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Trips to Hungary
Introduction
Central Europe.
Area : 93,030 sq km (35,919 sq miles).
Population : 10 million (2006).
Population Density : 107.5 per sq km.
Capital : Budapest. Population: 1.8 million (2006).
Government : Republic. Head of State: President Laszlo Solymon since 2005. Head of Government: Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany since 2004. Recent history: In May 2002, the Hungarian Socialist Party (Magyar Szocialista Part, MSzP) replaced the right-wing Alliance of Young Democrats (Fiatal Demokratak Szövetsege, FIDESz)-led coalition as the governing party. There have been a few re-shuffles in parliament since then, most recently when opposition-backed Laszlo Solymon was chosen as the next president, after the Socialists' candidate was blocked - but the coalition survived and won the April 2006 general election. This was the first time a government had been re-elected since the restoration of democracy in 1990. Hungary became a member of NATO in 1999 and joined the EU in 2004. Hungary has also joined with the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovak Republic in the Visegrad group, which promotes political and economic co-operation in central Europe. In September 2006 Budapest was engulfed in demonstrations, as Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany admitted that he had lied to voters about the state of Hungary's economy.
Hungary is situated in Central Europe, sharing borders to the north with the Slovak Republic, to the northeast with Ukraine, to the east with Romania, to the south with Croatia and Serbia and to the west with Austria and Slovenia. There are several ranges of hills, chiefly in the north and west. The Great Plain (Nagyalföld) stretches east from the Danube to the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in the CIS, to the mountains of Transylvania in Romania, and south to the Fruska Gora range in Croatia. Lake Balaton is the largest unbroken stretch of inland water in Central Europe.
Language : Hungarian (Magyar) is the official language. German and English are widely spoken. Some French is also spoken, mainly in western Hungary.
Religion : 52% Roman Catholic, 16% Calvinist, 3% Lutheran. Christian, Eastern Orthodox and Jewish minorities.
Time : GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Social Conventions : Most Hungarians enjoy modern music and dance, although older people still preserve their traditions and culture, particularly in small villages. Handshaking is customary. Both Christian name and surname should be used. Normal courtesies should be observed. At a meal, toasts are usually made and should be returned. A useful word is egészségünkre (pronounced ay-gash-ay-gun-gre), meaning 'your health'. A knowledge of German is very useful. Gifts are acceptable for hosts as a token of thanks, particularly when invited for a meal. Casual wear is acceptable in most places, with the exception of expensive restaurants and bars. Formal attire should be worn for important social functions, but it is not common practice to specify dress on invitations. Smoking is prohibited on public transport in towns and public buildings. Travellers may smoke on long-distance trains.
Electricity : 220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are used.
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Inscrita en el R.M. de Madrid Tomo 15.973, F. 206, Sec. 8, Hoja M-270179 . C.I.F. B82826991 Gran Vía, 22 Dcdo. 4º Madrid, 28013 Spain.
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Inscrita en el R.M. de Madrid Tomo 15.973, F. 206, Sec. 8, Hoja M-270179 . C.I.F. B82826991 Gran Vía, 22 Dcdo. 4º Madrid, 28013 Spain.
Tel. (+34) 913 605 670 Fax: (+34) 902 196 339