Békés (Hungarian: Békés vármegye, pronounced [ˈbeːkeːʃ], Romanian: Județul Bichiș) is an administrative division (county or vármegye) in south-eastern Hungary, on the border with Romania.

After Hungarians conquered the area, Békés and its surroundings were the property of the Csolt clan.

In the early 18th century, after the Ottomans were expelled, the county was repopulated, not only with Hungarians, but with Slovaks (in the towns Békéscsaba, Endrőd, Szarvas, Tótkomlós), Serbs (Battonya), Germans (Németgyula, Elek), and Romanians (Kétegyháza).

The agricultural importance of the county and the new railway line between Pest and Békéscsaba (finished in 1858) brought development, which was quickened when Hungary lost its southern territories to Romania after World War I and Békéscsaba had to take over the role of the lost cities.

During the following years, the county was industrialized, like most of Hungary, and the population of the cities and towns grew.

More than 60% of the population lives in towns.Besides the Hungarian majority, the main minorities are the Roma (approx.

The regional structure of Békés county is typical of the Great Plain: it has a small number of villages, but those are large, both by area and by population.