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Background:
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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. In the more open GORBACHEV years,
Hungary led the movement to dissolve the Warsaw Pact and
steadily shifted toward multiparty democracy and a
market-oriented economy. Following the collapse of the USSR in
1991, Hungary developed close political and economic ties to
Western Europe. It joined NATO in 1999 and is a frontrunner in a
future expansion of the EU. |
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Location:
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Central Europe, northwest of Romania |
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Land boundaries:
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total: 2,171 km
border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania
443 km, Serbia and Montenegro 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia
102 km, Ukraine 103 km |
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Climate:
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temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers |
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Terrain:
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mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the
Slovakian border |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Tisza River 78 m
highest point: Kekes 1,014 m |
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Nationality:
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noun: Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Hungarian 89.9%, Roma 4%, German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%,
Romanian 0.7% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and
other 7.5% |
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Languages:
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Hungarian 98.2%, other 1.8% |
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Exchange rates:
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forints per US dollar - 275.920 (January 2002), 286.490 (2001),
282.179 (2000), 237.146 (1999), 214.402 (1998), 186.789 (1997)
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