Difference between revisions of "Budapest" - New World Encyclopedia

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{{Images OK}}{{Submitted}}{{Approved}}{{copyedited}}
 
{{Infobox Settlement
 
{{Infobox Settlement
|official_name =Budapest
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| name                    = Budapest
|image_skyline=Chain bridge by night Budapest.jpg
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| official_name           =
|nickname= "Pearl of the Danube"<br>''or'' "Queen of the Danube", "Heart of Europe", "Capital of Freedom" <!-- *** This is a disputed addition and has been removed per discussion July 17, 2007 "Paris of the East" —>
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| native_name            =
|image_flag = Flag of Budapest.png
+
| native_name_lang        =
|image_seal = Coat of arms of Budapest.png
+
| settlement_type        = City
|image_map = BudapestMap23.gif
+
| image_skyline           = Chain bridge by night Budapest.jpg
|map_caption = Location of Budapest in Hungary
+
| image_alt              =
|subdivision_type = [[List of countries|Country]]  
+
| image_caption          = Night view of Chain bridge
|subdivision_type1 = [[Counties of Hungary|County]]
+
| image_flag             = Flag of Budapest.png
|subdivision_name  = [[Hungary]]
+
| flag_alt                =
|subdivision_name1 = [[Budapest|Budapest, Capital City]]
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| image_seal             =
|leader_title = [[Mayor]]
+
| seal_alt                =
|leader_name = [[Gábor Demszky]] ([[SZDSZ]])
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| image_shield            = Coat of arms of Budapest.png
|area_magnitude = 1 E8
+
| shield_alt              = Coat of arms of Budapest
|area_total_km2 = 525.16
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| nickname                = Heart of Europe, Pearl of Danube, Capital of Freedom, Capital of Spas and Thermal Baths, Capital of Festivals
|area_land_km2 =  
+
| motto                  =
|area_water_km2 =  
+
| image_map               = BudapestMap23.gif
|population_as_of = 2007
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| map_alt                =
|population_note =  
+
| map_caption             = Location of Budapest in Hungary
|population_total = 1,696,128
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| pushpin_map            =
|population_density_km2 = 3232
+
| pushpin_label_position  =
|population_metro = 2,451,418
+
| pushpin_map_alt        =
|blank2_info = [[GDP per capita)]] = 36,118 USD
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| pushpin_map_caption    =
|timezone = [[Central European Time|CET]]
+
| coor_pinpoint          =
|utc_offset = +1
+
| coordinates_type        =
|timezone_DST = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
+
| coordinates_display    = inline,title
|utc_offset_DST = +2
+
|coordinates_region      = HU
|latd= 47|latm= 28|lats= 19|latNS= N
+
| subdivision_type       = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|longd= 19|longm= 03|longs= 01|longEW= E
+
| subdivision_name        = [[Hungary]]
|elevation_m              =  
+
| subdivision_type1       = [[List of regions of Hungary|Region]]
|elevation_ft          =  
+
| subdivision_name1      = [[Central Hungary]]
|website = [http://english.budapest.hu/ budapest.hu]
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| subdivision_type2      = [[Subregions of Hungary|Subregion]]
|footnotes =  
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| subdivision_name2      = Budapesti
 +
| subdivision_type3      =
 +
| subdivision_name3      =
 +
| parts                  = [[List of districts in Budapest|23 kerület]]
 +
|p1=[[Várkerület]] |p2=[[II. kerület]] |p3=[[Óbuda-Békásmegyer]] |p4=[[Újpest]] |p5=[[Belváros-Lipótváros]] |p6=[[Terézváros]] |p7=[[Erzsébetváros]] |p8=[[Józsefváros]] |p9=[[Ferencváros]] |p10=[[Kőbánya]] |p11=[[Újbuda]] |p12=[[Hegyvidék]] |p13=[[XIII. kerület]] |p14=[[Zugló]] |p15=[[XV. kerület]] |p16=[[XVI. kerület]] |p17=[[Rákosmente]] |p18=[[Pestszentlőrinc-Pestszentimre]] |p19=[[Kispest]] |p20=[[Pesterzsébet]] |p21=[[Csepel]] |p22=[[Budafok-Tétény]] |p23=[[Soroksár]]
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| established_title      = Unification of [[Buda]], [[Pest, Hungary|Pest]] and [[Óbuda]]
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| established_date        = November 17, 1873
 +
| founder                =
 +
| seat_type              =
 +
| seat                    =
 +
| government_footnotes    =
 +
| leader_party            = [[Fidesz]]-[[Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary)|KDNP]]
 +
| leader_title            = [[Mayor]]
 +
| leader_name            = [[István Tarlós]]
 +
| unit_pref              = Metric
 +
|area_footnotes          =  
 +
| area_total_km2         = 525.16
 +
| area_urban_km2          = 2538
 +
| area_metro_km2          = 7626 <!-- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budapest_metropolitan_area —>
 +
| area_land_km2           =  
 +
| area_water_km2         =
 +
| area_water_percent      =
 +
| area_note              =
 +
| elevation_footnotes    =
 +
| elevation_m            =
 +
| population_footnotes    =  
 +
| elevation_max_m        = 527
 +
| elevation_min_m        = 96
 +
| population_total       = 1,733,685
 +
| population_urban        = 2,551,247
 +
| population_metro       = 3,284,110
 +
| population_as_of        = 2011
 +
| population_density_km2  = 3300
 +
| population_density_urban_km2  = 1000
 +
| population_density_metro_km2  = 430
 +
| population_demonym      = budapesti
 +
| population_note        =  
 +
| timezone1              = [[Central European Time|CET]]
 +
| utc_offset1            = +1
 +
| timezone1_DST          = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
 +
| utc_offset1_DST        = +2
 +
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in Hungary|Postal code(s)]]
 +
| postal_code            = 1011–1239
 +
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in Hungary|Area code]]
 +
| area_code              = 1
 +
| iso_code                = HU-BU
 +
| website                 = [http://english.budapest.hu/ budapest.hu]<br/>touristinfo: [http://budapest.com budapest.com]
 +
| footnotes               =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''Budapest''' ({{pronEng|ˈbu:dʌˌpɛʃt}} (AE), also {{IPA|/ˈbju:-/}} (BE) or {{IPA|/ˈbʊ-/}}; [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] {{IPA2|'budɒpɛʃt}}) is the capital city of [[Hungary]]. As the largest city, it serves as the country's principal [[political]], [[cultural]], [[commerce|commercial]], [[Industry|industrial]], and [[transportation]] center and is considered an important hub in [[Central Europe]]. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river [[Danube]] with the unification on [[November 17]], [[1873]], of right-bank (west) [[Buda]] and [[Óbuda]] (Old Buda) together with [[Pest (city)|Pest]] on the left (east) bank. Budapest was the focal point of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1848]], the [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]] of 1919, [[Operation Panzerfaust]] in 1944, the [[Battle of Budapest]] of 1945, and the [[1956 Hungarian Revolution|Revolution of 1956]].
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'''Budapest''' is the capital city of [[Hungary]]. It is its country's largest city, and is home to approximately twenty percent of the nation's people. It serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center, and is considered an important hub in [[Central Europe]]. The city straddles the [[Danube]] in an exceptionally beautiful natural setting and was once popularly known as the "Queen of the Danube." Its two main parts, Buda and Pest, sit on opposite sides of the river and are connected by a series of bridges. Magnificent [[architecture]] from centuries past remains, and has earned the city a designation as a cultural [[World Heritage Site]] and a popular tourist destination.  
  
Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in [[Europe]], its [[World Heritage Sites]] include the banks of the Danube, the [[Buda Castle]] Quarter, [[Andrássy Avenue]], and the [[Millennium Underground railway]], the first on the European continent. Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors a year. The city ranks 52nd on [[MasterCard]]'s 'World's Top 75 Financial Centers' list and 74th on [[Mercer Human Resource Consulting|Mercer Consulting]]'s 'World's Top 100 Most Livable Cities' list.  The headquarters of the [[European Institute of Innovation and Technology]] (EIT) will be in Budapest.  
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Budapest was the focal point of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1848]], the [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]] of 1919, [[Operation Panzerfaust]] in 1944, the [[Battle of Budapest]] of 1945, and the [[1956 Hungarian Revolution|Revolution of 1956]]. It was the center of political drama in the late 1980s, when Hungary led the reform movement in [[Eastern Europe]] that broke the communist monopoly on political power.
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{{toc}}
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Under Soviet rule for 45 years, during the 1990s, Budapest underwent dramatic change with the collapse of that Empire. Despite its relative prosperity and experience with private enterprise, it was not immune to the upsets that resulted from its country's transition from a closed to an open society, both politically and economically. However, the city successfully weathered the changes and by the beginning of the twenty-first century had re-emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant cities. However, there are issues that need to be addressed including the shortage of decent housing and acute problems such as [[crime]], [[prostitution]], and alcohol and illegal drug use. The city's [[suicide]] rate is alarmingly high, an issue to which answers must be found.
  
