Hungary in 1941 with territories annexed in 1938-1941

(, "southern land" or "southern territories") is a historical geographical term referring to varying areas in the southern part of what was the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

. In present-day usage, it often refers to the

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( ; sr-Cyrl, Војводина, ), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia, located in Central Europe. It lies withi ...

region of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

. In the Middle Ages, like the names ''Alvidék'' ("lower land") and ''Végvidék'' ("borderland"), referred to the Hungarian counties ( Verőce, Pozsega, Szerém, Bács, Torontál, Temes, Keve) and vassal banates ( Macsó, Ózora, Só, Szörény) beyond the Danube and the Sava. By the 18th and 19th centuries, referred only to Bácska and

Banat Banat ( , ; ; ; ) is a geographical and Historical regions of Central Europe, historical region located in the Pannonian Basin that straddles Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It is divided among three countries: the eastern part lie ...

. After the 1920 partition of Hungary, the meaning was further narrowed to only those areas of the former Kingdom of Hungary attached to the newly formed Yugoslav state. In the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Yugoslav areas liberated and amalgamated by Hungary (

Bačka Bačka ( sr-Cyrl, Бачка, ) or Bácska (), is a geographical and historical area within the Pannonian Plain bordered by the river Danube to the west and south, and by the river Tisza to the east. It is divided between Serbia and Hungary. ...

, part of Baranja, Međimurje, and

Prekmurje Prekmurje (; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Prèkmürsko'' or ''Prèkmüre''; ) is a geographically, linguistically, culturally, and ethnically defined region of Slovenia, settled by Slovenes and a Hungarians in Slovenia, Hungarian minority, lying betwee ...

) were in some Hungarian sources called ''"az anyaországhoz visszatért délvidéki területek"'' ("the southern territories returned to the motherland"). Banat, divided between Romania and German-occupied Serbia was no longer considered part of the concept. In contemporary usage, has several uses. It can refer to the imprecisely defined area of Serbia's northern

Pannonian Basin The Pannonian Basin, with the term Carpathian Basin being sometimes preferred in Hungarian literature, is a large sedimentary basin situated in southeastern Central Europe. After the Treaty of Trianon following World War I, the geomorpholog ...

including Vojvodina, the

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

region, and the

Mačva Mačva ( sr-Cyrl, Мачва, ; ) is a geographical and historical region in the northwest of Central Serbia, on a fertile plain between the Sava (river), Sava and Drina rivers. The chief town is Šabac. The modern Mačva District of Serbia is nam ...

plain as well as eastern Croatia ( Baranja and western

Syrmia Syrmia (Ekavian sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srem, Срем, separator=" / " or Ijekavian sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srijem, Сријем, label=none, separator=" / ") is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is div ...

). Sometimes the term is used (especially by irredentist) in the narrow sense of Vojvodina, although it has largely been replaced by ''Vajdaság'', the Hungarian name for Vojvodina. "' Hungarians" ''(délvidéki magyarok)'' can refer to

Hungarians in Vojvodina Hungarians in Serbia (; ) are a recognized national minority in Serbia. According to the 2022 census, the population of ethnic Hungarians in Serbia is 184,442, constituting 2.8% of the total population, which makes them the second-largest eth ...

or, in a larger sense, to both the Vojvodina Hungarians and

Hungarians of Croatia Hungarians are a recognized ethnic minority in Croatia. According to the 2011 census there are 14,048 people of Hungarian ethnicity living in Croatia (or 0.33% of total population). Around two thirds of them (8,249) live in Osijek-Baranja County ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Delvidek Historical regions in Croatia Historical regions in Hungary Historical regions in Serbia Historical regions in Romania Medieval history of Vojvodina Vojvodina under Habsburg rule

See also

References