Difference between revisions of "Hungary"

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'''Hungary''', officially the Republic of Hungary is located in [[Central Europe]].  Hungary joined the [[European Union]] on May 1, 2004. The native people of Hungary are called [[Magyar]].
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!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white  no-repeat scroll top left;"|Republic of Hungary
 
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!colspan="2" align="center" style="color: black; height: 30px; background: white  no-repeat scroll top left;"|[[Image:Flag of Hungary.jpg|250px]]
 
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Flag of the Republic of Hungary
 
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|Capital
 
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|[[Budapest]]
 
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|Government
 
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|Official Language
 
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|Hungarian
 
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|President
 
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|László Sólyom
 
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|Area
 
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|93,030 km² (109th)
 
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|Population (2007 estimate)
 
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|10,076,581 (79th)
 
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|GDP (2007 estimate)
 
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|$169.875 billion (48th)
 
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|GDP per capita (2007 estimate)
 
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|$16,823[1] (39th)
 
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[[Category:European Countries]]
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'''Hungary''', officially the Republic of Hungary is located in [[Central Europe]].  Hungary joined the [[European Union]] on May 1, [[2004]]. The native people of Hungary are called [[Magyar]]. The capital city is [[Budapest]].
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[[Category:Warsaw Pact members]]
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[[Category:EU Members]]
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==History==
 
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[[Image:Arpadfeszty.jpg|thumb|left|250px|The arrival of the Magyars at the [[Carpathian Basin]].]]
 
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{{main|History of Hungary}}
 
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{{seealso|Kingdom of Hungary|Hungary before the Magyars}}
 
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In the time of the [[Roman Empire]], the region west of the [[Danube river]] was known as [[Pannonia]]. After the [[Western Roman Empire]] collapsed under the stress of the migration of [[Germanic tribes]] and [[Carpia]]n pressure, the [[Migration Period]] continued bringing many invaders to [[Europe]]. Among the first to arrive were the [[Huns]], who built up a powerful empire under [[Attila the Hun|Attila]]. It is presently believed that the origin of the name "Hungary" does not come from the [[Central Asia]]n nomadic invaders called the [[Huns]], but rather originated from a later, [[7th century|seventh century]] [[Bulgar]] alliance called [[On-Ogour]], which in [[Old Turkic language|Old Turkish]] meant "(the) Ten Arrows"<ref name="OSZK">[http://www.oszk.hu/kiadvany/hsr/2000/notes.htm OSZK].</ref><ref name="EB">[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-34784/Hungary Hungary], Encyclopædia Britannica.</ref>.
 
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After Hunnish rule faded, the [[Lombards]] and the [[Gepids]] ruled in Pannonia for about 100 years, during which the [[Slavic tribes]] began migrating into the region. In the 560s, the Slavs were supplanted by the [[Eurasian Avars|Avars]], who maintained their supremacy of the land for more than two centuries. The [[Franks]] under [[Charlemagne]] from the west and the [[Bulgars]] from the southeast managed to overthrow the Avars in the early [[9th century|ninth century]]. However, the Franks soon retreated, and the Slavonic kingdom of [[Great Moravia]] and the [[Balaton Principality]] assumed control of much of Pannonia until the end of the century. The [[Magyars]] migrated to Hungary in the late ninth century.
 
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Magyar tradition holds that the Country of the Magyars (''Magyarország'') was founded by [[Árpád]], who led the [[Magyars]] into the [[Pannonian plain]] in 896 AD. The "Ten Arrows" mentioned above referred to ten tribes, the alliance of which was the foundation of the army of the invading Magyars.
 
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===Stephen I of Hungary===
 
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The [[Kingdom of Hungary]] was established in [[1000]] by King [[Stephen I of Hungary|Saint Stephen]]. Originally named Vajk, Stephen was a direct descendant of [[Árpád]], and was baptised as a child. He married [[Giselle of Bavaria]], the daughter of [[Henry II, Duke of Bavaria]] in 996, and after the death of his father [[Géza of Hungary|Prince Géza]] in 997, he assumed the mantle of ruler and became the first Christian king of Hungary.
 
