Hungary (Geography)
Most of Hungary is lowland; as much as 84 per cent lie lower than 200 m above
sea level; just 2 percent is higher than 400 m.
The lowlands, formed by the Carpathian Basin, consist of the plains Hungarian
Plain (Alföld) in eastern and southeastern Hungary and Kisalföld in the
northwest. Geologically, the plains are formed by decomposition material from
the surrounding mountains deposited in the shallow Pannonian Basin that formed
after a landslide in the Tertiary. Southwestern Hungary, Transdanubia, is
slightly hilly. Only northern Hungary is mountainous; here the highest peak in
the Mátra Mountains reaches 1015 m, the highest point in the country. The three
types of landscape meet in the Danube region, ie. where the Danube (Hungarian Duna)
makes a sharp turn north of Budapestand then forms the border with Slovakia. 417
km of the Danube runs through Hungary and together with Tisza (579 km) and a
network of canals form important arteries in the country's transport system. The
mountains in the west consist of granite, the Bükk mountains of limestone, while
the Mátra mountains are of volcanic origin. Hungary is still characterized by
volcanic activity; thus, 500 mineral springs have been found, which are often
used for spa and open-air baths. In addition, there are about 1200 lakes, of
which the 595 km2 large Balaton is Central Europe's largest.
Until the middle of the 19th century, the large, fertile loess and sand
plains were mainly used for grazing sheep and cattle, but the puszta or the
prairie of Hungary, as the areas are also known, is now largely drained and
cultivated. Parts of the original puszta are preserved in the nature parks
Hortobágy and Bugac, which together with other protected nature areas constitute
important breeding and resting places for waterfowl and waders.
Climate
Hungary has a temperate mainland climate. The Hungarian Plain has the
greatest extremes; the winter is cold and windy, while the summer is dry, hot
and with frequent thunderstorms. The Budapest area has a rainy spring, an
average temperature for July of 21.7 °C and for January of −1.2 °C as well as
an annual rainfall of 560 mm. The sun shines 1900-2500 hours a year, which is
among the highest number of hours of sunshine in Europe.
Population
Of the approximately 10 mio. residents live approximately 65 percent in big cities, of
which 1.7 million. alone in Budapest. The country, which is administratively
divided into 19 roughly equal "counties" and Budapest, has an average population
density of 105 residents per capita. km2. Pga. emigration and a
greater mortality rate than birth frequency, the population is slightly
declining. approximately 5 mio. ethnic Hungarians live outside the country's
borders; most have ended up outside the country as a result of the land
relinquishments under the Treaty of Trianon after World War I., others fled
during the uprising in 1956. There are ethnic minorities, especially in the
border areas. According to
AllCityPopulation.com,
the largest are Roma, some of whom are still poorly integrated
into society despite legal rights. According to the 1990 census, the number of
Roma is approximately 142,000, most of whom live in the northeastern part of the
country. In addition, there are approximately 31,000 Germans.
- Countryaah:
Do you know how many people there are in Hungary? Check this site to see
population pyramid and resident density about this country.
Industries
Economic liberalization began earlier in Hungary than in the other Eastern
European countries, but the transition was not painless and was followed by
inflation, unemployment and high taxes. Loss of the large, secure market in the
former Soviet Union has required the conquest of new markets. But despite this,
conditions are better in Hungary than in the other former eastern
countries. Inflation has fallen drastically and foreign investment is
rising; Among other things, A number of multinational car and electronics
companies have established production in Hungary. Despite a slow start in the
privatization process, 80 percent of the country's former state-owned
enterprises have been privatized. 80 percent of the country's exports go to the
EU (2005).
The industry is concentrated in Budapest and the larger cities such
as Miskolc and Debrecen with the production of machinery, cars, buses, trains
and textiles. Likewise, there is a significant chemical and pharmaceutical
industry as well as food manufacturing. Industrial production contributes
approximately 27 percent to the country's GDP, and approximately 45 percent of production
is exported; exports of machinery and technical equipment are rising
sharply. Mining is declining and takes place mainly in the Mecsek Mountains in
southern Hungary (coal, uranium), the Vértes Mountains north of Budapest
(lignite for the production of cement and aluminum) and the Bakony Mountains
north of Balaton (bauxite, manganese, lignite).
Agriculture contributes 4 percent to GDP, and more and more farms are
becoming private; in 2000, 55 percent are private, approximately 20 percent
cooperatives, and the rest are run by production companies. Corn and wheat,
sunflowers, vegetables, sugar beets, tobacco and wine, as well as fruits such as
apples and apricots are among the most important crops, which together account
for half the value of production; in addition, the cultivation of Spanish pepper
in the southeastern parts of the country. The animal production is mainly based
on cattle, pigs and poultry. Forestry is of increasing importance, as a
result of new plantings; around 2000 is approximately 20 percent of the land is
forested, of which 70 percent is utilized. approximately 37 million tourists visit
Hungary annually. Budapest attracts the majority, then Lake Balaton.
Infrastructure
Today, river and canal transport make up only 4 per cent and have constantly
lost importance in relation to transport by rail and especially on roads, where
50 per cent of freight transport takes place. Hungary has been hit by the wars
in the former Yugoslavia, because the Danube was blocked until 2000. The
railway network is well developed with almost 7900 km of tracks and has approximately 1/3of
the country's freight traffic. The road network is being expanded, and efforts
are being made to make the relatively less developed areas (outside Budapest and
northwestern Hungary) more efficiently connected. The country has 581 km of
motorways, and a tripling is planned for the coming years, especially with
connections to Romania, Ukraine and Croatia. Budapest is the country's transport
hub, and all air traffic passes through Ferihegy International Airport; there is
no domestic air traffic.
Energy
approximately half of the country's energy supply is imported, mainly from
neighboring countries to the east. 7.5 percent of energy consumption is covered
by coal and lignite; most of them are covered by natural gas, oil and by nuclear
power produced at the power plant in Paks. The widespread use of coal and
lignite, as well as Soviet-era production equipment and Soviet military
remnants, have led to significant pollution, and large sums are being invested
in combating it. For example, total energy consumption has fallen in the last
decade as a result of the closure of a number of heavy, energy-intensive
industries. The country is increasingly supplied with natural gas, which is
imported from Russia, and today is 3.5 million. households connected to the gas
network.
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