 
==Geography==
 
==Geography==
 
[[Image:Budapest pest.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A view of Pest from the Buda side of the Danube]]
 
[[Image:Budapest pest.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A view of Pest from the Buda side of the Danube]]
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Budapest, which covers an area of 203 square miles (525 square kilometers), straddles the [[Danube River]] on the flat terrain of the Great Plain in central [[Hungary]]. ''Buda,'' which is rather hilly, lies on the west bank, while ''Pest'' lies on the east bank.
  
Budapest lies in central [[Hungary]]. [[Pest]] lies on the flat terrain of the Great Plain while [[Buda]] is rather hilly. Budapest covers an area of 203 square miles (525 square kilometers).
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Budapest has a temperate, transitional [[climate]]—somewhere between the mild, rainy weather of Transdanubia and the variable climate of the flat and open Great Plain to the east. [[Temperature]]s in January average 30°F (-1°C) and in July 72°F (22°C). Winter [[snow]]falls can be heavy, and the temperature may fall well below freezing. Heat waves plus humidity can make the summer oppressive. Mean annual precipitation is 24 inches (600 mm).  
  
Budapest has a temperate, transitional climate - somewhere between the mild, rainy weather of Transdanubia and the variable climate of the flat and open Great Plain to the east. [[Temperature]]s in January average 30°F (-1°C) and in July 72°F (22°C). Winter snowfalls can be heavy, and the temperature may fall well below freezing. Heat waves plus humidity can make the summer oppressive. Mean annual precipitation is 24 inches (600mm).  
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The Danube enters the city from the north, and is only 755 feet (230 meters) wide at its narrowest point. The river, which regularly flooded Pest before controls were installed in the nineteenth century, has become heavily contaminated. [[Air pollution]] afflicts most districts in Pest.
  
The [[Danube]] enters the city from the north; later it encircles two islands, Óbuda Island and Margaret Island. The river that separates the two parts of the city is only 755 feet (230 meters) wide at its narrowest point in Budapest.  
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Castle Hill, which is 551 feet (168 meters) above sea level and crowned by the restored Buda Castle, is in a central location. A steep [[limestone]] escarpment known as Gellért Hill overlooking the Danube lies south of Castle Hill, and has the Citadel, built in the nineteenth century. Rose Hill, which is to the north of Castle Hill, is where Hungary’s elite own homes. Margaret Island is a mile-long park with hotels and swimming pools.
  
The Danube (which regularly flooded Pest before the river was controlled in the 19th century) has become heavily contaminated. Air pollution afflicts most districts in Pest.
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The ornate Neo-Gothic Parliament Building faces Castle Hill on the Pest side of the river. The Inner Town, with streets laid out in an irregular pentagon, is the heart of Pest, and has offices, parts of the Loránd Eötvös University, and shops. The Inner Town Parish Church is Pest's oldest building. Andrássy Avenue, which runs straight from the center of Pest to City Park (Városliget) in which the Millennium Monument is located, is the finest thoroughfare in Budapest.
  
Castle Hill, which is 551 feet (168 metres) above sea level and crowned by the restored Buda Castle, is in a central location. A steep limestone escarpment known as Gellért Hill  overlooking the Danube lies south of Castle Hill, and has the Citadel, built in the 19th century. Rose Hill, which is to the north of Castle Hill, is where Hungary’s elite have houses. Margaret Island is a mile-long park with hotels and swimming pools.
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Seven islands on the Danube around Budapest are Hajógyári sziget (Shipyard Island), [[Margit-sziget]] (Margaret Island), [[Csepel]] sziget, Palotai-sziget (a peninsula), Népsziget (connected to the above, but mostly surrounded by water), Háros-sziget, and Molnár-sziget. The northernmost part of Csepel sziget is a district of Budapest, while the other islands are parts of other districts.  
  
The ornate Neo-Gothic Parliament Building faces Castle Hill on the Pest side of the river. The Inner Town, with streets laid out in an irregular pentagon, is the heart of Pest. It has offices, parts of the Loránd Eötvös University, and shops. The Inner Town Parish Church is Pest's oldest building. Andrássy Avenue, which runs straight from the centre of Pest to City Park (Városliget), which contains the Millennium Monument, is the finest thoroughfare in Budapest.
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==History==
 
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[[Image:Buda Schedel.jpg|right|thumb|200px|[[Buda Castle]] during the [[Middle Ages]].]]
{{wide image|BudapestPanorama2.JPG|998px|Left to right: Mária Magdolna Tower, Matthias Church, Castle Quarter, Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Margaret Island, Danube Promenade, Parliament Building, Hungarian Academy of Sciences.}}
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[[Image:Kk ivb.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Béla IV c. 1270]]
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[[Image:Matei Corvin Johannes de Thurocz f137.jpg|thumb|upright|right|200px|Matthias Corvinus as depicted in ''[[Chronica Hungarorum]]'' by [[Johannes de Thurocz]].]]
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In the first century B.C.E.., [[Celt]]s built a town called "Ak Ink," meaning "spring rich in water," which occupied about 30 hectares (74 acres) along the slopes of [[Gellért Hill]]. Romans occupied the town at the beginning of the Christian era, and by 106 C.E., this Roman settlement—[[Aquincum]]—became the main city of [[Lower Pannonia]], with a population of about 20,000. The Romans constructed [[road]]s, amphitheaters, baths, and houses with heated floors in this fortified military camp.  
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The Romans pulled out in the fifth century C.E. Huns invaded. After [[Attila the Hun]] (406–453) died and the Huns left, Germanic tribes, Lombards, Avars, and Slavs all passed through during the second [[Age of Migrations]], which continued until the [[Magyars]] arrived in about 896.  
  
==History==
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While other tribes spread across the entire [[Carpathian basin]], the clan of [[Árpád]] (845–907) settled on Csepel sziget (Csepel Island), a large island surrounded by the deep waters of the Danube, forming a good defensive shelter for the settlers who began cultivating the south part of what later became Budapest. It was under the Árpád dynasty that [[Hungary]] became a [[Christian]] state, ruled first from [[Esztergom]] and later from [[Székesfehérvár]].
[[Image:Buda Schedel.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Buda Castle]] during the [[Middle Ages]].]]
 
[[Image:Opera Budapest.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[Hungarian State Opera House]], which was built in the time of [[Austria-Hungary]].]]
 
The first town, built by [[Celt]]s in the first century B.C.E., which occupied about 30 hectares along the slopes of [[Gellért Hill]], was called "Ak Ink", meaning "spring rich in water". The town was occupied by the Romans at the beginning of the Christian era. In 106 C.E.the Roman settlement - [[Aquincum]] - became the main city of [[Lower Pannonia]], with a population of about 20,000. The Romans constructed roads, amphitheaters, baths and houses with heated floors in this fortified military camp.
 
  
The Romans pulled out in the 5th century AD to be succeeded by the Huns through fierce battles. Germanic tribes, Lombards, Avars and Slavs all passed through during the second [[Age of Migrations]] (following the split up of the Hun tribe, after Attila the Hun died), until the arrival of the [[Magyars]] in about 896.  
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The development of Buda and Pest's wide riverbanks began largely in the twelfth century, due mainly to the French, Walloon, and German settlers who migrated there to work and trade along the banks of the Danube under royal protection. Invading [[Mongols]] devastated both towns in 1241-1242. German colonists rebuilt the towns, and re-named Buda "Ofen," after its numerous lime-kilns. (The "Pest" name, which has a Slav origin, also means "furnace".)
  
While other tribes spread  across the entire [[Carpathian basin]], the clan of [[Árpád]] settled down on Csepel sziget (Csepel Island), a very large island surrounded by the deep waters of the Danube, forming a good defensive shelter for the settlers who started agricultural works (south part of Budapest today). It was under the Árpád dynasty that Hungary became a Christian state, ruled first from [[Esztergom]] and later from [[Székesfehérvár]].
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King [[Béla IV of Hungary]] (1206-1270) ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns and set his own royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of Buda. In 1361, it became the [[capital]] of Hungary.
  