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[[Image:Saint Stephen Crown.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Crown of St. Stephen|crown]] of [[Stephen I of Hungary|Saint Stephen]].]]
 
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St. Stephen I received his [[Crown of St. Stephen|crown]] from [[Pope Silvester II]] in 1000. As a Christian king, he established the Hungarian Church with ten dioceses and the royal administration of the country that was divided into counties ([[Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)|comitatus]] or ''vármegye'').  Hungary became a [[patrimonial kingdom]] where the majority of the land was the private property of the ruler. In [[1083]], he was [[canonize]]d along with his son, [[Imre of Hungary]].
 
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Initially, [[Hungarian]] history and politics developed in close association with that of [[Poland]] and [[Bohemia]], driven by the interventions of various Popes and Emperors of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. Between [[1241]]&ndash;[[1242]], under [[King Béla IV]], Hungary was devastated, suffering great loss of life at the hands of the [[Mongol]] ([[Tatar]]) armies of [[Batu Khan]] who defeated the Hungarians at the [[Battle of Muhi]]. Despite the victory, the Mongols did not occupy Hungary, but withdrew shortly after upon the news of the death of [[Ögedei Khan]], leaving behind a country in ruins. The famous "Bent Cross" atop the crown has become a symbol of Hungary. Originally the cross was upright but was bent when the crown was stolen in the eleventh century.
 
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===Árpáds===
 
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Gradually, under the rule of the dynasty of the [[Árpáds]] and even before it (since the ninth century), Hungary joined the greater West European [[civilization]]s. Ruled by the [[Angevins]] since [[1308]], the Kingdom of Hungary slowly lost control over territories later called [[Wallachia]] ([[1330]]) and [[Moldavia]] ([[1359]]).
 
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[[János Hunyadi]], the Regent of Hungary, fought defensive wars against the invading [[Ottoman Empire]]. The custom of sounding the [[noon bell]] is closely related to an important battle against the Ottomans that took place on [[June 29]], [[1456]], at [[Siege of Belgrade|Nándorfehérvár]].
 
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János's son, King [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary|Matthias Corvinus]], ruled the Kingdom of Hungary from [[1458]] to [[1490]]. He strengthened Hungary and its government: under his rule, Hungary became an important artistic and [[Cultural center|cultural centre]] of Europe during the [[Renaissance]]. Matthias, whose wife was [[Italy|Italian]], imported artisans from Italy and [[France]]. Likewise, [[Culture of Hungary|Hungarian culture]] influenced others--for example, the [[Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth]]. King [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary|Matthias Corvinus]] was also successful in many battles against the [[Ottoman Empire]].
 
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===Ottomans===
 
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The forthcoming two centuries were dominated by constant warfare against the [[Ottoman Empire]]. The Ottomans gained a decisive victory over the Hungarian army at the [[battle of Mohács]] in [[1526]]. The next decades were characterised by political chaos; the divided Hungarian nobility elected two kings simultaneously, [[Ferdinand Habsburg]] (1526-1540) and [[János Szapolyai]] ([[1526]]-[[1540]]), whose armed conflicts weakened the country further. After the conquest of [[Buda]] by the Ottomans in 1541, the Kingdom of Hungary came to be divided into three parts: one third of Hungary fell under Ottoman rule; one third (in the West) remained under [[Habsburg]] rule [[Kings of Hungary]]); and the third part, in the east (originally supporting János Szapolyai), remained independent (the Principality of [[Transylvania]]) and subsequently become a semi-independent, vassal state of the Ottoman Empire. It was only more than 150 years later, at the end of the [[17th century|seventeenth century]], that Austria and its Christian allies regained the territories of the Kingdom from the Ottoman Empire.
 
