared among the most prosperous families such as Bezdédy, Désy, Finta, Gencsy, Gődény, Guth, and Koczogh. In 1839, It was the largest city in the county with a population of 3,006.

Today
Balkány is home to 6,852 people (2005) most of which live on the countryside. Unemployment is a serious problem: there are more jobs being lost than created. Like in the past, the biggest sector of employment is agriculture. However, the lack of investment and low prices for good create an unfriendly business environment.

There are a number of kindergartens and two elementary and middle school providing the nearly 1,300 children with many extracurricular activities. In the summer, children are able to participate in summer camps directed by the schools.

Twin towns — Sister cities
Balkány is twinned with:
 * 🇷🇴 Lázári, Romania
 * 🇵🇱 Słopnice, Poland