The Central European country of Hungary was controlled by foreign powers from the 14th into the 20th century. Later it was dominated by the Soviet Union. After becoming free from Soviet influence in 1989, Hungary drew closer to the countries of Western Europe. The capital is Budapest. GeographyHungary is bordered on the north by Slovakia, on the northeast by Ukraine, on the east by Romania, on the south by Serbia and Montenegro and Croatia, on the southwest by Slovenia, and on the west by Austria. It covers an area of 35,919 square miles (93,030 square kilometers). - The Danube Bend is a popular resort area along the Danube River in north-central Hungary.
The landscape of Hungary consists of two lowland and two highland regions. The lowlands are the Great Alfold (Great Hungarian Plain) in the central and eastern parts of the country and the smaller Little Alfold (Little Hungarian Plain) in the northwest. The Great Alfold and the Little Alfold are separated by a low mountain system extending across the country from southwest to northeast. This system is made up of the Transdanubia, a region of hills in the southwest, and the Northern Mountains to the northeast. The Mátra range in the Northern Mountains contains the country's highest point, Mount Kékes, at 3,327 feet (1,014 meters). The Danube and the Tisza are the major rivers. Lake Balaton, in the Transdanubian highlands, is the largest lake in Central Europe. Hungary has a continental climate, meaning that summers are hot and winters are cold. The central and eastern areas of the Great Alfold are the driest part of the country and the southwestern uplands are the wettest. Plants and animalsOver the years most of Hungary's forests have been cleared for farming. Today forests cover about one fifth of the land. Beech trees grow at the highest elevations. Poplar and oak trees are common, and willows grow along many riverbanks. Deer and wild pigs live in the forests at high elevations. Partridges, pheasants, hares, and rodents are common in the lowlands. Bream, pike, perch, and other fish are found in the rivers and lakes. People and cultureMore than 90 percent of the people are ethnic Hungarians. They are descended from the ancient Magyars, who came from an area near the Ural Mountains more than a thousand years ago. There are small groups of Roma (Gypsies), Germans, Slovaks, Jews, and Serbs, among others. Because Hungary is much smaller than it once was, many ethnic Hungarians live in neighboring countries. Most of the people speak Hungarian, or Magyar, which is the official language. About two thirds of the people are Roman Catholics, and most of the rest are Protestants. The majority of Hungarians live in cities or towns, but most towns in Hungary have populations of less than 40,000. Budapest, the capital, is the largest city by far. Hungarians have long made a mark in such fields as music, literature, and science. The composers Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók are among the country's most celebrated figures in the arts. Hungarian literature, however, is not as well known as that of some other countries because few foreigners know the Hungarian language. A number of Hungarian-born scientists have won Nobel prizes. The traditional folk culture of Hungary nearly died out as the country modernized in the second half of the 20th century. Today peasant dress, dances, food, and folk music survive mainly as tourist entertainment. EconomyHungary was a mostly agricultural country until the mid-20th century. After that time industry became more important to the economy than farming. Products manufactured in Hungary include food and beverages, computers, motor vehicles, cement, steel, iron, chemicals, and refined petroleum. The country's major mineral resource is bauxite, which is used to make aluminum. Hungary's leading crops are cereals, mainly wheat and corn (maize). Other crops include sugar beets, grapes, sunflower seeds, potatoes, and apples. Cattle, sheep, pigs, and poultry are raised. HistoryThe western part of present-day Hungary was made a province of the Roman Empire in 14 BC. The eastern part was at the time inhabited by various Germanic and Asian peoples. In the 5th century AD the Magyars began migrating toward Hungary from the east. Under their leader Árpád, they began to settle along the middle part of the Danube River in the late 9th century AD. This was the beginning of the Hungarian state. The Magyars established the Árpád dynasty and spread their influence into Central Europe. Stephen, the most celebrated Magyar leader, was crowned king, according to tradition in the year 1000. He continued spreading Christianity in Hungary, a process his father had begun. He also organized the kingdom into a strong and independent state. Hungary was the leading power in east-central Europe in the 12th century. Foreign controlA devastating invasion by the Mongols in 1241 killed half of Hungary's population. The Árpád dynasty died out in 1301. For the next six centuries, with one brief exception, Hungary was ruled by foreign powers. The Ottoman Turks invaded in the 14th century and made Hungary part of their empire. In the late 17th century the Hapsburgs of Austria took control of the region. Revolution against Hapsburg rule broke out in Vienna in 1848, and a year later Hungary declared its independence. With Russian help, the Hapsburgs reasserted their control. The Hapsburgs realized, however, that their empire could not continue without Hungarian support. In 1867 they agreed to establish the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. World WarsAustria-Hungary was defeated in World War I (1914–18). Afterward Romania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Austria, Poland, and Italy all received parts of Hungary. Hungary was left with only those areas where the Magyars were dominant. In an attempt to regain some of its lost territory, Hungary cooperated with the Germans against the Soviet Union during World War II (1939–45). Hungary was defeated and by April 1945 was in the hands of Soviet troops. Soviet era and beyondIn 1947 a government dominated by Communists came to power in Hungary. In 1949 the Hungarian People's Republic was formed. Hungarians rose up against the Communists in 1956, but Soviet troops crushed the revolt. Thousands of people died and some 200,000 people fled the country. Under János Kádár, who was leader from 1956 to 1988, Communist rule became less harsh and living conditions in Hungary improved. Soviet control was relaxed in the late 1980s, and Hungary's Communists voluntarily gave up their hold on power in 1989. Free elections were held in 1990, and economic reforms began in the following decade. Hungary drew closer to Western Europe and joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1999. Population (2001 estimate), 10,190,000. |