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===Austro-Hungarian empire===
 
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[[Image:Francisc rakoczi.jpg|thumb|left|230px|[[Ferenc II Rákóczi]], painted by [[Ádám Mányoki]].]]
 
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After the final retreat of the [[Ottoman Empire|Ottomans]], struggle began between the Hungarian nation and the [[Habsburg]] kings for the protection of noblemen' rights (thus guarding the autonomy of Hungary). The fight against Austrian [[absolutism]] resulted in an unsuccessful revolt for popular freedom between [[1703]] and [[1711]], led by a Transylvanian nobleman, [[Ferenc II Rákóczi]]. The [[Revolutions of [[1848]] in Hungary|revolution]] and war of 1848&ndash;[[1849]] eliminated [[serfdom]] and secured [[civil rights]]. The Austrians were finally able to prevail, but only with Russian help.
 
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Thanks to the victories against Austria by the French-Italian coalition (the [[Battle of Solferino]], [[1859]]) and Prussia ([[Battle of Königgrätz]], 1866), Hungary would eventually, in 1867, manage to become a theoretically equal half of the [[Austro-Hungarian Empire]] (see [[Ausgleich]]). Having achieved this, the Hungarian government made an effort to nationally unify the kingdom by [[Magyarisation]] of the various other nationalities. This lasted until the end of [[World War I]], when the Austro-Hungarian empire collapsed.
 
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On [[November 16]], [[1918]], an independent Hungarian Republic was proclaimed.  This was Hungary's first republic.
 
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===Interwar era===
 
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Following [[World War I]], [[Romania]] took control over [[Transylvania]] and eastern Hungary, [[Czechoslovakia]] took control over the northern parts of the Kingdom of Hungary (also known as [[Upper Hungary]]), and a joint [[Serbia]]n and [[French Army|French army]] took control over the southern parts. These territories had a majority population of the respective occupying nations, however each had significant Hungarian population as well. The post-War Entente backed the subsequent annexations of these territories.
 
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In [[March]] [[1919]], the Communists took power in Hungary.  In April, [[Béla Kun]] proclaimed the [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]].  But Kun's government, like its immediate predecessor, proved to be short-lived.  This was despite some initial military successes against the Czechoslovakian Army.
 
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On [[13 June]][[1919]], the Versailles Peace Conference ordered Hungary to evacuate the northern territories and Romania to leave [[Tiszántúl]].  Hungary fulfilled its part of the order by [[30 June]] [[1919]].  But the [[Romanian army]] refused to leave [[Tiszántúl]].
 
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The ensuing war between Hungary and Romania led to the defeat of the Hungarian [[Red Army]].  By [[August]] [[1919]], more than half of present-day Hungary, including Budapest, was occupied by Romania.  The Romanian occupation lasted until [[November]] [[1919]] when the [[Romanian army]] departed.
 
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Rightist Hungarian military forces, led by the former Austro-Hungarian Admiral [[Miklós Horthy]], entered Budapest in the wake of the Romanian army's departure and filled the vacuum of [[state power]].  In [[January]] [[1920]], elections were held for a unicameral assembly.  Admiral Horthy was elected Regent, thereby formally restoring the monarchy to Hungary.  However, there would be no more "Kings of Hungary" despite attempts by the former Habsburg ruler to return to his former seat of power.  Horthy ruled as Regent until 16 October 1944.  Hungary remained a parliamentary democracy.  But, after [[1932]], autocratic tendencies gradually returned as a result of Nazi influence and the [[Great Depression]].
 
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On [[June 4]], [[1920]], the [[Treaty of Trianon]] was signed, establishing Hungary's new borders.  Compared with the pre-war Kingdom, post-Trianon Hungary had 71% less territory and 66% less population.  About one-third of the Magyar population became minorities in neighbouring countries.  Hungary also lost its only [[Port|sea port]] at Fiume (today [[Rijeka]]).  Therefore, [[Politics of Hungary|Hungarian politics]] and culture of the [[interwar period]] was dominated by [[irredentism]] ( the restoration of historical "[[Greater Hungary (political concept)|Greater Hungary]]").
 
