HISTORY

Hungary in its modern (post-1946) borders roughly corresponds to the Great Hungarian Plain (the Pannonian basin). During the Iron Age, it was at the boundary of Celtic, Illyrian and Iranian (Scythian) cultural spheres.The name "Pannonian" comes from Pannonia, a province of the Roman Empire. Only the western part of the territory (the so-called Transdanubia) of modern Hungary formed part of the ancient Roman Province of Pannonia. The Roman control collapsed with the Hunnic invasions of 370–410 and Pannonia was part of the Ostrogothic Kingdom during the late 5th to mid 6th century, succeeded by the Avar Khaganate (6th to 9th centuries).civil The Magyar invasion takes place during the 9th century.The Magyars were Christianized at the end of the 10th century, and the Christian Kingdom of Hungary was established in AD 1000, ruled by the Árpád dynasty for the following three centuries. In the high medieval period, the kingdom expanded beyond Pannonia, to the Adriatic coast. In 1241 during the reign of Béla IV, Hungary was invaded by the Mongols under Batu Khan. The outnumbered Hungarians were decisively defeated at the Battle of Mohi by the Mongol army. King Béla fled to the Holy Roman Empire and left the Hungarian population under the mercy of the Mongols. In this invasion more than 500,000 Hungarian population were massacred and the whole kingdom reduced to ashes. After the extinction of the Árpád dynasty in 1301, the late medieval kingdom persisted, albeit no longer under Hungarian monarchs, and gradually reduced due to the increasing pressure by the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Hungary bore the brunt of the Ottoman wars in Europe during the 15th century. The peak of this struggle took place during the reign of Matthias Corvinus (r. 1458–1490). The Ottoman–Hungarian wars concluded in significant loss of territory and the partition of the kingdom after the Battle of Mohács of 1526.

CULTURE

The rich culture of Hungary is strong in folk traditions and has its own distinctive style, influenced by the various ethnic groups including the Roma people. Music of all kinds, from classical to folk, is an important part of everyday life, as is the country’s rich literary heritage. Crafts such as ceramics and embroidery, Hungary’s distinct, traditional cuisine, strong fruit brandies, dance and the ever-popular spa treatments all reflect the heritage of this fascinating country. Hungary’s 10 million people are vibrant, friendly and value the family above all else, with generations living in the same household under one roof and grandparents having a strong say in the upbringing of their grandchildren. Hungarians are a nation of horsemen due to their ancient nomadic past, and visitors often receive an invitation to go riding from their new local friends. Hospitality is a major part of the culture here, and personal questions about your life are all part of the getting-to-know-you process.

CLIMATE

Hungary has a continental climate, with hot summers with low overall humidity levels but frequent showers and frigid to cold snowy winters. Average annual temperature is 9.7°C. Temperature extremes are about 42°C in the summer and −29°C in the winter.Sep 17, 2020

ECONOMY

Hungary’s economic freedom score is 66.4, making its economy the 62nd freest in the 2020 Index. Its overall score has increased by 1.4 points due particularly to a higher government integrity score. Hungary is ranked 33rd among 45 countries in the Europe region, and its overall score is well below the regional average and well above the world average. The Hungarian economy has been in the upper ranks of the moderately free for more than a decade. GDP growth has been respectable over the past five years and increased in 2018, stimulated by strong consumer demand, industrial activity, and construction. The biggest threat to continued economic growth and economic freedom in Hungary is the excessive level of government spending. The country’s 2020 budget, approved by parliament in July 2019, is promising in this regard because the main target of the budget is reduction of the fiscal deficit to 1 percent of GDP. The personal income tax rate is a flat 15 percent, and the top corporate tax rate is 19 percent. The overall tax burden equals 37.7 percent of total domestic income. Government spending has amounted to 46.7 percent of the country’s output (GDP) over the past three years, and budget deficits have averaged 2.1 percent of GDP. Public debt is equivalent to 69.4 percent of GDP. The total value of exports and imports of goods and services equals 168.3 percent of GDP. The average trade-weighted applied tariff rate (common among EU members) is 1.8 percent, with 637 EU-mandated nontariff measures reportedly in force. Hungary has an additional 95 country-specific nontariff barriers. A new measure for national security review of foreign investments has been in place since January 2019. The state has largely withdrawn from the banking sector.