Hungary

Region: Europe

Official language: Hungarian

Population: 9,855,745 (2024 est.)

Nationality: Hungarian(s) (noun), Hungarian (adjective)

Land area: 89,608 sq km (34,598 sq miles)

Water area: 3,420 sq km (1,320 sq miles)

Capital: Budapest

National anthem: "Himnusz" (Hymn), by Ferenc Kolcsey/Ferenc Erkel

National holiday: Saint Stephen's Day, August 20; note—commemorates the date when his remains were transferred to Buda (now Budapest)

Population growth: -0.28% (2024 est.)

Time zone: UTC +1

Flag: The flag of Hungary features a tricolor design, with three equal horizontal bands of red (top), attributed to strength and the spilled blood of nationals; white (middle), attributed to faithfulness and freedom; and green (bottom; attributed to hope and the fertility of the country’s pastures.

Motto: “Regnum Mariae Patronae Hungariae” (Kingdom of Mary, the Patron of Hungary)

Independence: November 16, 1918 (republic proclaimed); notable earlier dates: December 25, 1000 (crowning of King Stephen I, traditional founding date); March 30, 1867 (Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy established)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Suffrage: 18 years of age, 16 if married; universal

Legal system: civil legal system influenced by the German model

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe that borders Austria and Slovenia to the west, Croatia and Serbia to the south, the Ukraine and Romania to the east, and Slovakia to the north. In 1989, Hungary shifted to a market-driven economy from a centrally planned communist model. Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and became a member of the European Union in 2004.

Note: unless otherwise indicated, statistical data in this article is sourced from the CIA World Factbook, as cited in the bibliography.

People and Culture

Population: Magyars, or Hungarians, are the major ethnic group living in Hungary, and their settlement can be traced back to the ninth century. They descended from the Ugrian people, who may have come from either Europe or Asia and are believed to have descended from nine original tribes. Other ethnic groups include the Roma, Germans, Slovaks, Romanians, and Ukrainians. Hungarian is the official language of Hungary, though German and English are also widely spoken.

Spoken by the majority of Hungarians, the Hungarian language is unique in Europe. It is part of the Finno-Ugric language group but has Roman characters. The language also has some common traits with Finnish and Estonian. Other languages spoken in Hungary include Russian, Romanian, and French.

Most Hungarians (72.9 percent as of 2023) live in urban areas. An estimated 1.778 million people live in Budapest (2023 estimate). Other large cities include Debrecen, Miskolc, Szeged, and Pécs. Most Hungarian cities and villages are much smaller than the capital.

Catholicism is the predominant religion in Hungary, observed by 30.1 percent of the population (2022 estimates), though Calvinists are a sizable religious minority (9.8 percent). Approximately 1.8 percent of the population is Lutheran. More than 40.1 percent of the population does not specify an affiliation with any religion and more than 16.1 percent claim no religion. Hungary is also home to a large Jewish population, although fewer than 11,000 Hungarians self-identified as religious Jews on the 2011 census.

Hungary's HDI value for 2022 is 0.851— which put the country in the Very High human development category—positioning it at 47 out of 193 countries and territories.

Indigenous People: Historians speculate that Hungary was originally inhabited by a primarily Slavic population, though their numbers in the area were probably small before the Magyars arrived at the end of the ninth century. The region of the Danube was influenced by many other ethnic groups including German, Slavic, and Turkic peoples.

Education: Hungarian children usually finish school by the age of eighteen, though compulsory education only extends through age sixteen. Upon finishing, students receive a secondary leaving certificate, though the type of degree they receive is based on what type of school they attended. The adult literacy rate in Hungary is more than 99 percent (2021 estimate).

The sequence of study runs from primary (ages seven to ten) to lower secondary (ages eleven to fourteen) and then to upper secondary (ages fifteen to eighteen). Academic secondary schools are called gymnasiums, while vocational schools are called vocational secondary schools, or szakkozepiskola. Vocational schools also offer differing levels of leaving certificates.

Although colleges and universities in Hungary often work closely with one another (many college faculty also teach in a university), they offer different types of degrees. Colleges require three to four years of training, after which a college-level degree, or Foiskolai Oklevel, is awarded. Universities usually demand four to five years of study and grant university level degrees, or Egyetemi Oklevel.

