Population: 9,905,596 (July 2010 estimate)
Capital: Budapest
Bordering Countries: Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine
Land Area: 35,918 square miles (93,028 sq km)
Highest Point: Kekes at 3,327 feet (1,014 m)
Lowest Point: Tisza River at 256 feet (78 m)
Hungary is a landlocked country located in Central Europe. It is known for its strong economy and as being one of the world's top tourist destinations due to its history and for its having interesting natural features like large thermal water cave systems. Hungary is a member of several international groups like the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Recently, Hungary has been in the news due to toxic sludge spill from an aluminum plant.
Modern History of Hungary
Hungary has a long history of significance in Europe with years of ancient rule by various kings and the influence of empires like the Ottoman as well as years of war. Because it is so long, this article focuses on Hungary's modern history beginning after World War I. For Hungary's early history, visit About.com's European History site on Hungary.
During WWI, the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was defeated and following the end of the war, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory and a considerable part of its population. Beginning in 1919, Hungary was ruled by Admiral Miklos Horthy for 25 years. During World War II, Hungary was a German ally but in 1944, it attempted to withdraw its support of Germany and it fell under Nazi occupation. In 1945, Hungary established the Allied Control Commission which gave representatives from the Soviet Union, the United States and Great Britain control of the country.
In November 1945, Hungary's provisional government was replaced by the Independent Smallholder's Party but elections in 1947, gave the Hungarian communist party control of the government. By 1949, the Hungarian Worker's Party was formed and shortly thereafter a constitution similar to that of the Soviet Union was adopted. This constitution formed the Hungarian People's Republic. From that year until 1953, Hungary's economy was reorganized to resemble the Soviet Union's. By 1953 however, these forced changes led to severe problems in Hungary's economy.
On October 23, 1956, a revolution began to enact reform and on November 1, after reports of Soviet troops entering the country, Hungary withdrew from the Warsaw Pact. As a result, the Soviet Union invaded and three days later a new communist government was formed by Janos Kadar. Throughout the 1960s, Kadar enacted several reforms in Hungary that were aimed at increasing economic productivity, increasing the country's competition and building political stability. By the 1980s, Hungary's economy began to improve but it was still problematic due to foreign debt.
In the late 1980s, Hungary began the process of transition to a democracy and in 1988, Kadar was replaced and the Parliament developed its "democracy package." In April 1989, the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its forces by June 1991. In 1990, Hungary held its first free parliamentary election.
Government of Hungary
Today Hungary's government is considered a parliamentary democracy. It has an executive branch made up of a chief of state whose position is filled by the president and a head of government who is the prime minister. Hungary's legislative branch has a unicameral National Assembly with 386 seats whose members are elected by popular vote. The judicial branch of Hungary is comprised of the Constitutional Court. Hungary is divided into 19 counties, 23 urban counties and one capital city for local administration.
Economics and Land Use in Hungary
According to the CIA World Factbook, Hungary has been able to successfully shift its economy from a centrally planned communist one to a market one. As a result, it has developed into one of Europe's highest income economies. The main economic industries in Hungary are mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals and motor vehicles. Agriculture also plays a role in Hungary's economy and the main products include wheat, corn, sunflower seeds, potatoes, sugar beets, pigs, cattle, poultry and dairy products.
Geography and Climate of Hungary
Hungary has a varied landscape but more than one-half of it consists of flat or rolling plains. Near its border with Slovakia however, there are hills and low mountains. Hungary is also known as having the largest lake in Central Europe, Lake Balaton, and some of the largest grassland areas in all of Europe. Hungary's climate is temperate and it has cold, cloudy winters and warm, humid summers. The average July high temperature for Hungary's capital, Budapest, is 80˚F (27˚C) and the January low is 25˚F (-2˚C).
On October 5, 2010, Hungary made international news when it declared a state of emergency after a spill of toxic mud from an aluminum factory. As of October 8, seven people were killed and the spill affected an area of 15 square miles (39 sq km).
To learn more about Hungary, visit the Hungary page in the Geography and Maps section of this website.
References
Central Intelligence Agency. (4 October 2010). CIA - The World Factbook - Hungary. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/hu.html
Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Hungary: History, Geography, Government, and Culture- Infoplease.com. Retrieved from: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107620.html
United States Department of State. (8 July 2010). Hungary. Retrieved from: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/26566.htm
Wikipedia.com. (12 October 2010). Hungary - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungary