Hungary

Hungary is situated in the heart of Europe and it covers an area of 93.000 square kilometers. It has a population of about 10 million inhabitants and has been a republic since October 23, 1989, when it adopted a new Consitution.

To the west, Hungary borders Austria; to the south, Slovenia, Croatica and Serbia; to the east Romania and the Ukraine; and to the north, Slovakia.

Most of the country is flat. The hills in the western part of the country lead to the Alps, while higher hills lying to the northeast are part of the Carpathian Alps. The biggest river is the Danube, the highest point in Hungary is a peak in the Mátra Mountains called Kékestető. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe, it’s a popular holiday resort with Hungarians and other Europeans alike.

The climate of Hungary is temperate, with distinct seasons.

The capital of Hungary is Budapest with about 2 million inhabitants: it is the political, economic, commercial and cultural centre of the country. It is also one of the most important railway junctions in Europe. It lies on the two banks of the River Danube. Buda and Pest were two towns before 1873 when the two parts of the city and Óbuda were officially united.

Other major cities are Miskolc, Debrecen, Szeged and Pécs.

While Hungary is one of the most ethnically homogeneous countries in Central Europe (90% of the population are Magyars), it does have a number of different minorities, the largest of which are the Gypsies.

Hungary is a parliamentary republic. There are parliamentary elections every four years, and the leader of the winning party is asked by the president to form the government. The president is elected by the parliament every five years.

Hungary is divided into the capital, 19 counties, 22 towns of county rank and 23 districts in Budapest.