H U N G A R YH U N G A R Y

The Republic of Hungary is located in Central Europe, in the Carpathian Basin. Our neighbouring countries are Austria, Slovakia, the Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia. Our capital is Budapest. Its territory is 93,032 km2. There are 10,000,000 people living here. Most people are Roman Catholic but there are Protestants, Greek Catholics and Jews as well. There are nineteen counties. It has a temperate continental climate.

6 geographical regions of Hungary:

1. the Great Plain2. the Plain in Northwestern of Hungary3. the offset of the Alps4. Transdanubian hills5. Transdanubian mountain-range of medium height6. Northern mountain-range of medium height

World Heritage Sites

• Danube riverside of Budapest, the Buda Castle district, Andrássy road and its historic surroundings (1987)

• Hollókő, an old village and its regional environment (1987)

• Stalagmite cave in Aggtelek (1995)• The Thousand-year-old Benedict Abbey in Pannonhalma

and its direct natural environment (1996)• Hortobágy National Park – Puszta (1999)• Ancient Christian tombs in Pécs (2000)• Fertő culture region (2001)• The Tokaj historical wine region (2002)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Hungary_Pecs_2005_June_085.jpg

• You can find the highest point in Hungary in the Northern mountain-range. It is called Kékes and it is 1,014 m high.

• Our most important river is the River Danube.• Our biggest lake is Lake Balaton.• The symbol of environmental protection is the big heron.

Each cave in Hungary is under protection. • The touristical attraction of Hungary is the thermal water.

National Parks

You can find 10 national parks in Hungary:

Hortobágy, Kiskunság, Bükk, Aggtelek, Fertő-Hanság, Duna-Dráva, Duna-Ipoly, Balaton, Kőrös-Maros, Őrség

Flora and Fauna

You can find grassy steppes here. We have all kinds of medicinal herbs, the use of which we have to relearn. We have oak trees on the lower slopes where the weather is warmer. Beech trees can be found more frequent above 600 meters. There are more pine woods near the western border where the hills are higher. Foreigners like coming to hunt here in Hungary because we still have a lot of wild animals, hunting seems to be cheap for them and our hospitality is still well known. The kinds of game that can be found in our country: deer, wild boar, pheasant, partridge, wild duck, dove, hare, wild goose, fox.

The capital of HungaryBudapest is the heart of Hungary.20 percent of the population live here.Aquincum, originally a Celtic settlement, was the direct ancestor of Budapest, becoming the Roman capital of Lower Pannonia.There were other capitals in Hungary, for example Székesfehérvár, Pozsony, Debrecen.Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of right (west)-bank Buda and Óbuda with left (east)-bank PestMillions of tourists visit Budapest each year.

Sights in Budapest • Castle District with the Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion and

Széchenyi National Library in the Royal Castle• House of Parliament• Heroes’ Square – statues of Árpád reigning prince and his six chief

tains• National Museum – here started the Revolution and War of

Independence on 15th March, 1848• Opera House• St Stephen’s Basilica• Margaret island – perfect place of recreation• Gellért hill, Szabadság hill• Gellért spa bath, Széchenyi bath, Rudas bath• Bridges: Chain Bridge with lions, Elizabeth Bridge, the first

suspension bridge, Liberty Bridge, Margit bridge, Petőfi bridge

Castle of Buda

Fisherman’s Bastion

Heroes’ Square

Parliament

National Museum

St. Stephen’s Basilica

The Statue of Freedom on the Gellért hill

Chain bridge

Castles in Hungary

There are many of them because Hungary played a very important part in protecting Europe against invadors: Tata, Csesznek, Sárvár, Siklós, Eger, Visegrád, Diósgyőr, Sümeg…

Hungarian folk artHungarian folk art is world famous. It is true for craftwork, folksongs, gipsy music and clothing. The Embroidery of Kalocsa, Mezőkövesd and Matyo embroidery are popular. If you want to learn Hungarian folk arts you should go to see Zala county, Pityerszer, Mezőkövesd and the Open Air Ethnographic Museum at Szentendre and Zalaegerszeg. If we talk about folk arts we shouldn’t forget horses. Our forefathers conquered the territory on horseback. If you go to Hortobágy or Bugac you will see famous stud farms there.

Hungarian specialities:• porcelain of Herend• Pick salami• Apricot brandy of Kecskemét• Unicum alcoholic drink• Tokay aszu• Lace of Halas• Pető-methods• Rubik cube• Onions of Makó• Red pepper of Szeged• Native dogs: puli(small very shaggy black Hungarian sheep-dog),

kuvasz(Hungarian breed of sheep-dog), komondor(Hungarian white sheep-dog), Hungarian retriever

• Kodály Zoltán, the composer• Bartók Béla, the composer• Hungarian folk music and folk tale• Soda-water• Béres drops

Presentation of the students of

OAMK Simon Istvan Street Primary School Szombathely