Health Care: The health care system in Hungary is publicly funded and promises its citizens universal coverage regardless of employment status. It is controlled by the National Health Insurance Fund (HIF), which along with the Ministry of Human Capacities makes contracts with care providers. Much of the funding for health care comes from employer and employee taxes, with deficits covered by the central budget. However, most medical facilities are owned and operated at the state and local level. Supplemental private insurance is also made available, but it is somewhat limited due to the prominence of public health care.

Food: Hungarian food is rich, flavorful, and meat-based. The two main spices used in Hungary are garlic and paprika. Some common dishes include goulash (Gulyas), stuffed cabbage, and fish soup. Pork is a very popular meat and is served often.

Other common foods include potatoes, soups, pancakes, and cakes. Sour cream and butter are used in many dishes. Wine is often served with meals. One distinctly Hungarian desert is dobos torte, a rich caramel and chocolate cake. Strong coffee or espresso (kave) is very popular in Hungary.

Arts & Entertainment: Hungarians are known for their love of music. The nineteenth century was a cultural peak for Hungarian composers, who blended the popular European baroque style with traditional Hungarian forms. Famous composers include Ferenc Erkel (1810–93), Franz Liszt, (1811–96), and Bela Bartok (1881–1945).

Historically, Hungarian music has also been influenced by the church. Under communist rule, musicians in Hungary were held to rigid guidelines that required music to adhere to folk traditions. After the fall of communism, musicians regained their artistic freedom.

Two major musical institutions in Budapest are the Academy of Music and the Philharmonic Society. There has been a revival of Hungarian folk music and country dances, especially among the younger crowds.

Budapest is the cultural center of Hungary. The city is home to several theaters, as well as the Budapest Opera House. There are several museums, such as the Music History Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts. Cafes, such as the famous New York and Gerbeaud cafes, also have great cultural significance in Hungary. The Budapest Spring Festival (the largest cultural event in Hungary), the Budapest Fair, and the Autumn Festivals all take place annually in Budapest.

Sports are very popular in Hungary, particularly soccer (football). Football games are often covered and followed widely on the television and radio. Water polo and volleyball are also very popular. The country also takes pride in its performance at the Olympic Games, and had won more than 180 Olympic gold medals by 2023.

Holidays: There are many public holidays in Hungary, including New Year's Day (January 1), Easter Monday (the day after Easter, March/April), Labour Day (May 1), Whit Monday (the day after Pentecost, May/June), National Day (August 20), Republic Day (October 23), and All Saint's Day (November 1). The anniversary of the 1848 uprising against Austrian rule is celebrated each year on March 15.

Environment and Geography

Topography: Hungary is a completely landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin. It is primarily flat, though there are some hills and mountains, especially on the Slovakian border. Hungary can be divided into three major regions, which are the Great Plain, the Transdanube, and the Northern Hills.

The highest point in Hungary is Kekes in the Matras Mountains, at 1,014 meters (3.327 feet). The lowest point is on the Tisza River, at 78 meters (256 feet).

Water accounts for approximately 1,787 square kilometers (690 square miles) of Hungary's total area of 93,030 square kilometers (57,678 square miles).

The two main rivers that run north to south through Hungary are the Danube and the Tisza. The largest freshwater lake in Europe, Lake Balaton (598 square kilometers/231 square miles), is located in Hungary. Hungarians often refer to this vast lake as the Hungarian Sea. Other smaller lakes include Lake Velence and Lake Ferto.

Natural Resources: Much of the Hungarian land is fertile, so arable land and abundant water are valuable natural resources. Other important natural resources are bauxite, coal, and natural gas. Moreover, 22.5 percent of Hungary is forested (2020 estimate).

In the Matra and Bukk Mountains, there are large amounts of lignite, which can be used to generate electricity. Some of the non-ferrous metal ores found in Hungary are copper, lead, zinc, silver, and gold. Gold prospecting takes place in the Lahoka Mountain at Recsk, as well as in the area of Füzérradvány and Telkibánya. Geothermal energy is another important resource in Hungary.

The conservation of natural resources is an important issue in Hungary. Substantial investments have been made to improve Hungary's standards of waste management, increase energy efficiency, and decrease air, soil, and water pollution. These improvements are necessary in order to comply with the strict environmental requirements of the European Union.

Plants & Animals: Hungary is famous for its bird watching, and the Hortobágy National Park is one of the best birding venues in Europe. Included in the many species that can be seen there are the vulnerable great bustard (also known as the Hungarian Ostrich), white-winged black terns, sweet-singing aquatic warblers (vulnerable), spoonbills, ibises, and purple and black-crowned night herons. Also, white storks are often seen nesting on houses throughout the country.

