Ever wonder what Hungary is all about? It is not a very popular country but is has very interesting things to know. Hungary's land is flat, its economy is good, it has farms as well as unique foods. Besides its rich resources, it has many industries, celebrates different holidays, plays sports, and has some of the smartest people on earth. Read this report and find some treasures about Hungary.
Hungary has some of the coolest characteristics in it's land and climate. Most of Hungary's land is made up of plains, rivers, lakes, and low mountains. Hungary's most famous river is the Danube or the Duna which covers many different country. Hungary's flat landscapes, known as the Alfold, Puszta, or the Great Hungarian Plain, are dry with cold winters and warm summers. Hungary is 35,919 square miles which is just a little smaller than Indiana.

Hungary's economy is very different compared to others. Hungary is a communist country and unlike other countries, it is doing very well! Hungary's currency (money) is Froint. Hungarians raise wheat, corn, and sunflower seeds. They also raise livestock. Hungary has lots of industries including mining, tourism, and construction, manufacturing goods, and agriculture.

Hungarians grow many foods on their farms. In Hungary the percentage of people owning farms is down. Almost 1/8th of the population have farms compared to a few years ago when it was 1/2. All farms have their own uniqueness. Some might grow sunflowers six or seven feet high. Sunflowers are grown for all the oil in their seeds. Lots of sunflowers are cultivated in Hungary. The oil is use in salads, cooking, and for making margarine. Other farms may have the biggest corn. Sugar beets are one of the country most profitable crops.

Hungary is an industrialized country. Hungary produces goods which are shipped all over the world. Most of Hungary's industries are based on the banks of the Danube River. Most industries started before World War II. After the war most of Hungary's industries were lost. The main priorities of the government were to rebuild Hungary's industries. It started off slow but has grown rapidly since 1948. Hungarian industries produce many things including steel, machine tools, buses, diesel engines, locomotives, and televisions. The very first
automobiles made in Hungary were Suzuki and Opel.
People in Hungary have many different characteristics. Gypsies, Germans, Serbs, Slovaks, and Romanians are all cultural groups of Hungary. The Roman Catholic religion in Hungary makes up 67.5% of the countries religion. The clothes Hungarians wear are very similar to the ones Americans wear. The youth in Hungary wear blue jeans and a regular old shirt. The men in Hungary wear loose shirts, vests, and all sorts of various hats. The women of Hungary wear a blouse and a nice shirt.

The foods in Hungary are very unique. Goulash, containing meat, potatoes, onions, and paprika is eaten most often in Hungary. Paprika is Hungary's most famous spice and almost all of the foods this country eats have the spice in them. A typical dinner for Hungarians is pork, chicken, and/or noodles. Hungarians may eat a light breakfast, consisting of yogurt and a drink, or they might have a bit heavier breakfast containing eggs, a drink, salami, cheese and a cup of yogurt. Lunch in Hungary is the meal Americans call the "main meal". They will eat a big lunch and have a lighter dinner, so I expect that a mom would say, " Don't ruin your lunch," instead of "Don't ruin your dinner."

Hungarians celebrate different holidays than Americans. The Christmas in Hungary is not celebrated of the 25th of December but on the 5th. To celebrate Christmas, kids hide their shoes from St. Nick. When he comes in the middle of the night he looks for the children's shoes. When, or if he finds them, he puts treats in them only if the child has been good. If the child was bad over the year, St. Nick gives them a plain old bundle of sticks. Then later in December, the families get together with other families and have their dinners. After dinner, they will go find a tree and will decorate it with candles and candy.
The Hungarians celebrate one different holiday than the Americans. It is called St. Stephen Day. They celebrate this in honor of the first king of Hungary. Stephen became king of Hungary on Christmas day in 1000. Known for bringing Christianity to Hungary, King Stephen was made founder of the Hungarian state. When king Stephen died, he was made the patron saint of Hungary.

Hungary may be a small country, but sports are not. Hungarians most popular sport is soccer also known as Foci. The Hungarian soccer team is well known for winning international games. Cycling is another popular sport in Hungary because their landscapes are flat. If citizens don't play soccer or ride bikes, they probably ice skate. This is a sport for all ages. Hungarians also play lots of sports in the water including swimming, water polo, and sailing. Other sports may include fencing or tennis. The most popular game to play in a Hungarians past time is chess. They might also go hunting in the woods along the Danube river. Wild ducks and geese are the most popular targets, but hares, pheasants and partridges are also hunted.

Education in Hungary is very important. In fact, the adult literacy rate is 99%, one of the highest in the world. Kids may start school in kindergarten at the ages of 3-6 but this is not mandatory. If parents like they will send their children to these schools. Most kids start school at the age of 6. This is called primary school. Kids will be studying the basic subjects like reading, writing, and math. Kids will end primary school at the age of 14. Next, the child must choose a secondary school. The most popular secondary school is grammar school, also known as gymnasium, and vocational school, known as thchikum. And up till secondary school, it is all free!! Main subjects in school are math reading, writing, math, science, geography, history, and foreign languages. After secondary school, the kids have a chance to go to a university. Hungary has 18 universities to choose from. The universities were free up till 1994.

With a strong background of education and a good taste for food, Hungarians like to live life to a fullest. Holidays are grand, people are friendly, sports are common, and its economy is nice. Who could pass up a wonderful place like Hungary.
Works cited

Popescu, Julian. Hungary. Malaysia: Chelsea House Publishers, 2001.
Hintz, Martin. Hungary. Chicago: Regenstiener Publishing Enterprises, Inc., 1988.
Republic of Hungary. Culturgram '99. Lindon, UT: Brigham Young University, 1998.
Republic of Hungary. CultureGrams Kids edition. Lindon, UT: Brigham Young
University, 2002.