Baja, Hungary

Baja () is a city in Bács-Kiskun}}, southern Hungary. It is the second largest city in the county, after the county seat at Kecskemét, and is home to around 37,000 people.

The environs of Baja have been continuously inhabited since the end of the Iron Age, but there is evidence of human presence since prehistoric times. The settlement itself was most likely established in the 14th century. After the Ottoman Empire conquered Hungary, it grew to prominence more than other nearby settlements, and was granted town rights in 1696.

Today, Baja plays an important role in the life of Northern Bácska as a local commercial centre and the provider of public services such as education and healthcare.

It has several road and a railway connection to other parts of the country, and also offers local Public transport for its residents.

Being close to the Danube and the forest of Gemenc, as well as having its own cultural sights, makes it a candidate for tourism, but this is not well established yet.

Baja is the seat of the Baja municipality.

Etymology

The city's Hungarian name is derived from a Turkic language or less likely Croatian. The name means "bull".

The Latin name of the town is Francillo. Baja used to have also a German name: Frankenstadt.

The South Slavs, Croats (who belong to Bunjevci group of Croats) and Serbs, who live in the city call Baja by the same name as Magyars do, but with a slightly different pronunciation ( instead of ). Its spelling in Serbian Cyrillic...
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