| Hungary is
a country of 10 million inhabitants located in Central Europe. Hungary's neighbors are
Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Yugoslavia (Serbia), Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria. Hungary
was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed in World War I. It fell
under communist rule following World War II. A revolt in 1956 and an announced withdrawal
from the Warsaw Pact was met with massive military intervention by Moscow. In the more
open Gorbachev years, Hungary led the movement to dissolve the Warsaw Pact and steadily
shifted toward multiparty democracy and a market-oriented economy. Following the collapse
of the USSR in 1991, Hungary developed close political and economic ties to Western
Europe. It joined NATO in 1999 and is a frontrunner in a future expansion of the European
Union. The capital of Hungary is Budapest. |
