Introduction to Hungary

Hungary is in Central Europe bordered by Slovakia to the north, Austria and Slovenia to the west, Croatia and Serbia to the south, and Romania and Ukraine to the east and north-east. The nation was created when a branch of Uralic speakers migrated from their earlier homeland near the Ural mountains and settled in various places in Eastern Europe. They eventually captured the Carpathian Basin between the 9th and 10th centuries. Hungary has a democratically-elected, parliament, the National Assembly. The majority of the population speaks Hungarian and the country is 35,919 sq miles (93,030 km²) in area.

When I was younger, I wonder where the name "Hungary" came from and I discovered that there are several possible origins. The most accepted origin was from the name of the Ungri tribe which lived in the steppes of Russia and eventually dominated the area now know as Hungary. Medieval Latin would have added the H prefix to create the word Hungri.

Today, the population of Hungary is just under 10 million. However the are large populations of descendants of the original Ungri line found in Europe and the United States.
The language they speak is Hungarian.


The capital of Hungary is Budapest, the "Little Paris of Eastern Europe".  It has become the delight of European youth because of its vibrant nightlife, youthful atmosphere, and world class classical music. Scenically located on the banks of the Danube, the architecture and unique culture has resulted in a listing in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here you will find remains from the Ottoman Empire, Roman Empire, and Austrian Empire. While the city is actually divided into 23 districts, it is usually referred to as Buda and Pest, the two sides of the Danube.