Location

Hungary is located in the central part of Europe, northwest of Romania. How far is Hungary from your place? Other countries that border Hungary are Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Croatia and Slovenia. It covers an area of 93,030 square kilometers - with 92,340 sq km of land, and 690 sq km of water. The land is mostly flat to rolling plains, with hills and mountains on the Slovakia border.
There are many land resources in Hungary. They mine for coal and dig for natural gas. They use fertile soil to grow crops. They find bauxite, the principle ore of the metal aluminum. The only body of water in Hungary is Lake Balaton. The main river of transport is the Danube River. The water resources are few. Bass were plentiful in earlier years, but pollution and silt have reduced their numbers.

Climate

The climate in Hungary varies. Their spring is similar to ours, with plenty of rainfall and cool temperatures. Their summers are very long with warm and humid temperatures reaching the high twenties to low thirties Celsius. Fall time is very similar to Canada, with warm days and cooler, windy days. Their winters are humid and damp, with very little snow. The average rainfall varies, with November being it's rainiest month.

People

In Hungary, the population is 10.1 million. The people in Hungary live in a variety of styles of homes. In older villages, houses were made out of a type of mud, with straw roofs. The walls of these homes could be up to two feet in thickness. Today many homes still have no indoor plumbing. In Budapest, and other cities, houses are mostly made out of bricks. Indoor plumbing is a given in most populated villages and cities. Many people live in apartments, as well.

Food and Clothing

Hungary is known for its excellent food. In the old days, fatty meat, overcooked fish and soups were favored, because times were hard. But today, people can make more tasty food. Pork is the meat of choice in Hungary. Some traditional dishes are: goulash, which is a type of thickened beef soup; halaszle, which is a spicy fish soup; palacsinta, which is stuffed crepes. In the old days, people wore special costumes for special occasions. These costumes were homemade, very colorful and decorated with embroidery. Hungary is famous for its embroidery. Today, all the clothes Hungarians wear are similar to what Canadians wear, depending on the season. Styles vary from jeans and sweaters, to skirts and blouses. Everything goes, especially in the bigger cities!
Grape growing for the famous wines is a past time of many. The country exports machinery, equipment, and food products, such as wine. They produce beautiful embroidery, pottery, ceiling and wall painting and objects carved from wood and bone.

Life

In Hungary, the main language spoken is Hungarian. The percentage of this language is 98.2%. Other languages spoken, German, for example, add up to 1.8%. The type of government in Hungary is Parliamentary Democracy. The Hungarian President is Ferenc Madl. In earlier years, Communism was the government that ran the country. The revolution of 1956 began the change of government in Hungary.
There are many religions practiced in Hungary. The majority of people are Roman Catholic at 68%. Reformed or Calvinist takes up 21% of the people, while Evangelical or Lutheran and other religions take up the remainder. Education in Hungary is similar to Canada's system. Most people can read and write over the age of 15. Public schools are the most popular type of school, and University is available to those who can afford it.

Holidays

The holidays of Hungary are almost similar to Canadian holidays. But there are some differences. Hungarians celebrate Christmas on December 25, but they also have a Hungarian Santa who comes on December 6. The tradition is to shine a shoe and put it on the window sill. When morning comes, the shoe will be filled with gifts, if you have been good. If you are bad, you will get a stick. Another holiday they celebrate is "Name Day". Every day of the year has a name on the calendar. If your name is on the calendar, on that date, you will have a celebration, which is like another birthday. Hungary's National Holiday is called St. Stephen's Day, which is on August 20. Lake Balaton is the area of choice for holidays. It is the recreation center of Hungary. Horseback riding, bird watching, canoeing, hiking, wind surfing and swimming are all enjoyed. Everyone enjoys the event of wine making; almost everyone has their own little grape growing spot.

By Jace Patkai