The development of Buda and Pest's wide riverbanks did not really start until the 12th century, and was largely thanks to the French, Walloon and German settlers who migrated here and worked and traded along the banks of the Danube, there under royal protection. Both towns were devastated by the invading Mongols in 1241-42 and subsequently rebuilt by colonists from Germany, who re-named Buda "Ofen", after its numerous lime-kilns. (The "Pest" name, which has a Slav origin, also means "furnace".)
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Buda became a [[Renaissance]] hub during the reign of [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary]] (1458-1490). His library, the [[Bibliotheca Corviniana]], held Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works, second only in size to the [[Vatican Library]]. The first Hungarian university was founded in [[Pécs]] in 1367, and the second was established in [[Óbuda]] in 1395. The first Hungarian book was printed in Buda in 1473.
  
King [[Béla IV of Hungary]] ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns and set his own royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of [[Buda]]. In 1361 it became the [[capital]] of Hungary
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The [[Ottoman Hungary|Turkish occupation]] began in 1541 and lasted for more than 140 years. The Turks constructed fine bathing facilities there. The western part of the country not occupied by the Turks became part of the [[Habsburg]] Empire as [[Royal Hungary]]. In 1686 [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold I]] liberated Buda but nearly destroyed the city in doing so. The entirety of Hungary was then incorporated into the Habsburg Empire.
  
xxxxx
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The Hungarian's struggle for independence and modernization dominated the nineteenth century. The national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital [[Hungarian Revolution of 1848|in 1848]] and was defeated a little more than a year later.  
The cultural role of Buda was particularly significant during reign of [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary]]<ref name=Encarta/>. The [[Italian Renaissance]] had a great influence on the city<ref name=Encarta/>. His library, the [[Bibliotheca Corviniana]]<ref name=Encarta/>, was Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century, and second only in size to the [[Vatican Library]]<ref name=Encarta/>. After the foundation of the first Hungarian university in [[Pécs]] in 1367<ref name=Sugar>{{cite book |last=Sugar |first=Peter F. |authorlink= |coauthors= |editor= |others= |title=A History of Hungary |origdate= |origyear= |origmonth= |url=http://books.google.com/books?hl=hu&lr=&id=SKwmGQCT0MAC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Hungarian+university+1395+Buda&ots=mwQWxjoQ79&sig=UMMjYryQbpbBEiBeWIhOUqdUL8M#PPA48,M1 |format= |accessdate=2008-06-03 |accessyear= |accessmonth= |edition= |series= |volume= |date=1990 |year= |month= |publisher= |location= |language= |isbn= |oclc= |doi= |id= |pages=48 |chapter=The Angevine State |chapterurl= |quote=}}</ref> the second one was established in [[Óbuda]] in 1395<ref name=Sugar/>. The first Hungarian book was printed in Buda in 1473<ref>{{cite journal |last=Mona |first=Ilona |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1974 |month= |title=Hungarian Music Publication 1774 - 1867 |journal=Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae |publisher=Akadémiai Kiadó|volume=16|issue= |pages=261–275 |id= |url=http://www.jstor.org/pss/901850 |accessdate=2008-06-03 |quote= |doi=10.2307/901850 }}</ref>.  
 
  
The [[Ottoman Hungary|Turkish occupation]] lasted for more than 140 years and left mainly destruction<ref name=Encarta/>. The Turks constructed some fine bathing facilities here<ref name=Travel/>. The western part of the country not occupied by the Turks became part of the [[Habsburg Empire]] as [[Royal Hungary]]. In 1686 [[Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor|Leopold I]] liberated Buda from the Ottomans but almost destroyed the city during the battle<ref name=Encarta/>. Hungary was then incorporated into the Habsburg Empire<ref name=Encarta/>.  
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In 1867, the [[Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867|Reconciliation]] that brought about the birth of [[Austria-Hungary]], made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. On November 17, 1873, Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. Dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, and cultural hub.  
  
The nineteenth century was dominated by the Hungarian's struggle for independence<ref name=Encarta/> and modernization. The national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital [[Hungarian Revolution of 1848|in 1848]] and was defeated a little more than a year later.  
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In 1910, 880,000 people occupied Budapest and 55,000 lived in the largest suburb of Újpest (now part of Budapest).
  
1867 was the year of [[Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867|Reconciliation]] that brought about the birth of [[Austria-Hungary]]. This made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. It was this compromise which opened the second great phase of development in the history of Budapest, lasting until [[World War I]]. In 1873 Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. Dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, trade and cultural hub.  
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[[World War I]] (1914-1918) brought the Golden Age to an end. In 1918, [[Austria-Hungary]] lost the war and collapsed; Hungary declared itself an independent republic. In 1920, the [[Treaty of Trianon]] finalized the country's partition, reducing Hungary's size by two-thirds and turning the multinational state into a nation-state.
  
[[World War I]] brought the Golden Age to an end. In 1918 [[Austria-Hungary]] lost the war and collapsed; Hungary declared itself an independent republic. In 1920 the [[Treaty of Trianon]] finalized the country's partition, reducing Hungary's size by two-thirds and turning the multinational state into a nation-state.
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On March 19, 1944, the Germans occupied Budapest. At that time, there were 184,000 Jews and about 65,000-80,000 Christians-considered-Jewish in the town. Between 20 percent and 40 percent of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through [[Nazism|Nazi]] and [[Arrow Cross]] [[genocide]] during 1944 and early 1945. Despite this, Budapest has the highest number of [[Jew|Jewish citizens]] per capita of any [[Europe]]an city.  
[[Image:Time Man of the year 1957Hunagarianfreedom fighter.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]]]]
 
In 1944, towards the end of [[World War II]], Budapest was partly destroyed by [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[United States|American]] air raids. From 24 December, 1944 to 13 February 1945, the city was besieged during the [[Battle of Budapest]]. Budapest suffered major damage caused by the attacking [[Soviet]] troops and the defending [[Germany|German]] and [[Hungary|Hungarian]] troops. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives during the fighting.
 
  
Between 20% and 40% of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through [[Nazism|Nazi]] and [[Arrow Cross]] genocide during 1944 and early 1945.<ref>{{cite web|title=Budapest|publisher=''[[United States Holocaust Memorial Museum]]''|  url=http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?lang=en&ModuleId=10005264|accessdate=2007-07-18 }}</ref> <!-- links to relevant materials in the ''Holocaust Encyclopedia'' on the site of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. —>  Despite this, Budapest today has the highest number of [[Jew|Jewish citizens]] per capita of any European city.  
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In 1944, towards the end of [[World War II]], [[United Kingdom|British]] and [[United States|American]] air raids partly destroyed Budapest. During the [[Battle of Budapest]], from December 24, 1944 to February 13, 1945, Budapest suffered major damage caused by the attacking [[Soviet]] troops, and the defending [[Germany|German]] and [[Hungary|Hungarian]] troops. The Germans destroyed all [[bridge]]s. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives.
  
In 1949, Hungary was declared a [[Communism|communist]] People's Republic. The new Communist government considered the buildings like the [[Buda Castle]] symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed.
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In 1949, Hungary was declared a [[Communism|communist]] People's Republic. The new Communist government considered the buildings such as the [[Buda Castle]] symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s, the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed.
  
In 1956, peaceful demonstrations in Budapest led to the outbreak of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian Revolution]]. The Stalinist dictatorship collapsed after mass demonstrations, but Soviet tanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt. Fighting continued until early November, leaving more than 3000 dead.  
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In 1956, peaceful demonstrations in Budapest led to the outbreak of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian Revolution]]. The Stalinist dictatorship collapsed after mass demonstrations, but Soviet tanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt. Fighting continued until early November, leaving more than 3,000 dead.  
  
From the 1960s through the late 1980s, Hungary was often satirically referred to as "[[Goulash Communism|the happiest barrack]]" within the [[Eastern bloc]], and much of the wartime damage to the city was finally repaired. Work on [[Erzsébet Bridge]], the last to be rebuilt, was finished in 1965. In the early 1970s, [[Budapest Metro]]'s East-West [[Line 2 (Budapest Metro)|M2 line]] was first opened, followed by the [[Line 3 (Budapest Metro)|M3 line]] in 1982. In 1987, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the [[UNESCO]] list of [[World Heritage Sites]]. [[Andrassy Avenue]] (including the [[Millennium Underground Railway]], [[Hősök tere]] and [[Városliget]]) was added to the UNESCO list in 2002.
+
From the 1960s through the late 1980s, Hungary was often satirically referred to as "the happiest barrack" within the [[Eastern bloc]], and much of the wartime damage to the city was repaired. Work on [[Erzsébet Bridge]], the last to be rebuilt, was finished in 1965.  
  
