Baranya (Hungarian: Baranya vármegye, pronounced [ˈbɒrɒɲɒ ˈvaːrmɛɟɛ]; German: Branau; Croatian: Baranjska županija) is a county (vármegye) in southern Hungary.

It is part of the Southern Transdanubia statistical region and the historical Baranya region, which was a county (comitatus) in the Kingdom of Hungary dating back to the 11th century.

Its current status as one of the 19 counties of Hungary was established in 1950 as part of wider Soviet administrative territorial reform following World War II.

Of the 19 counties of Hungary (excluding Budapest), it is ranked 10th, both in terms of geographic area and population.

[3] In German, it is known as Komitat Branau, and in Croatian as Baranjska županija (Baranja).

The central areas are shared between the Baranya Hills and Villány Mountains.

The highest point in the county is Zengő in the Mecsek Mountains, at 682 metres.

Its milder climate is due to its southern location and relative proximity to the Mediterranean Sea in comparison to other parts of the country, leaving it with warmer winters.

It has the highest average annual rainfall of the Hungarian counties and a high amount of sunshine hours.

Before the Hungarian tribes conquered the area, it was inhabited by Slavs and Avars.

According to the peace treaty of Trianon, the southern part of the county (1,163 km2, 449 sq mi) reverted to Slavic rule (present-day Croatia).

The Stifolder or Stiffoller Shvove are a Roman Catholic subgroup of the so-called Danube Swabians.

58,000 persons in Baranya County did not declare their ethnic group at the 2011 census.