Best Bitcoin Card for Hungary
The Republic of Hungary is a landlocked European country situated in a depression surrounded by mountains, which belongs to the Pannonian Basin. With an area of 93,032 km², the country is slightly larger than its neighbour Austria, which borders it in the west. Also in the west is the border with Slovenia, in the south with Croatia and Serbia. Hungary borders Romania to the east and Slovakia to the north.
More than two thirds of the country lies below 200 m above sea level. The Carpathians border the depression in the north and east, the Dinaric Mountains in the south and the Alps in the west. The Great Hungarian Plain (Alföld) in the south and east of the country occupies about 50,000 km², more than half of the state territory. To the west of the Danube, which flows through Hungary from north to south over a distance of 420 km, the landscape is characterised by hills and mountains. The Hungarian low mountain range is divided by the Danube into a western part, the Transdanubian low mountain range (Bakony forest, Vertes, Gerecse, Pilis mountains), and into an eastern part, the Northern Hungarian low mountain range (Börzsöny, Cserhát, Mátra, Bükk mountains). In the Mátra Mountains lies the highest elevation of the country, the Kékes with 1 015 m. Northwest of the low mountain range lies the Little Hungarian Lowland (Kisalföld). To the south of the Transdanubian low mountain range lies Lake Balaton, with an area of 592 km² the largest lake in Central Europe. Between Lake Balaton and the Danube lies the Mezoföld, a fertile level of solubility. In the southwest of the country, between the Danube and the Drava, lies the Transdanubian Hills, which merge into the Mecsek Mountains in the south (up to 680 m).
The capital Budapest lies in the north of the country on the Danube, Hungary’s largest river, which is navigable along its entire length. Other important rivers are Raab] and Tisza, both tributaries of the Danube.
Political system
According to the Constitution of 2012, Hungary is a parliamentary republic with a multi-party system and separation of powers. The head of state is János Áder, the president elected by parliament for five years (since May 2012 János Áder), who has mainly representative functions. However, he has a suspensive right of veto over the laws of the National Assembly and can propose his own laws. The Prime Minister (since May 2010 Viktor Orbán) as head of government presides over the Council of Ministers and is also elected by parliament.
The Orszaggyules consists of a chamber of 386 deputies elected by the people for four years. Hungary is divided into 19 counties and the capital Budapest. Within the counties there are 24 cities with county law. In 1999 the country was also divided into seven regions.
Economy
In Hungary, the transition from a socialist planned economy to a free market economy went more smoothly than in the other former Eastern bloc states, as the country already had a relatively liberal economic system in the socialist era. Hungary joined the European Union on 1 May 2004. However, even before the financial and economic crisis of 2008, the Hungarian economy was on a significantly weaker growth path. The state of public finances is critical. The problems are inflation, which has already fallen significantly, and underemployment (unemployment in 2013 at 10.2 %).
Efficient agriculture now accounts for only 3.5 % of gross domestic product (GDP). About 70 % of the total land area is used for agriculture. In arable farming, wheat, maize, barley, sugar beet, sunflowers, rye, potatoes, rye, fruit and vegetables (peppers) are the main crops. Viniculture has a long tradition (e.g. Tokaj). Cattle and pig breeding are particularly important in livestock farming.Industry accounts for about 30 % of GDP. During the socialist era, heavy industry in particular was expanded on a large scale. Many steel and smelting works can be found in the greater Budapest area and on the Danube and Raab. Today, electrical engineering and mechanical and vehicle engineering are of particular importance, and foreign investment has resulted in a large number of new companies. Other important industrial sectors are the chemical industry, textile and food processing companies and oil and gas refineries along the Danube. The country’s energy production is based on fossil fuels (hard coal, lignite, natural gas, oil) and hydroelectric power, but is not sufficient to cover its own needs. Hungary is relatively poor in raw materials; apart from the above-mentioned, bauxite, copper and zinc ore deposits are of particular importance.
The most important trading partners for exports today are Germany, Romania and Austria. When it comes to imports, Germany is also the most important trading partner, followed by Russia and Austria. Tourism is an important source of foreign exchange income.
Hungary’s transport network is well developed, with around 160,000 km of roads and 8,000 km of rail links. There are two international airports: near Budapest and near Sármellék (south-west Hungary). The currency is the Hungarian forint (= 100 Fillér).