Nagykanizsa (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈnɒckɒniʒɒ]; Croatian: Velika Kaniža/Velika Kanjiža, or just Kaniža/Kanjiža; German: Großkirchen, Groß-Kanizsa; Italian: Canissa; Slovene: Velika Kaniža; Turkish: Kanije), known colloquially as Kanizsa, is a medium-sized city in Zala County in southwestern Hungary.

Goods from Slavonia were transported to Graz via Nagykanizsa, and the town played an important role in the trade from the Adriatic Sea to the Alpine region, Vienna, and Budapest.

The fortress had a significant role in the southern shield-line of Hungary, guarding the whole of Western Europe against attacks by the Ottoman Empire.

The town and the castle were in their prime in the first half of the 16th century, when Kanizsa became a centre of trade with Italy and Styria.

Hasan Pasha won the fight against the ten-times larger army of Austrians with many cunning military ploys, and was raised to the rank of Vizier.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the holder of the castle moved German, Croatian, and Serbian settlers into the deserted town.

In 1765 the Piarist order started to provide elementary and secondary education' supported by Lajos Batthyány, palatine of Hungary.

World War I caused grave consequences - changes in international boundaries isolated Kanizsa, which lost its markets in the south and west.

After successful exploration by the American corporation Eurogasco, Hungarian-American Oil Inc. (Hungarian: Magyar Amerikai Olajipari Reszvenytarsasag - MAORT) was formed in 1938.

Kanizsa Trend Ltd. grew out of the company, with its furniture products gaining a high reputation all over Europe.