The Republic of Hungary is a land-locked country in Central Europe. It borders Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. The region has been settled since prehistoric times and was in the Roman Era known as Pannonia. In the late 9th Century, the region was settled by the Magyars and in 1000 AD the Kingdom of Hungary was formed. Hungary remained a regional power until the 16th Century, when the country was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and divided.

After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire 150 years later, Hungary came under Habsburg influence and formed, together with Austria, the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This lasted for more than 200 years, until defeat in World War I led to its collapse. In the aftermath Hungary lost a large part of its territory and population to neighbouring countries. During World War II, Hungary was an allied of Nazi Germany until 1944. Hungary was then occupied by Germany and later by the Soviet Union under which influence it fell. After the war it became a communist state until 1989 when the third Hungarian Republic was declared. Hungary is a member of NATO and the European Union.

Inhabitants: 10,000,000
Area: 93,000 km2
Capital: Budapest (1,700,000 inhabitants)
Languages: Hungarian
Religion: Catholics (54%), Protestants (19%), non-believers (15%), others (12%)
GDP (PPP) per capita: $20,700
Government: Parliamentary republic
Climate: Continental climate, with cold, cloudy, humid winters and warm to hot summers.