Kanjiža

Kanjiža (Serbian: Кањижа / Kanjiža, pronounced [kǎɲiʒa], formerly Стара Кањижа / Stara Kanjiža; Hungarian: Kanizsa or Magyarkanizsa) is a town and municipality in the North Banat District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The Kanjiža town has a population of 9,871, while the Kanjiža municipality has 25,343 inhabitants.

Geography

Although it belongs to North Banat District, territory of Kanjiža municipality is in fact located in the region of Bačka. The territory of the municipality is bordered by the river Tisa and the Novi Kneževac Municipality in the east, the Municipality of Senta in the south, the Municipality of Subotica in the west and the border with Hungary in the north. The proximity to the border, to the free-way and the river Tisa makes it an important location.

History

The town was mentioned in the Gesta Hungarorum chronicle under the name Kenesna and, according to the chronicle, it belonged to the duchy of Bulgarian duke Salan who ruled from Titel in the 9th century. In first written documents after Hungarian conquest of Central Europe, the town is mentioned as Cnesa or Kenesna. This name came from Slavic word knez 'prince'. In 1335, it was mentioned as Villa Canysa.