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Here is a short and fast book on the facts about Hungary.
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25 Educational Facts
About Hungary
Here are a 25 interesting facts about this old country with a very
rich history:
1. Hungary is a land-locked country in Central Europe sharing its borders
with Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
The population of Hungary is 9,919,128.
BUDAPEST
Its capital city is Budapest with a population of close to 2 million.
Budapest is perfect as both a destination and a starting point , whether you
are seeking entertainment, culture, relaxation or just wish to explore the
natural and historical treasure the region has to offer anyone to enjoy it.
3. Hungary was once part of the Celtic world, then the Roman Empire. Just
after the fall of Rome, the Huns settled in the plains of Pannonia and gave their
name to Hungary. Attila the Hun, was a hero for the Hungarians.
4. Founded in 897, Hungary is one of the oldest countries in Europe (before
France and Germany became separate entities, and before the unification of
Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms.)
5. Around 1000 CE, the Kingdom of Hungary was one of the largest states
in Europe, bigger than France. Later, it became one of the two “eagle heads”
of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
6. Hungarian language is known as Magyar and is the direct descendent of
the language spoken by the Huns. It is not an Indo-European language and
has only two related languages in Europe (Finnish and Estonian).
7. Around two-thirds of the Hungarian people are Roman Catholic, about a
quarter are Calvinist. The rest of the population is either belongs to the
Lutheran, Jewish, Greek Orthodox.
8. The country fell under communist rule following World War II.
9. The 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix was the first Formula One race to take place behind the Iron Curtain.
10. Communism in Hungary ended 1989 and the country became a
parliamentary republic. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years
later.
11. Inventions by Hungarians in Hungary include the noiseless match (by János Irinyi), Rubik’s cube (by Erno Rubik), and the krypton electric bulb (Imre Bródy).
12. Hungary has one of the most important thermal spring cultures in
Europe. The country boasts no less than 1,500 spas, typically featuring
Roman, Greek and Turkish architecture.
13. Hungary has a long tradition of classical music with famous composers
like Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and Franz Liszt.
14. As of 2007, 13 Hungarians had received a Nobel Prize (this is more than Japan, China, India, Australia or Spain) in every category except peace.
15. Spends 4.9% of GDP (2010) on Education.
16. Literacy of total population is 99%.
17. Hungarians won gold medals at every summer Olympics except Antwerp 1920 and Los Angeles 1984 when they did not compete.
18. According to 2013 OECD figures: “As in other Eastern European
countries, upper secondary attainment in Hungary is traditionally high
(82% for 25-64-year-olds, compared with an OECD average of 75%). This
applies across all age groups: 87% of 25 - 34 year-olds and 75% of 55 - 64
year-olds hold an upper secondary qualification against an OECD average of 82% and also 64%.
19. Hungary has, together with Sweden and the US, the lowest completion
rate at tertiary level among OECD countries: in 2011, only 53% of students
graduated from the program they entered, in comparison with the OECD
average of 68%.
20. Basic education lasts for eight years divided into two stages of four
years each. Secondary education is provided in academic secondary schools (gimnázium) or vocational secondary schools (szakközépiskola).
21. Hungarian higher education has a dual system with colleges and
universities. Some colleges are associated with universities and operate as
college faculties within universities. A university can also offer college level
courses. The duration of training at college level is minimum 3 years,
maximum 4 years; the duration of education at university level is minimum
4 years, maximum 5 years (with the exception of medical universities where
it is 6 years). According to the binary pattern, colleges and universities
grant Főiskolai Oklevél (College-level Degree) and universities grant
Egyetemi Oklevél (University-level Degree). Universities organize three-
year PhD courses, specialized further education courses (with a normal duration of one to three years) and various continuous education courses.
22. The University of Pécs, the oldest university of Hungary, was
founded in 1367.
23. Hungary is also reputed to host cultural events like Sziget Festival or
Budapest Spring Festival. The Sziget Festival is the Hungarian for “Island”
and is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. It is held
every August in northern Budapest, Hungary, on Óbudai-sziget (“Old Buda
Island”), a leafy 108-hectare (266-acre) island on the Danube. The Budapest
Spring Festival is one of the country’s oldest festivals and takes place each year in March and attract artists and musicians from around the world.
24. Did you know there are cowboys in Hungary? I was happily surprised to be
taken to a ranch where cowboys, or csikos as they are called in the region
showed off their prowess on horseback. Horsemanship in Hungary has a long
history, going back to the Magyars, the first Hungarians. They rode from
central Asia to settle in present day Hungary. The tradition is best seen on the
Great Plain (Puszta),a vast flat plain reminiscent of the American Old West.
25. And no post on Hungary is complete, without mention of its famously
delicious and flavorful Gulyásleves (gulyás is herdsman, leves is soup in
Hungarian); a Hungarian soup, made of beef, vegetables,
ground paprika and other spices. It originates from a dish cooked by the
cattlemen (gulyás also means herdsman) who tended their herds in
the Great Hungarian Plain, known as the Alföld or Puszta in Hungarian.
Egészségedre (enjoy)!
The End
