Ungern

Ungern, the German name for Hungary, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east, Serbia to the southeast, Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest, and Austria to the west. The capital and largest city is Budapest. The official language is Hungarian, a Uralic language; minority languages include German, Slovak, and Romanian.

About 9.7 million people live in Hungary, and the country covers roughly 93,000 square kilometers. The landscape features the Danube River running through Budapest, the Carpathian Basin, the Great Hungarian Plain, and the scenic Lake Balaton. Hungary has a temperate climate and a mix of forests, hills, and agricultural land.

Hungary is a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The president is the head of state with largely ceremonial duties; the prime minister is the head of government. The unicameral National Assembly (Országgyűlés) has 199 members elected for four years. Hungary joined the European Union in 2004 and NATO in 1999, and has been part of the Schengen Area since 2007.

Historically, the region emerged as the Kingdom of Hungary around the year 1000 under Stephen I. It endured Ottoman rule, then Habsburg sovereignty, followed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire after 1867. The 1920 Treaty of Trianon reduced its territory. The 20th century saw dictatorship, World War II, and a communist regime until 1989, after which Hungary reformed its institutions and market economy. Today Hungary is an active EU and international partner.

Culturally, Hungary has a rich heritage in music, literature, and cuisine. Notable figures include composers Franz Liszt and Béla Bartók, and dishes such as goulash and paprika-based stews.