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===World War II===
 
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{{main|Hungary during the Second World War}}
 
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The country became allied with [[Nazi Germany]] in the [[1930s]].  The Hungarians allied themselves with the Germans in the hope that the territorial loss by the [[Treaty of Trianon]] could be reversed.  Initially the alliance with Germany paid off.  Some lost territories were returned to Hungary in the two [[Vienna Awards]]. In [[1941]], Hungary belatedly assisted the Germans with the [[invasion of Yugoslavia]].  Hungary then occupied the [[Backa]].  On [[22 June]] [[1941]], the Germans invaded the Soviet Union ([[Operation Barbarossa]]).  The Hungarians soon followed the Germans and entered [[World War II]] as a member of the [[Axis]].  In late [[1941]], the Hungarian troops on the Eastern Front experienced success at the [[Battle of Uman]].  By [[1943]], after the [[Hungarian Second Army]] suffered extremely heavy losses at the [[Battle of Stalingrad]], the Hungarian government sought to negotiate a surrender with the Allies.  On [[19 March]] [[1944]], as a result of this duplicity, German troops quietly occupied Hungary in what was known as [[Operation Margarethe]].  But, by now it was clear that the Hungarians were Germany's "unwilling satellite".  On [[15 October]] [[1944]], the pro-West Horthy again ran afoul of the Germans.  This time the Germans launched [[Operation Panzerfaust]] and Horthy was replaced by a puppet government under the pro-German Prime Minister [[Ferenc Szálasi]].  Szálasi and his pro-Nazi [[Arrow Cross Party]] remained loyal to the Germans until the end of the war.  In late [[1944]], Hungarian troops on the Eastern Front again experienced success at the [[Battle of Debrecen]].  But this was followed immediately by the Soviet invasion of Hungary and the [[Battle of Budapest]].  On [[28 December]] [[1944]], a "provisional government" was formed in Hungary under acting Prime Minister [[Béla Miklós]].  While the Miklós government immediately ousted Prime Minister [[Ferenc Szálasi]]'s government, the Germans and pro-German Hungarians loyal to Szálasi fought on in Hungary.  On [[20 January]] [[1945]], representatives of the Hungarian "provisional government" went to Moscow and agreed to complete Hungarian capitulation.  Again, the Germans and pro-German Hungarians loyal to Szálasi fought on in Hungary.  On [[13 February]] [[1945]], the Hungarian capital city surrendered unconditionally.  On [[8 May]] [[1945]], [[World War II]] in Europe officially ended.
 
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===Holocaust===
 
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Hungary was the first modern nation to pass distinctly [[History of the Jews in Hungary#20th century: persecution and destruction|anti-Semitic laws]]. The [[Numerus clausus|"numerus clausus"]] laws of the early 1920s restricted Jewish access to higher education. In the late 1930s, more specifically anti-Semitic laws followed. Though massacres of Jews by Hungarian forces took place during the early part of the Second World War, Hungary initially resisted large scale deportation of its [[Jewish population]]. Ultimately, however, during the German occupation in May-June [[1944]], the [[Arrow Cross Party]] and Hungarian police deported nearly 440,000 Jews, mostly to [[Auschwitz concentration camp|Auschwitz]].<ref name="USHMM">[http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/index.php?ModuleId=10005458 United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Holocaust Encyclopedia]</ref> Over 400,000 Hungarian Jews were murdered during the [[Holocaust]], as well as tens of thousands of [[Roma people]]. Hundreds of Hungarian people were also executed by the [[Arrow Cross Party]] for sheltering Jews, among them Sister [[Sára Salkaházi]]. Foreign heads of states and diplomats who helped save many lives included Cardinal Roncalli, later Pope [[John XXIII]], [[Raoul Wallenberg]], and [[Carl Lutz]]. Italian businessman [[Giorgio Perlasca]] posed as a Spanish diplomat in order to issue forged visas and establish safe houses, including one for Jewish children. When Soviet forces liberated Budapest in February 1945, more than 100,000 Jews remained.<ref name=USHMM/>
 
