Kárpátalja: political and administrative region of the Ukraine, the region between the Tisza and the Carpathian Mountains. Some of the conquering Magyars traversed this region to cross into the Carpathian Basin (through the Verecke Pass). In the past, the locals burned the brush to clear the land, and practiced transhumance; more recently, the lumber industry and mining in this region has contributed substantially to the national economy. The traditional wine-growing regions of the Kárpátalja have played a major role in the development of Hungarian folk culture in the region.