Member States of the EU

Hungary

Year of EU entry: 2004
Political system: Republic
Capital city: Budapest
Total area: 93 000 km²
Population: 10.1 million
Currency: forint
Listen to the official EU language:
Hungarian

Detailed map - click on the map

Hungary is a landlocked state with many neighbours – Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia and Austria. It is mostly flat, with low mountains in the north. Lake Balaton, a popular tourist centre, is the largest lake in central Europe.

The ancestors of ethnic Hungarians were the Magyar tribes, who moved into the Carpathian Basin in 896. Hungary became a Christian kingdom under St Stephen in the year 1000. The Hungarian language is unlike any of the country’s neighbouring languages and is only distantly related to Finnish and Estonian.

The capital city, Budapest, was originally was two separate cities: Buda and Pest. It straddles the River Danube, is rich in history and culture and famed for its curative springs. Hungary has a single-chamber parliament or national assembly whose 386 members are elected by voters every four years.

Hungary’s parliament building seen through an archway Hungary has some limited natural resources (bauxite, coal, and natural gas), as well as fertile soils and arable land. Hungarian wines are enjoyed throughout Europe. The country‘s main manufactured exports include electric and electronic equipment, machinery, foodstuffs and chemicals.

Hungary is a highly musical country whose traditional folk music inspired such great national composers as Liszt, Bartók and Kodály. Other famous Hungarians include Albert Albert Szent-Györgyi, who discovered the existence of Vitamin C, writer and Nobel Prizewinner Imre Kertész and Oscar-winning film director István Szabó.

National public administration portal
The official website of the Hungarian government provides a detailed description of the institutional structure of the country and a regular update on government actions and decisions. It contains contact details for Hungary's embassies abroad. The “Country Info” section also provides general information on Hungarian history, culture, society and sports.
Introduction to the country
The Hungarian National Tourist Office website enables visitors to learn about Hungarian history and culture, to get to know famous Hungarians and find out about the country through an interactive map. Information on Hungary’s main attractions, activities and upcoming events is also available.