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===Soviet era===
 
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[[Image:Mock&Horn.jpg|left|thumb|240px|The fall of the [[Iron Curtain]], [[1989]]: the [[foreign minister]]s of [[Austria]] and Hungary, [[Alois Mock]] and [[Gyula Horn]], ceremoniously cut through the border defences separating their countries.]]
 
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Following the fall of Nazi Germany, Hungary became a communist satellite state of the Soviet Union.  This followed a brief interval of democracy from  1946 to 1947 when the Hungarians proclaimed their second republic.  After [[1948]], Communist leader [[Mátyás Rákosi]] established Stalinist rule in the country.  The rule of the Rákosi government was nearly unbearable for Hungary's war-torn citizens.  This led to the [[1956 Hungarian Revolution]] and Hungary's temporary withdrawal from the [[Warsaw Pact]].  The Soviets retaliated massively with military force, sending in over 150,000 troops and 2,500 tanks<ref>Findley, Carter V., and John Rothney. Twentieth Century World. sixth ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 278.</ref>.  Nearly a quarter of a million people left the country during the brief time that the borders were open in 1956.  From the 1960s through the late 1980s, Hungary was often satirically referred to as "[[the happiest barrack]]" within the [[Eastern bloc]].  This was under the autocratic rule of its controversial communist leader, [[János Kádár]].
 
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===Third Hungarian Republic===
 
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In the late [[1980s]], Hungary led the movement to dissolve the Warsaw Pact and shifted toward multi-candidate democracy. This means that even though there were several candiates, the communist party, [[MSZMP]], was not out for dispute. However,  independent candidates were elected as protest against the party. At this time,  there were increasing presures for reform within the party.  They also moved towards a [[Market economy|market-oriented economy]]. On [[October 23]] [[1989]], [[Mátyás Szűrös]] declared the [[Third Hungarian Republic]] and became interim President. Hungary's first [[free election]]s were held in [[1990]]. Following the [[History of the Soviet Union (1985-1991)|collapse of the Soviet Union]] in [[1991]], Hungary developed closer ties with [[Western Europe]] as well as with other Central European countries. It became a member of the [[Visegrad Group]] in [[1991]], joined [[NATO]] in [[1999]], and became a member of the [[European Union]] on [[May 1]], [[2004]].
 
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==Politics==
 
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[[Image:Hungarian Parlament.jpg|thumb|250px|right|The [[Hungarian Parliament Building]] in Budapest.]]
 
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{{main|Politics of Hungary}}
 
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The [[President of Hungary|President of the Republic]], elected by the [[Parliament]] every five years, has a largely ceremonial role, choosing the dates of the parliamentary elections.
 
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The prime minister selects [[Cabinet (government)|Cabinet]] ministers and has the [[exclusive right]] to dismiss them. Each Cabinet nominee appears before one or more parliamentary committees in open hearings and must be formally approved by the President.
 
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A [[unicameral]], 386-member [[National Assembly of Hungary|National Assembly]] (the ''Országgyűlés'') is the highest organ of state authority and initiates and approves legislation sponsored by the Prime Minister. National Parliamentary elections are held every four years; the next are due to be held in [[2010]].
 
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An 11-member Constitutional Court has power to challenge legislation on grounds of unconstitutionality.
 
