Carei : Romania

Carei (Hungarian: Nagykároly, German: Großkarol) is a city in north-western Romania, county Satu Mare. It lies near the border with Hungary. It has 23.000 inhabitants (2004), 52% hungarians, 40% romanians, 5% germans, 3% other. Its name was given after the name of an old noble family, Károlyi. Carei (in Hungarian Nagykároly) is a city in Satu Mare (in Hungarian Szatmár) County of Romania. The municipality contains two settlements: City of Carei / Nagykároly and Ianculesti village. The town has got 25.911 inhabitants (53,4% Hungarians, 1992 census). Neighbouring communities are: Capleni / Kaplony, Urziceni / Csanálos, Foieni / Mezofény, Sanislãu / Szaniszló, Petreºti / Mezõpetri, Tiream, Cauaº / Érkávás and Moftin / Majtény communities.
The first mention of the settlement is from 1335 as a borough of the Károlyi Family. The town was in Szatmár County of the Kingdom of Hungary. 1605-1606, 1621-1629 and 1645-1648 the settlement was part of the Principality of Transylvania. In 1910 the settlement was a town in Szatmár (in Romanian Satumare) County of the Kingdom of Hungary. Inhabitants in 1910: 16.078; 15.772 (98,1%) Hungarian, 216 (1,3%) Rumanian and 90 (0,6%) other by mother tongue, 5.932 (36,9%) Roman Catholic, 3.893 (24,2%) Greek Catholic, 3.500.(21,8%) Calvinist, 2.491 (15,5%) Jew, 230 (1,4%) Lutheran and 32 (0,2%) other by religion. From 1919/1920 (Romanian occupation / Treaty of Trianon) to 1940 (Second Decision in Vienna) part of the Kingdom of Romania (1925-1940 in Salãj County). 1940-1944 part of Hungary. The Treaty of Paris reallocated it to Romania.The settlement was a town 1952-1960 in Baia Mare Region, 1960-1968 in Maramureº Region and from 1968 is in Satu Mare County.
The settlement is the birthplace of some Hungarian celebrities: Bibletranslator Gáspár Károli (1529-1591), historian Ignác Acsády (1845-1906), writer József Gaál (1811-1866), writer Margit Kaffka (1880-1918) István Molnár, 14 December 2000.