Mezei István: Urban development in Slovakia (Pécs-Somorja, 2010)

6. Towns along the Hungarian and Slovak border

Towns along the Hungarian and Slovak border

and the more backward eastern districts/small regions on both sides of the border. This division is also reflected in education, because, although there is hardly any difference in the percentage of the people with secondary education between the southern Slovak districts, the percentage of the people with higher education is obviously higher in the western districts. On the Hungarian side, however, each indicator proves the advantage of the small regions in the west.

A typical feature of both sides is that in the eastern direction the percentage of young people is increasing, which is also influenced by the increasing percentage of Gypsy people. Another typical feature of ethnic division is the increased Slovak and dramatically decreasing Hungarian population in the southern Slovak districts, and, in the central areas of Hungary, a Slovak population slightly higher than the national average (over 1%).

Slovak researchers have also pointed out the similarities of borderland areas, when they compared indicators concerning the populations in the districts and small regions on both sides of the Danube (Pulpitová. 2002, pp. 216-230), or those of agricultural areas. They drew the conclusion that the area was suitable for cross-border cooperation and that similarities ensured the sustainable development of economic and social life (Némethová 2002, pp. 231-239).

Figure 23. Slovak districts and Hungarian small regions along the border

146

Edited by István Mezei, drawn by Máté Mády.