People
Most of the people are ethnic Hungarians.
They are descended from the
ancient Magyars, who came from an
area near the Ural Mountains more than
a thousand years ago. There are small
groups of Roma (Gypsies), Germans,
Slovaks, Jews, and others. Because Hungary
is much smaller than it once was,
many ethnic Hungarians live in neighboring
countries.
Most of the people speak Hungarian, or
Magyar, which is the official language.
More than half of the people are Roman
Catholics. A large number of people are
not religious. The majority of Hungarians
live in cities or towns.
Economy
Services—including banking, education,
and tourism—are the main economic
activities. Manufacturing is also important.
Products manufactured in Hungary
include computers, motor vehicles,
food and beverages, machinery, and
chemicals. The country’s major mineral
resource is bauxite, which is used to
make aluminum.
Agriculture is a smaller part of the
economy. Hungary’s leading crops are
wheat, corn, sugar beets, grapes, sunflower
seeds, potatoes, and apples. Farmers
also raise cattle, sheep, pigs, and
poultry.
History
The western part of what is now Hungary
became a province of the Roman
Empire in 14 BC. Germanic and Asian
peoples lived in the eastern part. In the
AD 400s the Magyars began migrating
toward Hungary from the east. Under
their leader Arpad, they began to settle
along the middle part of the Danube
River in the late 800s and early 900s.
The Magyars’ most celebrated leader,
Stephen, was crowned king in about
1000. He spread Christianity in Hungary.
He also organized the kingdom
into a strong and independent state.
Hungary was the leading power in eastcentral
Europe in the 1100s.
Foreign Control
An invasion by the Mongols in 1241
killed half of Hungary’s population. For
most of the next six centuries, foreign
The Danube Bend is a popular resort area
along the Danube River in northern Hungary.
Tourism is an important part of the
country’s economy.
Facts About
HUNGARY
Population
(2008 estimate)
10,032,000
Area
35,919 sq mi
(93,030 sq km)
Capital
Budapest
Form of
government
Republic
Major cities
Budapest, Debrecen,
Miskolc,
Szeged, Pecs,
Gyor
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Hungary 101
kings or foreign empires ruled Hungary.
The Turks made Hungary part of the
Ottoman Empire in the 1500s. In the
late 1600s the Hapsburg family of Austria
took control of the region.
Hungarians started a revolution against
Hapsburg rule in 1848, and a year later
Hungary declared its independence.With
Russian help, theHapsburgs regained
control. TheHapsburgs realized,
however, that their empire could not
continue withoutHungarian support. In
1867 they agreed to establish the double
monarchy of Austria-Hungary.
WorldWars and Communist Rule
Austria-Hungary was defeated inWorld
War I (1914–18). Afterward, Romania,
Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Austria,
Poland, and Italy all received parts of
Hungary. Hungary was left with only
the areas where the Magyars were dominant.
In an attempt to regain some of its
lost territory, Hungary cooperated with
the Germans against the Soviet Union
duringWorldWar II (1939–45). Hungary
was defeated, however, and Soviet
troops took control by April 1945.
In 1947 a Communist government
came to power in Hungary. Hungarians
rose up against the Communists in
1956, but Soviet troops crushed the
revolt. Thousands of people died, and
about 200,000 people fled the country.
Communist rule later became less harsh,
and living conditions in Hungary
improved. Soviet control also relaxed in
the late 1980s.
Recent Events
Hungary’s Communists voluntarily gave
up their power in 1989. Hungary held
free elections in 1990. The country drew
closer to western Europe. It joined the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization in
1999 and the European Union in 2004.
#More to explore
Budapest • Europe
about 1000 1526 1699 1867 1918 1947 1990
Stephen is
crowned king
of Hungary.
The Ottoman
Turks defeat the
Hungarian
army.
The Austrian
Hapsburgs take
over Hungary.
The Hapsburgs
form the
empire of
Austria-
Hungary.
Austria-
Hungary
collapses after
World War I.
Communists
take power in
Hungary.
Hungary holds
free elections.
T I M E L I N E
102 Hungary BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Huron
#see Wyandot.
Huron, Lake
Lake Huron is the second largest of the
five Great Lakes of North America. It
covers an area of 23,000 square miles
(59,570 square kilometers). French
explorers named the lake after the
Huron Indians.
Lake Huron lies along the border
between the United States and Canada.
The U.S. state of Michigan is to the
west. The Canadian province of Ontario
is to the north and east.
Water flows into Lake Huron from two
main sources. The first is Lake Superior.
Its water flows into Lake Huron through
the Saint Marys River. The second
source is Lake Michigan. The Straits of
Mackinac connect Lake Michigan with
Lake Huron. At its southern end Lake
Huron empties into Lake Erie.
Lumbering and fishing are major economic
activities in the Lake Huron
region. International shipping is also
important. Goods are shipped through
the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The seaway
links the Great Lakes with the Atlantic
Ocean.
Many resorts line Lake Huron’s shores.
