The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Puszta
(p´stä) (KEY) , arid grasslands that once covered a large part of the Alföld, E Hungary. They were used for extensive cattle raising. With the irrigation and drainage projects of the late 19th cent., the Puszta disappeared except in the small Hortobagy region (c.100 sq mi/260 sq km), near Debrecen. Old customs of the Puszta are preserved there, mainly for the tourist trade.