Baja, Hungary

Baja
City with county rights
Town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname:  The Capital of Fisherman's Soup
Baja Location of Baja Show map of Hungary Baja Baja (Europe) Show map of Europe
Coordinates: 46°11′00″N 18°57′13″E / 46.1833°N 18.9537°E / 46.1833; 18.9537
Country	Hungary
Region	Southern Great Plain
County	Bács-Kiskun
District	Baja
Government
• Mayor	Klára Nyirati (Sikeres Bajáért Egyesület)
Area
• Total	177.61 km2 (68.58 sq mi)
• Rank	20th in Hungary
Population  (2023)
• Total	33,142
Demonym	bajai
Population by ethnicity [1]
• Hungarians	83.4%
• Germans	4.3%
• Croats	2.1%
• Gypsies	1.2%
• Serbs	0.5%
• Romanians	0.2%
• Slovaks	0.1%
• Bulgarians	0.1%
• Others	0.8%
Population by religion [2]
• Roman Catholic	47.9%
• Greek Catholic	0.1%
• Calvinists	3.3%
• Lutherans	0.6%
• Jews	0.1%
• Other	2.7%
• Non-religious	16.0%
• Unknown	29.2%
Area code	79
Website	www.bajaionkormanyzat.hu

Baja (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbɒjɒ]) is a city with county rights in Bács-Kiskun County, southern Hungary. It is the second largest city in the county, after the county seat at Kecskemét, and is home to some 35,000 people. Baja is the seat of the Baja municipality.

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 had conquered Hungary, it grew to prominence more than the 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 roads 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.