About Hungary

The Location of Hungary

Hungary is situated in Central Europe. Its neighboring countries are Slovakia to the north, the Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia to the south and southwest, and Austria to the west.

With a land area of 93,030 square km, Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It measures about 250 km from north to south and 524 km from east to west.

 

Cultural History

Eu

Hungary joined the European Union in 2004 and has been part of the Schengen Area since 2007. Hungary is a member of the United Nations, NATO, WTO, World Bank, the AIIB, the Council of Europe, the Visegrád Group and more. 

Well known for its rich cultural history, Hungary has contributed significantly to arts, music, literature, sports, science and technology. Hungary is the 11th most popular country as a tourist destination in Europe, attracting 14.3 million international tourists in 2015.


About the Waters in Hungary

Balaton in Hungary
The Danube in Hungary

It is home to the largest thermal water cave system and the second largest thermal lake in the world, the largest lake in Central Europe and the largest natural grasslands in Europe. The major rivers in the country are the Danube and Tisza. The Danube is navigable within Hungary for 418 kilometres. The Tisza River is navigable for 444 km in the country. Less important rivers include the Dravaalong the Croatian border, the Rába, the Szamos, the Sió, and the Ipoly along the Slovakian border.Hungary has three major lakes.Lake Balaton, the largest, is 78 km long and from 3 to 14 km wide, with an area of 600 square km. Hungarians often refer to it as the Hungarian Sea. It is Central Europe’s largest freshwater lake and an important recreation area. Its shallow waters offer good summer swimming, and in winter its frozen surface provides excellent opportunities for winter sports.  

Geography

Hungary has three major geographic regions (which are subdivided to seven smaller ones):

  •  the Great Alföld, lying east of the Danube River
  • the Transdanubia, a hilly region lying west of the Danube and extending to the Austrian foothills of the Alps
  • and the North Hungarian Mountains, which is a mountainous and hilly country beyond the northern boundary of the Great Hungarian Plain.

The country’s best natural resource is fertile land, although soil quality varies greatly. About 70% of the country’s total territory is suitable for agriculture; of this portion, 72% is arable land.