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==Economy==
 
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[[Image:Mnb hu.jpg|left|thumb|200px|[[Hungarian National Bank]]]]
 
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[[Image:HUF 500 1998 obverse.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Hungarian Forint]] (obverse)]]
 
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[[Image:HUF 500 1998 reverse.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Hungarian Forint (reverse)]]
 
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{{main|Economy of Hungary}}
 
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Hungary continues to demonstrate [[economic growth]] as one of the newest member countries of the European Union (since 2004). The private sector accounts for over 80% of [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]]. Hungary gets nearly one third of all [[foreign direct investment]] flowing in to Central Europe. [[Foreign ownership]] of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totalling more than US$23 billion since 1989. The Hungarian sovereign debt's [[credit rating]] is BBB+ [[As of 2006|as of July 2006]], making Hungary the only other country in the EU apart from Poland not to enjoy an A grade score. [[Inflation]] and [[unemployment]] have been on the rise in the past few years, and they are expected to rise further. Foreign investors' trust in the Hungarian economy has declined, as they deem that the stringency measures planned in the second half of [[2006]] are not satisfactory, their focus being mainly on increasing the income side rather than curbing government spendings. Economic reform measures such as [[health care reform]], [[tax reform]], and [[local government]] financing are being addressed by the present government.
 
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The Hungarian government has expressed a desire to adopt the [[euro]] currency between 2010 and 2014<ref>[http://vg.hu/index.php?apps=cikk&cikk=164181 "Gyurcsány modifies date"], [[Világgazdaság]]</ref>. However, foreign analysts widely criticised that date (2010) as highly unrealistic given the current shape of the economy in relation to the [[Maastricht criteria]]; their assessments suggest that a date of 2013-2014 for Euro adoption is more realistic.
 
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==Geography==
 
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[[Image:Hortobágy.jpg|thumb|200px|[[Hortobágy]] on the [[Great Hungarian Plain]] with [[Racka]] sheep]]
 
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[[Image:Kekesteto1.JPG|thumb|200px|[[Kékes]], the highest mountain in Hungary.]]
 
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===Landscape===
 
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Approximately slightly more than one half of Hungary's landscape consists of flat to rolling plains of the [[Carpathian Basin]]: the most important plain regions include the [[Little Hungarian Plain]] in the west, and the [[Great Hungarian Plain]] in the southeast. The highest elevation above sea level on the latter is only 183 metres.
 
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[[Transdanubia]] is a primarily hilly region with a terrain varied by low mountains. These include the very eastern stretch of the [[Alps]], [[Alpokalja]], in the west of the country,  the [[Transdanubian Medium Mountains]], in the cental region of Transdanubia, and the [[Mecsek]] Mountains and [[Villány Mountains]] in the south. The highest point of the area is the [[Írott-kő]] in the Alps, at 882 metres.
 
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The highest mountains of the country are located in the [[Carpathians]]: these lie in the [[Northern Medium Mountains (Hungary)|northern parts]], in a wide band along the [[Slovakia]]n border (highest point: the [[Kékes]] at 3,327&nbsp;[[Foot (unit of length)|ft]]; 1,014&nbsp;m).
 
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Hungary is divided in two by its main waterway, the [[Danube]] (Duna); other large rivers include the [[Tisza]] and [[Dráva]], while Transdanubia contains [[Lake Balaton]], a major body of water. The largest thermal lake in the world, [[Lake Hévíz]] ([[Hévíz Spa]]), is located in Hungary. The second largest lake in the [[Carpathian Basin]] is the artificial [[Lake Tisza]] (''Tisza-tó'').
 
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===Climate===
 
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Hungary has a [[continental climate]], with cold, cloudy, humid [[winter]]s and warm to hot [[summer]]s. Average annual temperature is 9.7&nbsp;°[[Celsius|C]] (49.5&nbsp;°[[Fahrenheit|F]]). Temperature extremes are about 42&nbsp;°C (110&nbsp;°F) in the summer and &minus;29&nbsp;°C (&minus;20&nbsp;°F) in the winter. Average temperature in the summer is 27 to 35&nbsp;°C (81 to 95&nbsp;°F), and in the winter it is 0 to &minus;15&nbsp;°C (32 to 5&nbsp;°F). The average yearly rainfall is approximately 600 millimetres (24&nbsp;[[inch|in]]). A small, southern region of the country near [[Pécs]] enjoys a reputation for a [[Mediterranean climate]], but in reality it is only slightly warmer than the rest of the country and still receives snow during the winter.
 
