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Budapest - 07-01-2007 - 14h33
  Hungarians discarded Communist rule in a most undramatic way in 1989 and have been shedding the totalitarian legacy ever since. They have a tendency to emphasize problems and difficulties, yet outside observers consider Hungary, together with Poland and the Czech Republic, the most successful post-Communist trio. As a result of World War I, Hungary was reduced to one-fourth of its former size. It is now a landlocked country. The Danube River, or Duna in Hungarian, which forms part of the Slovak-Hungarian border, turns south and cuts through the country, flowing in a southerly direction. Most of eastern Hungary consists of an extensive lowland, the Great Plain (Alfold). To the south and west of the Danube lies Transdanubia (the country across the Danube), a region of undulating hills, wide valleys, and woods of beech and oak trees. To the northwest is the Small Plain, or Little Alfold (Kis Alfold). In the north of Hungary, in particular in the northeast, hills and ranges of low mountains stand out against the horizon. In the north-central highland belt rise mountains of volcanic origin—the Borzsony, Cserhat, Matra, Bukk, and Zempleni—separated by river valleys. These mountains have one of the largest cave systems in Europe, and many visitors come to explore the underground world of stalactites. Mount Kekes, at 3,330 ft. (1,015 m.) the highest peak in the country, rises in the Matra Mountains. The Danube, which crosses the Little Alfold, breaks through some low hills and continues south through the Great Plain on its way to the Black Sea. It provides an important trade route between Hungary and its neighbors. The main tributary of the Danube is the Tisza River, which also crosses the entire country from north to south. Lake Balaton, in western Hungary, encompasses 230 sq. mi. (596 sq. km.) and is the largest lake in Central Europe. Often called the Hungarian Sea, Lake Balaton attracts about 1 million visitors a year who come to swim, sail, and fish in its lovely fresh turquoise waters. Extinct volcanoes mark the skyline on the northern shore, and in the valleys nearby are old trees, rare plants, and exotic flowers. In the marshland at the southwest corner of the lake, migratory birds come to breed, including snow-white herons, pelicans, cormorants, bustards, and other rare species. The climate in Hungary is continental, with seasons of almost equal length. More rain falls in western Transdanubia than in the eastern Great Plain, and in the west the winters and summers are more temperate than in the east. It is sunnier in Hungary than in other countries of the same latitudes, and the long, warm, sunny autumn helps produce fine fruits and sweet wine grapes. Before World War II, Hungarian society was sharply divided between the ruling classes and the people. Political power was primarily in the hands of large landholders and industrial, military, and religious leaders. Their Hungary was known for its frivolous lifestyle. When the Communists took over in 1949, they nationalized most of the industry and collectivized the agriculture, thus leveling the differences in wealth. Living standards improved during the 1970s, but the next decade brought increasing social and economic inequalities. Since that time, many Hungarians have had to hold two jobs to make ends meet. The traditional pessimistic streak in the Hungarian national character, one of the world's highest suicide rates, and the high divorce rate have contributed to a slow, steady decrease in Hungary's population. The 1989 post-Communist developments brought freedom to all, but real prosperity to only a few. About two-thirds of Hungarians are Roman Catholics; most of the rest are Protestants, mainly Calvinists. There are also about 80,000 Jews. While the Communists held power, religion was strictly controlled by the state. In the late 1970s, relations between the state and the Roman Catholic Church improved, and in 1978 Hungary established diplomatic relations with the Vatican. One aspect of life that all Hungarians enjoy is preparing and eating good food. Food preparation is both an art and a national pastime, and Hungarian cooks make superb use of spices mixed with meat, fish, and chicken. Gulyas (goulash) and chicken paprikas are famous dishes. Red paprika, made of peppers grown in Hungary, is the national spice. Hungary produces and exports wonderful native wines, fine apricot brandy, delicious salami, pate of goose liver, and delicate pastries. Language Although a number of individual Hungarian words may sound familiar to Western ears, and though the Roman alphabet is used, the language itself is a unique one. It is not related to any of the Germanic, Romance, or Slavic languages. Instead, Hungarian is a language of the Uralic family of languages, which also includes Finnish and Estonian. Stress in Hungarian words is placed on the first syllable, and the letters of the alphabet always stand for the same sound, which makes pronunciation relatively easy. Because of the great flexibility of the language, however, translation from Hungarian to other languages is extremely difficult. Many significant Hungarian literary figures are completely unknown except to Hungarians, since the works of only a few have been translated. | |
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