Basic information
Official name: Republic of Hungary
Area: 93 030 km2
Population: 10 053 000
Neighbouring countries: Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia
Official language: Hungarian
State form: Parliamentary republic
Capital and largest city: Budapest (population: 1 700 000)
Largest cities: Debrecen, Miskolc, Szeged, Pécs, Győr
Currency: Forint (HUF)
Time zone: CET (GMT +1)
Major rivers: Danube (417 km), Tisza (597 km)
Largest lakes: Balaton, Lake Velence
Highest point above sea level: Kékes (1014 m) in the Mátra Hills
Hungary is a member of OECD, NATO, EU and a Schengen state.
Administratively, Hungary is divided into 19 counties. In addition, the capital city, Budapest, is independent of any county government.
Hungary is one of the 15 most popular tourist destinations in the world with a capital regarded as one of the most beautiful cities. Despite its relatively small size, the country is home to numerous World Heritage Sites, UNESCO Biosphere reserves, the second largest thermal lake in the world (Lake Hévíz), the largest lake in Central Europe (Lake Balaton), and the largest natural grassland in Europe (Hortobágy).