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The following section is not cited, and "according to popular opinion" possibly not encyclopedic in content. Until someone looks after this, please keep it hidden:
 
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The relative isolation of the Carpathian Basin makes it susceptible to [[drought]]s and the effects of [[global warming]] have already been felt. According to popular opinion and many scientists, the country became drier in recent decades, as droughts have become quite common. Summers became hotter and winters became milder. For these reasons, snow has become much rarer than before. Popular opinion also states that the four-season system became a two-season system as [[spring (season)|spring]] and [[autumn]] are getting shorter and shorter, even vanishing some years. This supposed tendency unexpectedly was reversed in 2006 when Hungary's two main rivers, the [[Danube]] and the [[Tisza]], flooded at the same time. It made hundreds of homes uninhabitable despite the hard work of the defenders who reinforced most sections of the rivers with sandbags (with the help of university students and the army of Hungary ("[[Honvédség]]")).
 
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Most of Hungary is covered by agricultural plains; there are but few remnants of its original forests, mainly in the mountain regions and national parks. -->
 
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==Culture==
 
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[[Image:Liszt-1870.jpg|thumb|right|130px|[[Franz Liszt]], the prominent Hungarian [[composer]], [[piano]] [[virtuoso]] and contemporary of [[Ferenc Erkel]].]]
 
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{{main|Culture of Hungary}}
 
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=== Music ===
 
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The [[music of Hungary]] consists mainly of traditional Hungarian [[folk music]] and music by prominent composers such as [[Franz Liszt]], [[Béla Bartók]] and [[Zoltán Kodály]]. Hungarian traditional music tends to have a strong [[Dactyl (poetry)|dactylic]] [[rhythm]], just as the language is invariably stressed on the first syllable of each word.
 
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=== Cuisine ===
 
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[[Cuisine of Hungary|Hungarian cuisine]] is also a prominent feature of Hungarian culture, with traditional dishes such as [[goulash]] (''gulyás'' or ''gulyásleves'') a main feature of the Hungarian [[diet (nutrition)|diet]]. Dishes are often flavoured with [[paprika]]. [[Stew]]s are often to be found with typical elements such as [[pork]] or [[beef]], for example as used in [[pörkölt]].
 
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=== Science ===
 
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Hungary is famous for its excellent [[mathematics education]] which has trained numerous outstanding scientists. Famous Hungarian mathematicians include [[Paul Erdős]], famed for publishing in over forty languages and whose [[Erdős number]]s are still tracked; [[János Bolyai|János (John) Bolyai]], designer of [[non-Euclidian geometry|non-Euclidean]] (or "absolute") [[geometry]] in [[1831]];<ref name="HunInvent">[http://www.hungemb.com/damascus/hungarians_to_universal_culture.htm ''The Contribution of Hungarians to Universal Culture''] (includes inventors), Embassy of the Republic of Hungary, [[Damascus, Syria]], 2006.</ref>
 
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[[John von Neumann]], a pioneer of [[digital computing]]; [[Eugene Wigner]]; and many others. Erdős, von Neumann, and Wigner, like other Hungarian Jewish scientists, fled rising [[anti-Semitism]] in Europe, and made their most famous contributions in the [[United States]].
 
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Hungarians are very proud of their inventions. These include the noiseless [[match]] ([[János Irinyi|János Irínyi]]), the [[Rubik's cube]], the [[krypton]] electric bulb ([[Imre Bródy]], 1891–1944), and the aforementioned [[non-Euclidian geometry]]. A number of other important inventions, including [[holography]], the [[ballpoint pen]] (invented by the eponymous [[Laszlo Bíró]]), the theory of the [[hydrogen bomb]], and the [[BASIC programming language|BASIC]] [[programming language]],<ref name="HunInvent"/> were invented by Hungarians who fled the country prior to World War II.
 
