Kecskemét: Hungary

Kecskemét: Hungary
Kecskemét is a city in the central part of Hungary, halfway between Budapest and Szeged, 86 kilometres from both of them, almost equal distance from the two big rivers of our country, the Danube and the Tisza.
Kecskemét was formed at the meeting point of a large sandy region and a sandy yellow soil, its height is 120 meters above sea level. The territory west of the city is covered by wind-blown sand that is characterized by the almost parallel northern-southern sand-hills and the plain lands among them. At the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries the pastures were impoverished, at many places destroying the natural vegetation cover and at many places causing movement of the sand that seriously endangered the town, too. The sand that was blown by the wind was later tied up by afforestation and planting fruit and vines.
The characteristic feature of weather in the Kecskemét region of Kiskunság is extremism, that’s why the region is often in the centre of attention. The characteristic weather of the Kecskemét region is continental warm, dry, sometimes extreme. The favourable conditions of sunlight make it possible for the region to produce world famous products of some plants like wheat, apricot, red pepper, tomato, etc. The warmest month in Kecskemét is July with an average temperature of 20,9 Celsius, the coldest is January with – 1,9 Celsius.
The early spring and late autumn frosts are frequent in the Great Hungarian Plain. The tendency of frost usually disappears only from the middle of April, and from the third decade of October we have to count on having air temperature below 0.
Kiskunság – the centre of which is Kecskemét – is one of the typical Hungarian regions. The Kiskunság National Park was established in 1975 to preserve the different species of plants and animals that can be found in this region. It is a so called “mosaic� type arranged national park, consisting of units that are not close to each other which is considered a rarity in the international sense as well.
According to the latest data of 2nd May, 1996 the population of the town is:
Permanent inhabitants 108.110 people Living population 111.659 people
The population of the town is homogeneous with mostly Hungarians, there is a few thousand Roma minority living here; they formed their independent minority government in 1994.
The town’s supplying and organizing role is extended to its surrounding, including the main area of 8 villages as well as the 5 settlements that are within the town’s administrative area.