The Land of Pannonia [antikvár]

^outh Transdanubia is a iand engraved by laicas and rivers, its wide open spaces surrounded by water. In die north-east are lakes Balaton and Velence. To the east flows the Danube river, joining the Alföld, or Great Plain, with western Hungary. The Dráva river forms the region's southern border and connects Slavonia and Croaría to South Transdanubia. Water not only separates but also unites. People are drawn to it. It is impossible to sit on the shore with one's back to the water. Water, the swelling of the waves, the symbol of perpemal morion and change, must be looked at. People are always travelling or crossing the lakes and rivers. Water carries boats, ships and swimmers; ferries join the shores, and bridges reach across. Geographical Surroundings South Transdanubia is a fertile, enrapmring land. It is a land of mountains, hills and plains varied by ridges and basins. But its dimensions are on a human scale. There isn't a great difference in elevation between the mountaintops and the "puszta" or steppe. The vineyard on the edge of a village is but a leisurely stroll away, and die gendy sloping hills can easily be climbed. Springs gush forth at the foot of the mountains. Small streams and rivulets wind their way through the valleys. Forests and marshes succeed one another on the cultivated land. The region's greatest mountain range is the Mecsek. The highest peak. Zengő, is 682 metres (2250 feet) high. By examining the surface forms and the geological structures below them we can see that this is a varied region. Here we find one of the oldest wimesses of the earth's history; On the front cover: 13th-century churcli in Zalaszentmihályfa On the back cover: Field of sunflowers in Zala County Front endpaper: Section of 16th-century map of Hungary by Johannes Sambucus (János Zsámboki) 1. House with thatched roof and log walls in Kávás (previous page) fragments of deep crystal formations and granite thrust their way to the surface. Limestone mountains were shaped fi-om ocean sediments which formed a thick layer on the ancient foundations. The surface waters ooze into the depths, hollowing out caves and caverns in the belly of the mountains and forming stalactites. The 466 metre (1538 feet) long Abaliget Cave is the 2. Yard of a peasant house in Kacorlak most renowned stalactite cave and is visited today for its medicinal benefits. The hilly countrysides of Zala, Somogy and Baranya Counties are composed of younger ocean sediments and covered by a thick layer of loam. The mountains and hills run in a north-south direction and are grooved by fault lines. Rivers rtm through the valleys, and roads and railroads follow their paths. Along the fault lines, drilling has often induced oil, natural gas and thermal waters rich with minerals to the surface. During the late thirties a rich layer of oil and natural gas was discovered in Zala. Harkány has been known for the medicinal power of its water since the last centary. Today it is a popular spa resort, known abroad as "the rheumatic's Mecca". The region's climate and, consequently, flora and fauna, share some characteristics with the Mediterranean. This is the warmest area of the country, and enjoys the most hours of sunlight during the year. The Mecsek range protects the area from cold northern winds. The sim warms the southern side of the range, and die limestone rock radiates the warmth back out during the night. On the hillsides, particularly around Szekszárd and Villány, delicious grapes are grown and made into heady wines stored in cool cellars. Indigenous forests of chestnut trees are spread along the hills near Zengővárkony. After the snow melts in springtime, plants unique to this area of Hungary flourish in the dry, protected nooks of the Mecsek and Villány Mountains. Similar plants are found along the Dalmatian coast in the Mediterranean. Small patches of forest cover the bigger hills and mountains, and the Danube and Dráva rivers are fiinged by woods. Typical trees are the oak, birch and a non-native type of evergreen. The forests serve as good hiding places for animals. Primarily deer and boars live in the forests of South Transdanubia. Pheasants, partridges, rabbits and foxes are found in the shrubbier areas. In the rivers' backwaters, in the inundated forests, and in the flat marshes, grassy fields and unkempt willow groves nest a few rare birds. Here and there on the plainlands a lone traditional draw well casts a shadow for the resting catde. The natural treasure of rare species of plants and animals must be protected. The most well-known national parks in South Transdanubia—which are also wildlife reserves, providing feeders, hiding places and designated hunting areas—are the Gemenc forest, some parts of the Villány and Mecsek ranges, the Dráva region and the juniper groves of Bares. The castles of days gone by are still surrounded by exotic trees, a wealth of nonindigenous rare plants and well-kept arboretums. The region's natiural features make it suitable for cultivation, and its hidden raw materials determine the branches of industrial production. Primarily grain and maize are grown on the region's arable land, and animal husbandry is also important. Zala oil used to play an important role among the area's raw materials, and high-quality coal and uranium ore are stiU mined from great depths in the Mecsek Mountains.