Hungary

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and Slovenia to the southwest, and Austria to the west. Hungary lies within the Danube River's drainage basin and is dominated by great lowland plains. It has a population of over 9.5 million, consisting mostly of ethnic Hungarians (Magyars) and a significant Romani minority. Hungarian is the official language and among the few in Europe outside the Indo-European family. Budapest is the country's capital, largest city, and cultural and economic center. Before the establishment of the Hungarian state, the territory was settled by various groups, including Celts, Romans, Huns, Germanic peoples, Avars, and Slavs. Statehood began in the late ninth century with the Principality of Hungary, which became a medieval Christian kingdom under King Stephen I in 1000. After it was defeated by the Ottoman Empire at the Battle of Mohács in 1526, the kingdom was split into three regions for over 150 years until its reunion under Habsburg rule before the turn of the 18th century. Several uprisings against the Habsburgs precipitated the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in the Compromise of 1867; Austria-Hungary remained a European great power until World War I. Hungary's modern borders were then established by the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, which resulted in severe losses for the country, including 71% of its historical territory and the majority of its economy and population; a third of ethnic Hungarians were left outside the new borders. Hungary endured turmoil in the early interwar period, culminating in the national-conservative regime of regent Miklós Horthy. Hungary joined the Axis powers in World War II, suffering significant damage and casualties. After a brief...