title: Gbely
text: # Gbely
  
  Gbely (German and Hungarian: Egbell) is a town in the Skalica District, Trnava Region in western Slovakia, close to the Czech border.
  
  ## History
  
  The first written record about Gbely was in 1392. It gained town rights in the 16th–17th centuries. Petroleum was discovered in 1912 and extraction started in 1914.
  
  ## Geography
  
  Gbely lies at an altitude of 190 metres (623 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 59.945 square kilometres (23.1 sq mi). It is located in the Záhorie region, in the Chvojnická pahorkatina hills, around 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the district seat Skalica and 75 kilometres (47 mi) from the Slovak capital Bratislava.
  
  ## Demographics
  
  According to the 2001 census, the town had 5,223 inhabitants. 96.09% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 1.26% Czechs 0.96% Roma, and 1% Amit. The religious make-up was 83.40% Roman Catholics, 14.57% people with no religious affiliation and 0.69% Lutherans.
  
  ## Notable Resident
  
  * Matej Kocak (1882–1918) Slovak-American World War I Medal of Honor recipient was born here.
  
  ## Twin towns — sister cities
  
  Gbely is twinned with:
  
  * Židlochovice, Czech Republic
  * Deutsch-Wagram, Austria
  