=== Timeline of the history of Budapest===
+
Budapest became the focus of national and international political drama in the late 1980s, when Hungary led the reform movement in [[Eastern Europe]] that broke the communist monopoly on political power. In May 1989, Hungary began taking down its barbed wire fence along the Austrian border—the first tear in the [[Iron curtain]]. In 1989, the Parliament adopted a "democracy package," which included [[trade union]] pluralism; [[freedom of association]], [[freedom of assembly|of assembly]], and [[freedom of the press|of the press]]; a new electoral law; and in October 1989, a radical revision of the constitution, to provide for a democratic multi-party system. The country’s name was changed from the People’s Republic of Hungary to the Republic of Hungary. In September 1989, Foreign Minister Gyula Horn announced that East German refugees in Hungary would not be repatriated but would instead be allowed to go to the West. The resulting [[exodus]] shook [[East Germany]] and hastened the fall of the [[Berlin Wall]].
[[Image:Budapestbridge100.jpg|right|250px|thumb|right|[[Széchenyi Chain Bridge]], [[Danube]], [[Gresham Palace]], [[Saint Stephen's Basilica]] ]]
 
[[Image:Hungariannationalmuseum100.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Hungarian National Museum]]]]
 
[[Image:01New-York palota Budapest.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[New York Palace (Budapest)|New York Café]]]]
 
[[Image:Museum of Applied Arts (Budapest).jpg|250px|thumb|right|[[Museum of Applied Arts (Budapest)|Museum of Applied Arts]]]]
 
[[Image:Budacastle.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Buda Castle]]]]
 
[[Image:Synagogue-Budapest.jpg|250px|thumb|right|The Great Synagogue.]]
 
  
{|
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During the 1990s, Budapest underwent dramatic change. Despite its relative prosperity and experience with private enterprise, it was not immune to the upsets that resulted from its country's transition from a closed to an open society, both politically and economically. However, the city successfully weathered the changes and by the beginning of the twenty-first century had re-emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.
!Year!!Event
 
|----
 
|10th century|| Out of the 7 or 10 Hungarian tribes, four has settlements in the territory
 
of modern Budapest: Megyer, Keszi, Jenő and Nyék.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
 
|----
 
|1046||Bishop [[Gellért]] dies at the hands of pagans on present-day [[Gellért Hill]].
 
|----
 
|1241||During the Tatar invasions both towns are destroyed. [[List of rulers of Hungary|King]] [[Béla IV of Hungary|Béla IV]] builds the first royal castle on [[Castle Hill, Buda]] in 1248. The new town adopts the name of Buda from the earlier one (present day [[Óbuda]]). [[Pest, Hungary|Pest]] is surrounded by city walls.
 
|----
 
|1270||[[Saint Margaret of Hungary]] dies in a cloister on the Isle of Rabbits (present day [[Margaret Island]]).
 
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|1458||The noblemen of Hungary elect  [[Matthias Corvinus]] (in Latin) or Hunyadi Mátyás (in Hungarian) as king on the ice of the Danube. Under his reign [[Buda]] becomes the main hub of European [[Renaissance]]. He dies in 1490, after capturing Vienna in 1485.
 
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|1541||The beginning of Ottoman occupation. The Turkish Pashas build multiple mosques and baths in Buda.
 
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|1686||Buda and Pest are reconquered from the Turks with [[Habsburg]] leadership. Both towns are destroyed completely in the battles.
 
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|1690s||Resettlement, initially only a few hundred German settlers.
 
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|1773||Election of the first Mayor of Pest.
 
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|1777||[[Maria Theresa of Austria]] moves the [[University of Budapest|Nagyszombat University]] to Castle Hill.
 
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|1783||[[Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor|Joseph II]] places the acting government (Helytartótanács) and Magyar Kamara on Buda.
 
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|1795 20 May||[[Ignác Martinovics]] and other [[Jacobin]] leaders are executed on [[Vérmező]] or 'The Field of Blood'.
 
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|1810||The [[Tabán]] fire.
 
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|1825||Commencement of the Reform Era, Pest becomes the cultural and economic centre of the country, the first [[National Theatre]] is built along with the [[Hungarian National Museum]] and the [[Széchenyi Lánchíd]].
 
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|1838|| The biggest flood in recent memory in March. Pest is completely inundated.
 
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|1848 15 March||Start of the [[Hungarian Revolution of 1848|Revolution and War of Independence of 1848-49]]. Pest replaces Pozsony ([[Bratislava]]) as the new capital of Hungary and seat of the [[Batthyány]] government and the Parliament.
 
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|1849||The Austrians occupy the city in early January, but the Hungarian Honvédsereg (Army of National Defense) reclaims it in April, taking the fortress of Buda on May 21 after an 18-day siege. In July, the Habsburg army again captures the two towns.
 
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|1849 6 October||[[Lajos Batthyány]], the first Hungarian [[Prime Minister]] is executed on the present-day [[Szabadság tér]].
 
|----
 
|1867||[[Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867]], followed by unprecedented civic development, resulting in the style of present day Budapest.
 
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|1873|| The former cities: [[Pest, Hungary|Pest]], [[Buda]] and [[Óbuda]] are united, and with that the Hungarian capital is established with the name of Budapest.
 
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|1874|| The rack (or cog-wheel) railway ([[Budapest Cog-wheel Railway]]) service is inaugurated.
 
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|1896||Millennium celebrations, the [[Budapest Metro|Millennium Underground]] is inaugurated, and the [[Szabadság híd|Ferenc József híd]] (today's Liberty Bridge) is opened.
 
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|1909–1910||Electronic public lighting.
 
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|1910|| The census finds 880 thousand people in Budapest and 55 thousand in the largest suburb of Újpest (now part of Budapest). The religious make-up was 60.9% Catholic, 23.1% Jewish, 9.9% Calvinist and 5.0% Lutheran. Újpest was 65.9% Catholic, 18.4% Jewish, 9.7% Calvinist and 4.5% Lutheran. The percentage of ethnic Germans was 9.0% in Budapest and 5.7% in Újpest, while 2.3% of the population claimed to be Slovak. (Source: Történelmi Magyarország atlasza és adattára 1914, Budapest, 2001.)
 
|----
 
|1918–1919||Revolution and the 133 days of the [[Hungarian Soviet Republic]] (March-August 1919) under the leadership of [[Béla Kun]]. It is the first Communist government to be formed in Europe after the [[October Revolution]] in Russia.
 
|----
 
|1924||[[Hungarian National Bank]] is founded.
 
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|1925||[[Hungarian Radio]] starts its broadcast.
 
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|1933||Disassembly of the [[Tabán]] commences.
 
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|1944 19 March||Budapest is occupied by the Germans. At the time of the occupation, there were 184,000 Jews and about 65-80 thousand Christians considered Jewish in the town.
 
Fewer than half of them (approximately 119,000) survived the following 11 months.
 
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|1944 26 December - 13 Ferbuary||Soviet and Romanian troops besiege Budapest. [[15 Jan]]–[[18 Jan]]. The retreating Germans blow up all Danube bridges. On Jan. 18, Pest and the Ghetto in Pest are completely liberated. The Buda castle falls on Feb 13.  [[World War II]] took the lives of close to two hundred thousand Budapest residents. Heavy damage to the buildings.
 
|
 
|1956 23 October - 4 November||The [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956]] breaks out, ending in the invasion of a large Soviet force.
 
|----
 
|1960s||Wartime damages are by and large corrected. Bridges are rebuilt, the last one, the [[Elizabeth Bridge]] is rebuilt in 1965.
 
|----
 
|1970–1972||East-Western Metro is inaugurated (first phase).
 
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|1982||North-Southern Metro is inaugurated (first phase).
 
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|1987||[[Castle Hill, Buda]] and the banks of the Danube are included in the UNESCO [[World Heritage Sites]].
 
