Central Europe.

GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).

93,030 sq km (35,919 sq miles).

9.8 million (UN estimate 2005).

92 per sq km.

Budapest. Population: 1.8 million (2005).

Hungary is situated in Central Europe, sharing borders to the north with the Slovak Republic, to the northeast with Ukraine, to the east with Romania, to the south with Croatia and Serbia and to the west with Austria and Slovenia. There are several ranges of hills, chiefly in the north and west. The Great Plain (Nagyalföld) stretches east from the Danube to the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in the CIS, to the mountains of Transylvania in Romania, and south to the Fruska Gora range in Croatia. Lake Balaton is the largest unbroken stretch of inland water in Central Europe.

Legislative power is held by the 386-seat national assembly, the Orszaggyhles, which is elected for 4 years (176 members come from single seat constituencies, 152 by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies, and 58 members by proportional representation on a national basis). The Council of Ministers, the highest executive organ, is elected by the assembly on the advice of the president, who is also elected by the national assembly for a 4-year term, and may serve two terms. In April 1995, a 53-member National Autonomous Authority of the Romany Minority was ratified, with the power to administer funds disbursed by the central Government.

Republic. Head of State: President Laszlo Solymon since 2005. Head of Government: Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany since 2004. Recent history: In May 2002, the Hungarian Socialist Party (Magyar Szocialista Part, MSzP) replaced the right-wing Alliance of Young Democrats (Fiatal Demokratak Szövetsege, FIDESz)-led coalition as the governing party. There have been a few re-shuffles in Parliament since then, most recently when opposition-backed Laszlo Solyman was chosen as the next President, after the Socialists' candidate was blocked - but the coalition has survived and went on to win the April 2006 general election. This was the first time a Government had been re-elected since the restoration of democracy in 1990. The character of the two main parties is quite different. The Socialists are essentially a party of technocrats with little ideological fervour. By contrast, FIDESz is a populist party with a highly motivated support base. Nevertheless, there are few significant differences to the main agendas of the two parties. Hungary became a member of NATO in 1999 and joined the EU in 2004. Hungary has also joined with the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia in the Visegrad group, which was established to promote political and economic cooperation in central Europe. Abroad, Hungary has had some involvement in the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s. Its calculations must always take account of the sizeable ethnic Hungarian minorities in the Serbian autonomous region of Vojvodina (400,000), north-eastern Romania (1.7 million), the Slovak Republic (550,000) and Ukraine. Hungary clearly believes, however, that NATO is the best guarantor of stability in the region.
Legislative power is held by the 386-seat National Assembly, the Orszaggyules, which is elected for four years (176 members come from single seat constituencies, 152 by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies, and 58 members by proportional representation on a national basis). The Council of Ministers, the highest executive organ, is elected by the assembly on the advice of the president, who is also elected by the National Assembly for a four-year term, and may serve two terms. In April 1995, a 53-member National Autonomous Authority of the Romany Minority was ratified, with the power to administer funds disbursed by the central Government.

Hungarian (Magyar) is the official language. German and English are widely spoken. Some French is also spoken, mainly in western Hungary.

52 per cent Roman Catholic, 16 per cent Calvinist, 3 per cent Lutheran. Christian, Eastern Orthodox and Jewish minorities. There is no official national religion.

Most Hungarians enjoy modern music and dance, although older people still preserve their traditions and culture, particularly in small villages. Handshaking is customary. Both Christian name and surname should be used. Normal courtesies should be observed. At a meal, toasts are usually made and should be returned. A useful word is egészségünkre (pronounced ay-gash-ay-gun-gre), meaning ‘your health’. A knowledge of German is very useful. Gifts are acceptable for hosts as a token of thanks, particularly when invited for a meal. Casual wear is acceptable in most places, with the exception of expensive restaurants and bars. Formal attire should be worn for important social functions, but it is not common practice to specify dress on invitations. Smoking is prohibited on public transport in towns and public buildings. Travellers may smoke on long-distance trains. Photography: Military installations should not be photographed; other restrictions are usually signposted.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are used.