Though most of Hungary's mammals are also found in the rest of Europe, some rare species include wild cat and Pannonian lizard.

Among Hungary's national parks are Kiskunság National Park, Körös-Maros National Park (where several different snail species can be found), Lake Fertö-Hanság National Park (on the Austrian border), and Zemplén Forest Reserve.

Climate: Located in the center of Europe, Hungary has a continental climate. The coldest weather is in January, and the hottest weather is in August. Autumn and spring are very short seasons. Rain primarily falls during the growing season, and the average monthly precipitation ranges from 31.6 to 77 millimeters (1.24 to 3.03 inches). The city of Pécs has an average of two hundred sunny days per year. By the 2020s, Hungary, like other countries, had also experienced effects of climate change such as rising temperatures.

Economy

Industry: Services and industry have contributed an increasing amount to the overall growth of the Hungarian economy. Manufacturing is dominated by mining, metallurgy, building materials, processed foods, textiles, drugs, and automobiles.

In 2023, the estimated gross domestic product (GDP, purchasing power parity) of Hungary was US$388.906 billion. The GDP per capita was an estimated US$40,500 in 2023. Germany, Romania, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Czechia, Poland, and China are some of Hungary's major trading partners.

Machinery and equipment are the most important exports in Hungary, accounting for more than half of all exports. Vehicle parts, electric batteries, spark-ignition engines, and video displays are other major exports. The majority of the Hungarian workforce works in the service sector. Workers engaged in agriculture accounted for the smallest percentage of the labor force.

Agriculture: Wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets, pigs, cattle, poultry, and dairy products are some of the most valuable agricultural commodities. Important livestock raised in Hungary includes cattle, goats, horses, pigs, poultry, and sheep.

The land in Hungary is extremely fertile. More than half the country's land is used for agriculture, and over two-thirds of that farmland is under cultivation. For the most part, Hungary produces all of the food it needs to feed its population within its own borders.

Tourism: With the largest freshwater lake in Europe (Lake Balaton) and plenty of spas, thermal baths and springs, Hungary is a popular tourist destinations. There are many castles still standing in Hungary, which also attract tourists. Some of the most famous castles are the Royal Palace in Budapest; Nagyvázsony and Szigliget in Lake Balaton; and Sumeg, one of the best-preserved medieval castles in Hungary, which is located in the town of Sumeg.

Most tourists who visit Hungary are European, many traveling from Romania, Austria, Slovakia, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

Government

After World War II, Hungary fell under communist rule. The people revolted against the communist government in 1956, but the effort failed. The country had its first multiparty elections in 1990, which also began the move toward a free market.

Hungary is a parliamentary republic with a unicameral legislative system. The National Assembly, or Orszaggyules, consists of 199 members, who are elected to serve four-year terms. This body has the highest legislative authority. All citizens of Hungary are eligible to vote after reaching eighteen years of age, and voter participation is usually high. Only citizens who are serving jail sentences are barred from voting or running for election.

The president of Hungary is elected for a five-year term by the National Assembly. The prime minister is elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president.

On the local level, Hungary is split into forty-three administrative divisions, of which there are nineteen counties, twenty-three urban counties, and one capital city (Budapest).

By the 2020s, however, international commentators and activists argued that a consolidation of power that had begun with the election of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in 2010 had led to a severe erosion of the country's democracy.

Interesting Facts

• By 2023, fifteen Hungarians had won Nobel Prizes, in the fields of chemistry, physiology/medicine, physics, economics, and literature.
• Puppetry is a popular form of street and theater entertainment in Hungary.
• Hungary's national flower is the tulip.
• Buda Castle in Budapest houses the country's largest library, the National Széchényi Library, which has a permanent display about Hungarian librarians and readers.
• In 2015, Sándor Csányi, the head of Hungary's largest retail bank, became the first Hungarian to be named on Forbes magazine's list of the wealthiest people in the world.

Bibliography

"Hungary." The World Bank, 2024, data.worldbank.org/country/hungary. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

"Hungary." The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 16 Jan. 2025, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/hungary/. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

"Hungary Country Profile." BBC News, 4 Jun. 2024, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-17380792. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.

"Human Development Insights." Human Development Reports, United Nations Development Programme, 13 March 2024, hdr.undp.org/data-center/country-insights#/ranks. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.