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|1990||'''2&nbsp;016&nbsp;100 residents'''
 
|---
 
|2002||[[Andrássy Avenue]] is also included in the World heritage Sites, along with the [[Budapest Metro|Millennium Underground railway]] and [[Heroes' Square (Budapest)|Heroes' Square]].
 
|---
 
|2006|| Following the PM, Ferenc Gyurcsány´s, admission of lying about the state of the economy the [[2006 protests in Hungary]] take place
 
|}
 
  
 
==Government==
 
==Government==
[[Image:Parlament Budapest3.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[Hungarian Parliament Building]]]]
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Budapest is the seat of the Hungarian government, which is in the form of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The president, elected by the parliament every five years, has a largely ceremonial role. The prime minister has a leading role in the executive branch as he selects [[cabinet]] ministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them. The 386 members of the [[unicameral]], national assembly ''(Országgyűlés)'' are elected for four-year terms—176 in single-seat constituencies, 152 by [[proportional representation]] in multi-seat constituencies, and 58 so-called compensation seats. A party must win five percent of the vote to gain representation in the multi-seat constituencies and the compensation seats.
Budapest is the seat of the Hungarian government a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The president, elected by the parliament every five years, has a largely ceremonial role. The prime minister has a leading role in the executive branch as he selects [[Cabinet]] ministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them. The 386 members of the [[unicameral]], National Assembly (''Országgyűlés'') are elected for four-year terms — 176 in single-seat [[constituency|constituencies]], 152 by [[proportional representation]] in multi-seat [[constituency|constituencies]], and 58 so-called compensation seats. A party must win five percent of the vote to gain representation in the multi-seat constituencies and the compensation seats.
 
  
Budapest is also the seat of Pest megye (county) and Buda járás (district). Originally Budapest had 10 [[district]]s after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. In 1950, Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22 (Greater Budapest). At that time there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. Now there are 23 districts, six in [[Buda]], 16 in [[Pest]] and one on [[Csepel Island]] between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest.
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Budapest is also the seat of Pest County and Buda District. Originally, Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. In 1950, Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22 to create Greater Budapest. At that time, there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. By 2008, there were 23 districts, six in Buda, 16 in Pest, and one on Csepel Island between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest.
  
Budapest also has a chief mayor, while each district has its own government and mayor. The Budapest Metropolitan Council, which is elected by the district councillors who are directly elected, formally controls the city through a management committee.
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Budapest has a chief mayor, while each district has its own government and mayor. The Budapest Metropolitan Council, which is elected by the district councillors who are directly elected, formally controls the city through a management committee.
 +
<center><gallery>
 +
Image:Budapest Parliament 4604.JPG|Budapest Parliament Building
 +
Image:Synagogue-Budapest.jpg|The Great Synagogue
 +
Image:Budapest Funicular.JPG|Castle Hill Funicular
 +
</gallery></center>
  
 
==Economy==
 
==Economy==
[[Image:Budapest West Station by Night.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Nyugati Railway Station]] ]]
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[[Image:Budapest West Station by Night.JPG|thumb|225px|Nyugati Railway Station.]]  
[[Image:FerihegyDep.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Budapest Airport Terminal 2B|[[Budapest Ferihegy International Airport]] ]]
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[[Image:FerihegyDep.jpg|right|thumb|225px|Budapest Airport Terminal 2B|Budapest Ferihegy International Airport.]]  
[[Image:Budapest Metro map.svg|thumb|right|250px|right|Map of the [[Budapest Metro]]]]
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Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market [[economy]], with an estimated per capita gross domestic product of $19,000 in 2007—nearly two-thirds that of the [[European Union]]. The private sector accounts for more than 80 percent of GDP. [[Unemployment]] persisted above six percent through 2007, and Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57 percent is one of the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
[[Image:Budapest Funicular.JPG|right|thumb|250px|Castle Hill Funicular|[[Budapest Castle Hill Funicular]]. ]]
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 +
Budapest is the seat of government and the center of Hungarian transport and industry, as well as having half the nation’s [[university]] students, and about half the country’s income from foreign [[tourism]]. The major banks, foreign trading companies, the state travel agency, and the best shops are located in Pest’s Inner Town.
 +
 
 +
Budapest became Hungary's main industrial center in the late nineteenth century, first a center for food processing, then manufacturing agricultural machinery and automobiles. By 2008, more than 50 percent of Budapest's factory employees work in metalworking and [[engineering]], producing railroad equipment, buses, and river craft. The remainder work in [[textile]]s, [[electronics]], [[chemical]]s, and in [[food processing]].
  
Overview – Any specialization: For instance, is a manufactured product is associated with particular cities
+
Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors a year. The city ranks 52nd on MasterCard's "World's Top 75 Financial Centers" list and 74th on Mercer Consulting's "World's Top 100 Most Livable Cities" list. The headquarters of the [[European Institute of Innovation and Technology]] was planned for Budapest.  
a. Milwaukee—cheese and beer
 
b.  Los Angeles—entertainment industry
 
c. Sheffield—coal
 
d.  top 20 cities in the U.S. are highly specialized
 
  
Per capita GDP, rank
+
Budapest is the most important Hungarian road terminus, and is a major railway terminus. In the early 1970s, Budapest Metro's East-West [[Line 2 (Budapest Metro)|M2 line]] was opened, followed by the [[Line 3 (Budapest Metro)|M3 line]] in 1982. The city's public transport is provided by BKV, which operates [[bus]]es, [[trolleybus]]es, an extensive [[tram]] network, suburban railway lines, the metro, a boat service, a cogwheel railway, and a chairlift called ''Libegő''.
Financial and business services sector
 
Tourism
 
Manufacturing
 
Transport: Road, rail, air, sea
 
  
Budapest is the most important Hungarian road terminus; all the major highways end there. Budapest is also a major [[Terminal station|railway terminus]].
+
The Danube river is easily navigable and so Budapest has historically been a commercial port (at [[Csepel]]). In the summer months a hydrofoil service operates up the Danube to [[Vienna]]. [[Budapest Ferihegy International Airport]], which has three passenger terminals, is located to the east in [[Pestszentlőrinc]].
  
Budapest [[public transport]] is provided by [[BKV]]. The company operates [[bus]]es, [[trolleybus]]es, [[tram]]s, suburban railway lines, the [[Budapest metro|metro]], a boat service, a cogwheel railway and a chairlift, called ''Libegő''.
+
==Demographics==
 +
[[Image:Population of Budapest.png|thumb|225px|[[Population growth]] of Budapest (1870-2007).]]
 +
In 2007, Budapest had 1,696,128 inhabitants with a metropolitan area population of 2,451,418. Twenty percent of Hungary's population lives in Budapest, which is nearly 10 times larger than the nation's next largest city. The rapid increase of [[population]], especially from 100,000 in the 1840s to 1,000,000 in 1918, has resulted from ongoing migration of people from villages and towns.  
  
Budapest's tram network is extensive, and reliable despite poor track infrastructure and an ageing fleet. Routes 4 and 6 combined form the busiest traditional city tram line in the world, with the world's longest passenger trams ({{convert|54|m|ft|0|sing=on}} long  [[Siemens AG|Siemens]] [[Combino]]) running at 60 to 90 second intervals at peak time and 3-4 minutes off-peak and usually packed with people.  
+
Ethnic [[Magyars]] make up 90.2 percent of the population, [[Roma]] 0.7 percent, [[Germans]] 0.4 percent, and others (mainly [[Slovaks]], [[Ukranians]], [[Han Chinese|Chinese]]) made up the remainder. [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] is the official [[language]] and is spoken by 93.6 percent of the population.
  
There are three metro lines and a fourth is currently under construction. The Yellow line, built in 1896, is one of the oldest [[rapid transit|subway]] lines in the world, following only the early lines of the [[London Underground]].
+
Regarding [[religion]]s, [[Roman Catholic]]s made up 45.5 percent of the population, [[Reformed Church in Hungary]] 12.6 percent, [[Lutheran]]s 2.6 percent, [[Greek Catholic]]s 1.6 percent, [[Jewish]] 0.5 percent, [[Atheism|Atheist]]s 19.5 percent, and others (mainly a variety of [[Christian]] denominations) made up the remainder.
  
