Zemplín is the name of an informal region located presently in eastern Slovakia. It includes Slovak part of the former Zemplén county, often including Slovak part of the Ung county (Slovak: Užská župa/Užský komitát).

Geography

Zemplín region varies from the Carpathian Mountains in the north to the lowest point in Slovakia at 94 metres AMSL. The region is situated in the easternmost part of Slovakia (except for the region between Vihorlatské vrchy and the Latorica river, if former territory of Ung county isn't included). Rivers in the region include Bodrog, Laborec, Latorica, Uh, Ondava and a very small part of the Tisza river

Today Zemplín isn't an administrative region unlike its predecessor, but is divided between two of the 21 official tourism regions, Lower Zemplín and Upper Zemplín. Administratively, region is divided between Košice Region, which includes Trebišov and western part of Michalovce District (if Ung county is included, eastern part of Michalovce and whole Sobrance District also belong to Zemplín), and Prešov Region, fully including Humenné, Snina and Medzilaborce districts and from bigger part including Vranov nad Topľou and Stropkov districts. Major towns include Michalovce, Trebišov and Humenné.

History

The region of Zemplín, administered from Zemplín Castle was an administrative unit of Great Moravia already in the 9th century. After its integration in the Kingdom of Hungary, it became known as the Zemplén county.

Between 1879 and 1901 over 32,000 emigrated from the Slovak districts of Semplin to the USA.

In 1918 Slovak part of Zemplín became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia. The southern half (including the bigger part of the divided Sátoraljaújhely) stayed in Hungary as the county Zemplén.

During World War II, when Czechoslovakia was split temporarily, some of the Czechoslovak part of the county was occupied by Hungary under the First Vienna Award, and added to the counties Zemplén and Ung. After World War II, the pre-war border was restored, and the Hungarian county Zemplén merged with the county Borsod and the Hungarian part of Abov-Turňa to form the present Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county. Since the separation of Czechoslovakia into Slovakia and the Czech Republic in 1993, the northern part of Zemplín is part of Slovakia, divided between eastern parts Košice Region and Prešov Region.

See also: List of traditional regions of Slovakia

External links

• Region of Lower Zemplín and Region of Upper Zemplín at Slovakia.travel

Sources