The
Republic of Hungary --
Magyarország -- is a country with a thousand year history, a rich cultural heritage, and charming sites to discover and explore.
- It held its first multiparty elections in 1990, and initiated a free market economy.
- It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.
- GDP (2006 est.): $113.1 billion.
- Population (2006): approximately 10 million.
- Languages: Magyar 98.2%, other 1.8%.
Magyar or
Hungarian is considered to be one of the world’s hardest languages to speak and master. However, that shouldn’t hold you back from visiting the country, because when traveling to Hungary, you will find that -- especially in Budapest --
the younger generation speaks quite a bit of English. Generally, you should be able to make yourself understood throughout the country, and
people will be especially friendly and helpful if you try to say something in Hungarian. Even as much as ‘
Jó napot!’ (Good day), ‘
Kérem’ (Please) or ‘
Köszönöm’ (Thank you).
Related articles
Safety in Hungary
We are presently working on a system to keep you on top of the most recent matters that affect public safety in Hungary. In the mean time, however, we would like to give you a thumb rule and a few reliable sources to hold you through.
Geography
Location, area, and border countries.
Culture
Hungary's calendar is packed with festivals and special events in music, art, theater and dance. Click on
Things to Do to see what's happening near your destination.
National holidays
Hungarian holidays in 2007
