Hungary
The Country of the Week
Quick Facts
- Capital
- Budapest
- Population
- 9,855,745 (2024 est.)
- Area
- 93,028 sq km
- Government
- parliamentary republic
- Religions
- Catholic 30.1% (Roman Catholic 27.5%, Greek Catholic 1.7%, other Catholic 0.9%), Calvinist 9.8%, Lutheran 1.8%, other Christian (includes Orthodox) 1.6%, other 0.4%, none 16.1%, no answer 40.1% (2022 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Hungarian 84.3%, Romani 2.1%, German 1%, other 1.2%, unspecified 13.7% (2022 est.)
- Currency
- forints (HUF)
- Life Expectancy
- 76 years (2024 est.)
- Internet Domain
- .hu
- Climate
- temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
- Terrain
- mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border
- Natural Resources
- bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
- Major Exports
- cars, vehicle parts/accessories, electric batteries, packaged medicine, computers (2023)
Source: CIA World Factbook (public domain)
Overview
Hungary became a Christian kingdom in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I.