Beside metros, [[HÉV|suburban rails]], buses, trams and boats, there are a couple of less usual vehicles in Budapest:
+
The city's [[university|universities]] include: The Academy of Drama and Film, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the Corvinus University of Budapest, the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, the Jewish Theological Seminary—University of Jewish Studies, the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, and the Eötvös Loránd University (sometimes referred to as ''University of Budapest'').
* [[trolleybus]] ''(trolibusz)'' on several lines in [[Pest (city)|Pest]]
 
* [[funicular]] ''(sikló)''; the [[Budapest Castle Hill Funicular|Castle Hill Funicular]] between the [[Széchenyi Chain Bridge|Chain Bridge]] and [[Buda Castle]]
 
* [[cyclecar]] ''(bringóhintó)'' for rent in [[Margaret Island]]
 
* [[chairlift]] ''(libegő)''
 
* [[rack railway]] ''(fogaskerekű vasút)''; the [[Budapest Cog-wheel Railway]]
 
* [[children's railway]] ''(gyermekvasút)''<ref name="NYT Travel"/>
 
The latter three vehicles run among [[Buda]] hills.
 
  
There are three main railway termini in Budapest, [[Keleti pályaudvar|Keleti]] (eastern), [[Nyugati pályaudvar|Nyugati]] (westbound), and [[Déli pályaudvar|Déli]] (southbound), operating both domestic and international rail services. Budapest was one of the main stops of the [[Orient Express]] until 2001, when the service was cut back to Paris-Vienna.
+
Public services in Budapest are generally good, as are social and health services, particularly in the central areas of the city. Shortage of decent housing is one of the most pressing social problems. Acute problems are [[crime]], [[prostitution]], and alcohol and illegal drug use. The city's [[suicide]] rate is alarmingly high.
  
There is also a [[regional rail|suburban rail]] service in and around Budapest, operated under the name [[HÉV]].
+
== Society and culture ==
 +
In 1987, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the [[UNESCO]] list of [[World Heritage Sites]]. [[Andrassy Avenue]] (including the [[Millennium Underground Railway]], [[Hősök tere]], and [[Városliget]]) was added to the UNESCO list in 2002.
  
The river [[Danube]] flows through Budapest on its way to the [[Black Sea]]. The river is easily navigable and so Budapest has historically been a commercial port (at [[Csepel]]). In the summer months a scheduled hydrofoil service operates up the Danube to Vienna.
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Budapest has the largest [[synagogue]] in [[Europe]] ([[Dohány Street Synagogue]]), the largest medicinal bath in Europe ([[Széchenyi Medicinal Bath]]), and the third largest Parliament building in the world, which contains the Hungarian Crown Jewels. The third largest church in Europe ([[Esztergom Basilica]]) and the second largest Baroque castle in the world ([[Gödöllő]]) are in the vicinity.
  
[[Budapest Ferihegy International Airport]], which has 3 passenger terminals: Ferihegy 1, which tends to serve the many [[discount airlines]] now flying to and from Budapest, Ferihegy 2/A and Ferihegy 2/B. Terminal 2/C is planned to be built. The airport is located to the east of the centre in the XVIII. district in [[Pestszentlőrinc]].
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Castle Hill and the Castle District have three churches, six [[museum]]s, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. The former Royal Palace is one of the symbols of Hungary—and has been the scene of battles and wars since the thirteenth century. It now houses two impressive museums and the [[National Széchenyi Library]].  
  
==Demographics==
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The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. The 700 year-old [[Matthias Church]] is one of the jewels of Budapest. Next to it is an equestrian statue of the first king of Hungary, King Saint Stephen, and behind that is the [[Fisherman's Bastion]]. Statues of the [[Turul]], the mythical guardian bird of Hungary, can be found in both the Castle District and the Twelfth District.
[[Image:Population of Budapest.png|thumb|250px|[[Population growth]] of Budapest (1870-2007)]]
 
In 2007, Budapest had 1,696,128 inhabitants with an [[Budapest metropolitan area|official agglomeration]] of 2,451,418, down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. Twenty percent of Hungary's population lives in the capital. Budapest is nearly 10 times larger than the nation's next largest city. The rapid increase of population, especially from 100,000 in the 1840s to 1,000,000 in 1918, has resulted from ongoing migration of people from villages and towns.  
 
  
Ethnic [[Magyars]] made up 90.2 percent of the population, [[Roma]] 0.7% percent, [[Germans]] 0.4 percent, and others (mainly [[Slovaks]], [[Ukranians]], [[Han Chinese|Chinese]]) made up the remainder.
+
In Pest, the most important sight is Andrássy út. As far as Kodály Körönd and Oktogon both sides are lined with large shops and flats built close together. Between there and Heroes’ Square the houses are detached and more grand.  
  
Hungarian is the official language and is spoken by 93.6 percent of the population.
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[[Saint Stephen's Basilica]], also located in Pest, is named in honor of [[Stephen I of Hungary|Stephen]], the first King of Hungary (c. 975–1038), whose [[mummified]] fist is housed in the [[reliquary]]. There are [[Roman Empire|Roman]] remains at the Aquincum Museum, and historic furniture at the Nagytétény Castle Museum.
  
Regarding religions, Roman Catholics made up 45.5 percent of the population, [[Reformed Church in Hungary]] 12.6 percent, [[Lutheran]]s 2.6 percent, [[Greek Catholic]]s 1.6 percent, [[Jewish]] 0.5% percent, [[Atheist]]s 19.5 percent, and others (mainly Christian) made up the remainder.
+
Heroes’ Square is dominated by the Millenary Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front. To the sides are the [[Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest)|Museum of Fine Arts]] and the [[Palace of Art (Budapest)|Palace of Arts]], and behind [[City Park (Budapest)|City Park]] opens out, with [[Vajdahunyad Castle]]. One of the jewels of Andrássy út is the [[Hungarian State Opera House]].
  
The city's universities include: The Academy of Drama and Film, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the Corvinus University of Budapest, the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, the Jewish Theological Seminary – University of Jewish Studies, the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, and the Eötvös Loránd University (sometimes referred to as ''University of Budapest'').
+
Budapest has continental Europe’s oldest underground railway, most of whose stations retain their original appearance. [[Hungarian cuisine]] and café culture may be sampled at Gerbeaud Café, and the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia and the world famous Mátyás Pince Restaurants.
  
== Of interest ==
+
==Looking to the future==
[[Image:Liszt Academy.jpg|thumb|right|250px|The New Academy, facing Ferenc Liszt Square]]
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Budapest, which straddles the [[Danube]] in an exceptionally beautiful natural setting was once popularly known as the "Queen of the Danube." Its two main parts, Buda and Pest, sit on opposite sides of the river and are connected by a series of bridges. Magnificent [[architecture]] from centuries past remains, and have earned the city designation as a cultural [[World Heritage Site]] and a popular tourist destination.  
{{See also|List of sights and historic places in Budapest}}
 
The neo-Gothic [[Hungarian Parliament Building|Parliament]], containing amongst other things the [[Holy Crown of Hungary|Hungarian Crown Jewels]].
 
[[Saint Stephen's Basilica]], where the Holy Right Hand of the founder of Hungary, [[King of Hungary|King]] [[Stephen I of Hungary|Saint Stephen]] is on display.
 
The  [[Hungarian cuisine]] and café culture: for example, Gerbeaud Café, and the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia and the world famous Mátyás Pince Restaurants.
 
There are Roman remains at the [[Aquincum]] Museum, and historic furniture at the Nagytétény Castle Museum.
 
  
The [[Buda Castle|Castle Hill]], the [[Danube Promenade|River Danube]] embankments and the whole of [[Andrássy Avenue|Andrássy út]] have been officially recognized as [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]].
+
Approximately twenty percent of the nation's people live in Budapest, which is nearly 10 times larger than the nation's next largest city. It is the political, administrative, industrial, commercial, and cultural capital of Hungary. The country's [[television]] and [[radio]] broadcasting, as well as its film industry, are centered in Budapest, as is the majority of publishing and press enterprises. [[Library|Libraries]], [[museum]]s, art galleries, orchestras, sports facilities, and theaters are said to be the best found in Hungary.
  
Castle Hill and the Castle District; there are three churches here, six museums, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. The former Royal Palace is one of the symbols of Hungary – and has been the scene of battles and wars ever since the thirteenth century. Nowadays it houses two impressive museums and the [[National Széchenyi Library]]. The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. The seven-hundred year-old [[Matthias Church]] is one of the jewels of Budapest. Next to it is an equestrian statue of the first king of Hungary, King Saint Stephen, and behind that is the [[Fisherman's Bastion]], from where opens out a panoramic view of the whole city.  Statues of the [[Turul]], the mythical guardian bird of Hungary, can be found in both the Castle District and the Twelfth District.
+
Budapest was under Soviet rule for 45 years and required a dramatic transition from a closed to an open society, both politically and economically. The city successfully weathered the changes and by the beginning of the twenty-first century had re-emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.  
  
