Hungary was part of the polyglot
Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The
country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In
1956, a revolt and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact
were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under
the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began
liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash
Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990
and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and
the EU in 2004.
Location:
Central Europe, northwest of Romania
Area:
93,030 sq km
Border countries:
Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443
km, Serbia 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103
km
Climate:
temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm
summers
Geography:
landlocked; strategic location astride main
land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well
as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south
flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into
three large regions
Population:
9,981,334
Nationality:
Hungarian(s)
Ethnic groups:
Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown
5.8%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%,
Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or
unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5%
Languages:
Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4%
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
Capital:
Budapest
Time zone:
GMT/UTC +01:00
National holiday:
Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August
Currency:
forint (HUF)
Communications:
Telephones - main lines in use: 3.356
million, Telephone system: the telephone system has been
modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for
telecommunication service
Transportation:
Airports: 46, Railways: 7,937 km, Roadways:
159,568 km, Waterways: 1,622 km