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=== Literature ===
 
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[[Image:Ferenc kolcsey.jpg|right|thumb|right|130px|[[Ferenc Kölcsey]], author of the lyrics of the Hungarian national anthem.]]
 
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[[Hungarian literature]] has recently gained some renown outside the borders of Hungary (mostly through translations into German, French and English). Some modern Hungarian authors became increasingly popular in Germany and Italy especially [[Sándor Márai]], [[Péter Esterházy]], [[Péter Nádas]] and [[Imre Kertész]]. The latter is a contemporary Jewish writer who survived the Holocaust and won the [[Nobel Prize]] for literature in 2002.
 
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The older classics of Hungarian literature and Hungarian poetry remained almost totally unknown outside Hungary. [[János Arany]], a famous nineteenth century Hungarian poet is still much loved in Hungary (especially his collection of [[Ballads]]), among several other "true classics" like [[Sándor Petőfi]], the poet of the Revolution of 1848, [[Endre Ady]], [[Mihály Babits]], [[Dezső Kosztolányi]], [[Attila József]] and [[János Pilinszky]]. Other well-known Hungarian authors are [[Zsigmond Móricz]], [[Gyula Illyés]], [[Albert Wass]], [[Magda Szabó]] and the [[Nobel Prize]] winner [[Imre Kertész]].
 
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=== Sport ===
 
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One of the most famous Hungarians is the footballer [[Ferenc Puskás]] ([[1927]] – [[2006]]). He scored 84 goals in 85 internationals for [[Hungary national football team|Hungary]],<ref name="international goals"/> and 511 goals in 533 matches in the [[Hungarian League|Hungarian]] and [[La Liga|Spanish]] leagues. Puskás played the  [[1954 FIFA World Cup Final|1954 World Cup final]] against [[West Germany national football team|West Germany]]. In 1958, after the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian Revolution]], he emigrated to [[Spain]] where he played in the legendary [[Real Madrid]] team that also included [[Alfredo Di Stéfano]], and [[Francisco Gento]].
 
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Hungarians are also known for their prowess at [[Water sport (recreation)|water sports]], mainly [[swimming]], [[water polo]] and canoeing; this can be said to be surprising at first, due to Hungary being [[landlocked]]. On the other hand, the presence of two major rivers (the [[Danube|Duna]] and the [[Tisza]]) and a major lake ([[Lake Balaton|Balaton]]) give excellent opportunities to practice these sports.
 
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==External links==
 
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* [http://www.parlament.hu/parl_en.htm Official site of the National Assembly]
 
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* [http://www.keh.hu/index_en.html Official site of the President of Hungary]
 
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* [http://www.meh.hu/english Official site of the Prime Minister of Hungary]
 
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* [http://eudocs.lib.byu.edu/index.php/History_of_Hungary:_Primary_Documents History of Hungary: Primary Documents]
 
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* [http://www.hungarianhistory.com History of Hungary &ndash; The Corvinus Library]
 
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* [http://www.bh.org.il/V-Exh/hungary/index.html In The Land of Hagar - The Jews of Hungary] &ndash; A Virtual Exhibition
 
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* [http://new.photos.yahoo.com/zsolt_hungary/album/576460762351130695 Budapest Photos]
 
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* [http://www.civertan.hu/legifoto/legifoto.php?page_level=1 Aerial photography: Hungary]
 
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* [http://www.earth-photography.com/Countries/Hungary Artistic photos of Hungary]
 
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* [http://translations.bookfinder.hu/indexa.htm Translation of Hungarian literary works - a database]
 

Revision as of 23:12, April 25, 2007

Hungary, officially the Republic of Hungary is located in Central Europe. Hungary joined the European Union on May 1, 2004. The native people of Hungary are called Magyar.

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