In Pest, arguably the most important sight is Andrássy út. As far as Kodály Körönd and [[Oktogon]] both sides are lined with large shops and flats built close together. Between there and [[Hősök tere|Heroes’ Square]] the houses are detached and altogether grander. Under the whole runs continental Europe’s oldest Underground railway, most of whose stations retain their original appearance. Heroes’ Square is dominated by the Millenary Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front. To the sides are the [[Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest)|Museum of Fine Arts]] and the [[Palace of Art (Budapest)|Palace of Arts]], and behind [[City Park (Budapest)|City Park]] opens out, with [[Vajdahunyad Castle]]. One of the jewels of Andrássy út is the [[Hungarian State Opera House]].
+
While Budapest is a popular and beautiful city with generally good public services, there are issues that need to be addressed including the shortage of decent housing and acute problems such as [[crime]], [[prostitution]], and alcohol and illegal drug use. The city's [[suicide]] rate is alarmingly high, an issue to which answers must be found.
  
The city is home to the largest synagogue in Europe ([[Dohány Street Synagogue]])<ref>{{cite web|title=Out of Darkness, New Life|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/12/30/travel/30dayout.html?scp=1&sq=largest+synagogue+in+Europe&st=nyt|date=2007-12-30|accessdate=2008-03-12}}</ref>, the largest medicinal bath in Europe ([[Széchenyi Medicinal Bath]]) and the third largest [[Hungarian Parliament Building|Parliament building]] in the world, once the largest in the world. The third largest church in Europe ([[Esztergom Basilica]]) and the second largest Baroque castle in the world ([[Gödöllő]]) are in the vicinity.
 
 
<center>
 
<center>
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Image:Buda Castles-Matthias Church.jpg|[[Matthias Church]]
+
Image:Buda Castles-Matthias Church.jpg|Matthias Church  
Image:Budapest chain bridge pillar by night.JPG|[[Széchenyi Chain Bridge]]
+
Image:Budapest chain bridge pillar by night.JPG|Széchenyi Chain Bridge
Image:Museum Fine Arts01.jpg|[[Museum of Fine Arts (Budapest)|Museum of Fine Arts]]
+
Image:Museum Fine Arts01.jpg|Museum of Fine Arts
Image:Aftnn St Stephen's Basilica.jpg|[[Saint Stephen's Basilica]]
+
Image:Aftnn St Stephen's Basilica.jpg|Saint Stephen's Basilica
Image:03hősök tere.JPG|[[Hősök tere|Heroes' Square]] with the Millenary Monument
+
Image:Mujegpalya Ice Rink.jpg|Vajdahunyad Castle
Image:04Pesti vigado.JPG|[[Vigadó Concert Hall]]
+
Image:Szent Erzsebet-templom 01.jpg|Saint Elisabeth Church
Image:Mujegpalya Ice Rink.jpg|[[Vajdahunyad Castle]]
 
Image:Szent Erzsebet-templom 01.jpg|[[Elisabeth of Hungary|Saint Elisabeth]] Church
 
Image:Fireworks on the Danube.jpg|Fireworks near [[Széchenyi Chain Bridge]]
 
Image:001parizsi.JPG|Grey Friars Square
 
Image:Budapestoldchurch100.jpg|Inner City Parish Church (Pest, 12th century)
 
 
Image:Church of St Anne in Budapest I. district.jpg|St. Anne Church in Buda
 
Image:Church of St Anne in Budapest I. district.jpg|St. Anne Church in Buda
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 
</center>
 
</center>
 
== Islands ==
 
[[Image:Budapest SPOT 1022.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Budapest seen from Spot Satellite]]
 
[[Image:Budapest Széchenyi fürdő.png|150px|right|thumb|[[Széchenyi Medicinal Bath|Széchenyi Thermal Bath]]]]
 
 
Seven islands can be found on the Danube: Hajógyári sziget (literal translation: Shipyard Island), [[Margit-sziget]] (Margaret Island), and [[Csepel]] sziget (the northernmost part of this island belonging to Budapest is a separate district of the city, the XXI., while the other islands are parts of other districts, the III. and XIII. respectively), Palotai-sziget (in fact, it's a peninsula today), Népsziget (connected to the above, but mostly surrounded by water), Háros-sziget and Molnár-sziget.
 
 
Notable islands:
 
*[[Margit-sziget]] is a {{convert|2.5|km|mi|1|abbr=on}} long island and {{convert|0.965|km2|acre|0|lk=on}} in area. The island mostly consists of a park and is a popular recreational area for tourists and locals alike. The island lies between bridges [[Margaret Bridge]] (south) and [[Árpád Bridge]] (north). Dance clubs, [[Swimming pool]]s, an [[Aqua park]], athletic and fitness centres, bicycle and running tracks can be found around the Island. During the day the island is occupied by people doing sports, or just resting. In the summer (generally on the weekends) mostly young people go to the island at night to party in its terraces, or to recreate with a bottle of alcohol on a bench or on the grass (this form of entertainment is sometimes referred to as bench-partying).
 
*[[Csepel Island|Csepel-sziget]] [ˈtʃɛpɛlsigɛt] or Csepel Island is the largest island of the River Danube in Hungary. It is {{convert|48|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long; its width is 6-8 km (3.75&ndash;5&nbsp;mi) and its area comprises {{convert|257|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}, whereas only the northern tip is inside the city limits.
 
*Hajógyári-sziget [ˈhɒjo:ɟa:ri sigɛt] (or Óbudai-sziget) is a man built island, located in the third district. This island hosts many activities such as: wake-boarding, jet-skiing during the day, and [[Nightclub|dance clubs]] during the night. This is the island where the famous [[Sziget Festival]] takes place, hosting hundreds of  performances per year and now around 400,000 visitors in its last edition. Many building projects are taking place to make this island into one of the biggest entertainment centres of Europe, the plan is to build [[Apartment building]]s, hotels, casinos and a marina.
 
*Luppa-sziget is the smallest island of Budapest, located in the north region.
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
+
* Barber, Annabel. ''Visible Cities Budapest: A City Guide''. Somerset, Ltd., 2004. ISBN 978-9632129860.
* Sugar, Peter F., Péter Hanák, and Tibor Frank. 1990. ''A History of Hungary.'' Bloomington: Indiana University Press. ISBN 9780253355782
+
* DK Publishing, ''Budapest: Eyewitness Travel Guildes''. DK Travel, 2007. ISBN 978-0756624354.
 +
* ''Encyclopaedia Britannica''. [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/83080/Budapest Budapest.] Retrieved August 9, 2008.
 +
* Sugar, Peter F., Péter Hanák, and Tibor Frank. ''A History of Hungary.'' Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990. ISBN 9780253355782.
 +
* Ungvary, Krisztian. ''The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II''. Yale University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0300119855.
  
* Encyclopaedia Britannica [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/83080/Budapest#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=Budapest%20—%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia.htm Budapest] Retrieved August 9, 2008.
+
== External links ==
 +
All links retrieved November 22, 2023.
  
=== Bibliography ===
+
* [http://www.tourinform.hu/main.php?folderID=879 Budapest Tourist Office]
 
 
* <small> DK Publishing, ''Budapest: Eyewitness Travel Guildes''. DK Travel, 2007. ISBN 978-0756624354</small>
 
* <small> Annabel Barber, ''Visible Cities Budapest: A City Guide''. Somerset, Ltd., 2004. ISBN 978-9632129860</small>
 
* <small> Krisztian Ungvary (Author), John Lukacs (Foreword), ''The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II''. Yale University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0300119855</small>
 
 
 
==See also==
 
*[[List of cemeteries in Budapest]]
 
*[[List of famous people of Budapest]]
 
*[[Music of Budapest]]
 
*[[Urban and Suburban Transit Association]] (most of its activity is centred around Budapest)
 
*[[Budapest metropolitan area]]
 
  
== External links ==
 
{{Commons|Budapest}}
 
{{Wikisource1911Enc|Budapest}}
 
{{portal|Budapest}}
 
* [http://english.budapest.hu/ Official homepage]
 
* [http://www.tourinform.hu/main.php?folderID=879 Budapest Tourist Office]
 
* [http://www.bkv.hu/english/home/index.html Public transport in Budapest]
 
* [http://www.mav-start.hu/ MÁV-Start Railway Passenger Transport Co.]
 
