RIMAVSKÁ SOBOTA COUNTY
| County area | 1471sq km |
| Number of inhabitants | 82,970 inhabitants |
| Residential density | 56 inhabitants /sq km |
| Number of towns and villages | 107 |
| Towns | Rimavská Sobota, Hnúšťa, Tisovec |
| Village with the highest elevation | Krokava – altitude 770 m |
| Village with the lowest elevation | Vlkyňa – altitude 150 m |
| The oldest village | Vlkyňa – year 1216 |
| The youngest village | Čierny Potok – year 1955 |
| The largest cadaster of a village | Klenovec – 10,000 ha |
| The smallest cadaster of a village | Studená – 185 ha |
| The highest number of inhabitants in a village | Klenovec – 3,344 inhabitants |
| The lowest number of inhabitants in a village | Poproč – 34 inhabitants |
Recent Rimavská Sobota county was established pursuant to Act no. 221/1996 Coll. on Territorial and Administrative Division of the Slovak republic in 1996. 25 towns and villages were excluded from the previous county. 19 towns and villages were annexed to Revúca county, 4 to Poltár county and 2 to Rožňava county.
Rimavská Sobota county is located in south-eastern part of Banská Bystrica region, on the east it borders with Revúca county, on the north with Brezno county, on the west with Lučenec county and on the south with Hungarian republic (74 km). Rimavská Sobota county is surrounded by Slovenské Rudohorie and Muránska plain on the north, Cerová upland on the south. The highest point is is Fabova hoľa in Veporské hills with its 1,439 m,. The lowest point is by Slaná river in the Lenártovce cadaster with its 151 m. Ore resources are mostly non-metallic.
Rimavská Sobota county represents the most imporant base of soap stone in Slovakia. Hnúšťa-Mútnik lode is also the most important lode of magnesite and dolomite. High percentage calcite in Tisovec lode is of a national importance. The calcite is used for lime production. There are large sources of wall stone and basalt winning in Konrádovce and Husiná. There are large resources of gravelsand and sand in bottom lands of Rimavská hollow basin.
By the systematic geological research a lot of useful lodes of metal ores have been found. There are lodes of tin, wolfram, molybdenum, copper, mercurial and gold-silver metals. Rimavská hollow basin and a part of Cerová upland belong to warm climatic area. In Slovenské Rudohorie the altitude is higher and the climatic area is light warm and cold. The most important river is Rimava, into which Rimavica river and Gortva river flow from the right side and Blh river from the left side. Rimava river flows into Slaná river at the county's border.
Klenovec reservoir is the main source of drinking water in the county. The usage of mineral waters is significant and they are used for local needs. In Číž there is an iodine-bromic spa. Because of its therapeutic water and balneologic characteristics Číž spa is very precious in Europe. Beeches and spruces grow in higher areas. Various abiotic conditions created varied areas of fauna and flora; many of them are protected or endangered. There are a lot of protected plants, for example: pasque flower, mahaleb cherry, rose campion, pheasant’s eye and Turk’s cap lily. There are lots of animals living in greenwoods, softwoods, grass fields, for example: roe deer, red deer, fallow deer, European hare, wild boar and common pheasant. Protected species are mallard duck, greylag goose, European otter, European lynx and Euroasian eagle owl. Inanimate nature created very nice formations: caves, stone seas, cliff formations. There are two large protected areas in the county - Muránska plain National park and Cerová upland protected territory. There is a national natural monument Kostná valley, a natural monument Jalovské vrstvy. There are seven national natural reservations: Hradová, Kášter, Klenovský Vepor, Kurinecká dubina, Pohanský castle, Ragač and Šarkanica. There are nine natural reservations: Čertova valley, Hajnáčsky castle hill, Hlboký jarok, Nad Furmancom, Pokoradzké lake, Suché doly, Svetlianska cerina, Tŕstie, Vereš. There are four protected areas: Alúvium Blhu, Fenek, Hikóriový overgrow and Martinovská reservoir.
ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
From 13th century to 1848 the most part of today’s county belonged to Gemer-Malohont district. Only 2 today’s villages on the south-west (Stará Bašta and Konrádovce) were in Novohrad district. The northern and eastern border of Rimavská Sobota county established in 1923 was the same as of today's county. The area south of Rimavská Sobota was the part of the separated Feledince county (today Jesenské). On the east Rimavská Sobota county took the half of the today's county of Poltár. From 1938 to 1945 during the Hungarian occupation of the southern areas of Slovakia, Rimavská Sobota county did not exist. All area south of Ožďany, Rimavská Sobota, Dražice, Padarovce and Veľký Blh belonged to Hungary. The rest area belonged to Hnúšťa county. In 1949 Rimavská Sobota became a county seat, but its area was very small. The northern part of today's Rimavská Sobota county was Hnúšťa county, the southern part was Jesenské county and Fiľakovo county. All four counties belonged to Banská Bystrica region. Rimavská Sobota belonged to Centre Slovakia region until 1990. From 1991 it belongs to Banská Bystrica region.
POPULATION
National structure
There are 107 towns and villages in Rimavská Sobota county, in which 82,970 inhabitants lived by 31 December 2001. Residential density is 56 inhabitants/sq km and the average number of inhabitants in a town/village is 775. Residential density is only a half of the Slovak average. Mixed national structure is very interesting. It is varied according to the absolute and relative increase of Roma population. In 1986 there were 66,525 inhabitants in Rimavská Sobota county, in 1921 68,300 inhabitants, in 1950 72,203 inhabitants, in 1991 82,112 inhabitants, in 1995 82,106 inhabitants.
According to the last census in 2001 only 2,8% of inhabitants claim Roma nationality, although their part is approximately 20%. The most important towns of Rimavská Sobota county are Rimavská Sobota, Hnúšťa and Tisovec. From 1850 to 1922 Rimavská Sobota was a seat of Gemer, or Gemer-Malohont district. Then it was a county seat. 55% of inhabitants live in country settlements, which is above the Slovak average. 40 villages have 0-199 inhabitants, 38 villages have 200-499 inhabitants, 19 villages have 500-999 inhabitants, 7 villages have more than 1,000 inhabitants, Jesenské and Klenovec have more than 2,000 inhabitants. The oldest village is Vlkyňa (year 1216), the youngest village is Čierny Potok (year 1955). The village with the lowest elevation is Vlkyňa (150 m), the village with the highest elevation is Krokava (770 m). Klenovec has the largest cadaster (10,000 ha), Studená has the smallest cadaster (185 ha). Klenovec has the highest population (3,344 inhabitants), Poproč has the lowest population (34 inhabitants).
ECONOMYRimavská Sobota county’s industry structure is different from other Slovak regions. It is multilateral, fragmented and there are a lot of sectors: mining, chemical, mechanical, electrotechnical, ready-made-clothing, shoemaking industry and food processing. The southern part is characterized by agricultural production. In Rimavská Sobota there is a food processing, electrotechnical, mechanical and chemical industry. All industry companies were privatized during the economy transformation. Foreign investments are determined by unfavourable situation in the county.
Agricultural production is aimed at animal production: beef-raising, sheepfarming, farming of permanent grass fields, meadows and pasture lands. Rimavská hollow basin is an important agricultural area, where almost all crops can be grown, including those more thermophilic ones: sugar beet, wheat, rye, vegetable, tobacco, vine, lucerne, corn. Forest areas are under state and non-state administration. In forests with pasture lands white birch dominates.
The most important transport line goes through the southern part of the county. Rimavská Sobota is 112 km from Banská Bystrica and 289 km from Bratislava.
As what about travel industry, Rimavská Sobota county belongs to the least developed Slovak areas, although there is a very good natural, historical and cultural potential. The reason is the lack of material-technical base for tourism. Tourist centres are: Kurinec holiday centre, Teplý Vrch reservoir, Tisovec and neighbourhood, Gemerský Jablonec-Petrovce reservoir, Krokava holiday centre with summer hiking and skiing.