* {{wikitravelpar|Budapest}}
 
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Geography]]
 
[[Category:Cities]]
 
[[Category:Cities]]
 +
[[Category:Europe]]
 +
[[Category:World Heritage Sites]]
  
 
{{credit|Budapest|230434330|History_of_Budapest|229278572|}}
 
{{credit|Budapest|230434330|History_of_Budapest|229278572|}}

Latest revision as of 16:54, 22 November 2023

Budapest
—  City  —
Night view of Chain bridge
Night view of Chain bridge
Flag of Budapest
Flag
Coat of arms of Budapest
Coat of arms
Nickname: Heart of Europe, Pearl of Danube, Capital of Freedom, Capital of Spas and Thermal Baths, Capital of Festivals
Location of Budapest in Hungary
Location of Budapest in Hungary
Country Hungary
Region Central Hungary
Subregion Budapesti
Unification of Buda, Pest and Óbuda November 17, 1873
Boroughs
Government
 - Mayor István Tarlós (Fidesz-KDNP)
Area
 - City 525.16 km² (202.8 sq mi)
 - Urban 2,538 km² (979.9 sq mi)
 - Metro 7,626 km² (2,944.4 sq mi)
Highest elevation 527 m (1,729 ft)
Lowest elevation 96 m (315 ft)
Population (2011)
 - City 1,733,685
 - Density 3,300/km² (8,547/sq mi)
 - Urban 2,551,247
 - Urban Density 1,000/km² (2,590/sq mi)
 - Metro 3,284,110
 - Metro Density 430/km² (1,113.7/sq mi)
Postal code(s) 1011–1239
Area code(s) 1
Website: budapest.hu
touristinfo: budapest.com

Budapest is the capital city of Hungary. It is its country's largest city, and is home to approximately twenty percent of the nation's people. It serves as the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation center, and is considered an important hub in Central Europe. The city straddles the Danube in an exceptionally beautiful natural setting and was once popularly known as the "Queen of the Danube." Its two main parts, Buda and Pest, sit on opposite sides of the river and are connected by a series of bridges. Magnificent architecture from centuries past remains, and has earned the city a designation as a cultural World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination.

Budapest was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, Operation Panzerfaust in 1944, the Battle of Budapest of 1945, and the Revolution of 1956. It was the center of political drama in the late 1980s, when Hungary led the reform movement in Eastern Europe that broke the communist monopoly on political power.

Under Soviet rule for 45 years, during the 1990s, Budapest underwent dramatic change with the collapse of that Empire. Despite its relative prosperity and experience with private enterprise, it was not immune to the upsets that resulted from its country's transition from a closed to an open society, both politically and economically. However, the city successfully weathered the changes and by the beginning of the twenty-first century had re-emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant cities. However, there are issues that need to be addressed including the shortage of decent housing and acute problems such as crime, prostitution, and alcohol and illegal drug use. The city's suicide rate is alarmingly high, an issue to which answers must be found.

Geography

A view of Pest from the Buda side of the Danube

Budapest, which covers an area of 203 square miles (525 square kilometers), straddles the Danube River on the flat terrain of the Great Plain in central Hungary. Buda, which is rather hilly, lies on the west bank, while Pest lies on the east bank.

Budapest has a temperate, transitional climate—somewhere between the mild, rainy weather of Transdanubia and the variable climate of the flat and open Great Plain to the east. Temperatures in January average 30°F (-1°C) and in July 72°F (22°C). Winter snowfalls can be heavy, and the temperature may fall well below freezing. Heat waves plus humidity can make the summer oppressive. Mean annual precipitation is 24 inches (600 mm).

The Danube enters the city from the north, and is only 755 feet (230 meters) wide at its narrowest point. The river, which regularly flooded Pest before controls were installed in the nineteenth century, has become heavily contaminated. Air pollution afflicts most districts in Pest.

Castle Hill, which is 551 feet (168 meters) above sea level and crowned by the restored Buda Castle, is in a central location. A steep limestone escarpment known as Gellért Hill overlooking the Danube lies south of Castle Hill, and has the Citadel, built in the nineteenth century. Rose Hill, which is to the north of Castle Hill, is where Hungary’s elite own homes. Margaret Island is a mile-long park with hotels and swimming pools.

The ornate Neo-Gothic Parliament Building faces Castle Hill on the Pest side of the river. The Inner Town, with streets laid out in an irregular pentagon, is the heart of Pest, and has offices, parts of the Loránd Eötvös University, and shops. The Inner Town Parish Church is Pest's oldest building. Andrássy Avenue, which runs straight from the center of Pest to City Park (Városliget) in which the Millennium Monument is located, is the finest thoroughfare in Budapest.

Seven islands on the Danube around Budapest are Hajógyári sziget (Shipyard Island), Margit-sziget (Margaret Island), Csepel sziget, Palotai-sziget (a peninsula), Népsziget (connected to the above, but mostly surrounded by water), Háros-sziget, and Molnár-sziget. The northernmost part of Csepel sziget is a district of Budapest, while the other islands are parts of other districts.

History

Buda Castle during the Middle Ages.
Béla IV c. 1270
Matthias Corvinus as depicted in Chronica Hungarorum by Johannes de Thurocz.

In the first century B.C.E., Celts built a town called "Ak Ink," meaning "spring rich in water," which occupied about 30 hectares (74 acres) along the slopes of Gellért Hill. Romans occupied the town at the beginning of the Christian era, and by 106 C.E., this Roman settlement—Aquincum—became the main city of Lower Pannonia, with a population of about 20,000. The Romans constructed roads, amphitheaters, baths, and houses with heated floors in this fortified military camp.

The Romans pulled out in the fifth century C.E. Huns invaded. After Attila the Hun (406–453) died and the Huns left, Germanic tribes, Lombards, Avars, and Slavs all passed through during the second Age of Migrations, which continued until the Magyars arrived in about 896.

While other tribes spread across the entire Carpathian basin, the clan of Árpád (845–907) settled on Csepel sziget (Csepel Island), a large island surrounded by the deep waters of the Danube, forming a good defensive shelter for the settlers who began cultivating the south part of what later became Budapest. It was under the Árpád dynasty that Hungary became a Christian state, ruled first from Esztergom and later from Székesfehérvár.

The development of Buda and Pest's wide riverbanks began largely in the twelfth century, due mainly to the French, Walloon, and German settlers who migrated there to work and trade along the banks of the Danube under royal protection. Invading Mongols devastated both towns in 1241-1242. German colonists rebuilt the towns, and re-named Buda "Ofen," after its numerous lime-kilns. (The "Pest" name, which has a Slav origin, also means "furnace".)

King Béla IV of Hungary (1206-1270) ordered the construction of reinforced stone walls around the towns and set his own royal palace on the top of the protecting hills of Buda. In 1361, it became the capital of Hungary.

Buda became a Renaissance hub during the reign of Matthias Corvinus of Hungary (1458-1490). His library, the Bibliotheca Corviniana, held Europe's greatest collection of historical chronicles and philosophic and scientific works, second only in size to the Vatican Library. The first Hungarian university was founded in Pécs in 1367, and the second was established in Óbuda in 1395. The first Hungarian book was printed in Buda in 1473.

The Turkish occupation began in 1541 and lasted for more than 140 years. The Turks constructed fine bathing facilities there. The western part of the country not occupied by the Turks became part of the Habsburg Empire as Royal Hungary. In 1686 Leopold I liberated Buda but nearly destroyed the city in doing so. The entirety of Hungary was then incorporated into the Habsburg Empire.

The Hungarian's struggle for independence and modernization dominated the nineteenth century. The national insurrection against the Habsburgs began in the Hungarian capital in 1848 and was defeated a little more than a year later.

In 1867, the Reconciliation that brought about the birth of Austria-Hungary, made Budapest the twin capital of a dual monarchy. On November 17, 1873, Buda and Pest were officially merged with the third part, Óbuda (Ancient Buda), thus creating the new metropolis of Budapest. Dynamic Pest grew into the country's administrative, political, economic, and cultural hub.

In 1910, 880,000 people occupied Budapest and 55,000 lived in the largest suburb of Újpest (now part of Budapest).

World War I (1914-1918) brought the Golden Age to an end. In 1918, Austria-Hungary lost the war and collapsed; Hungary declared itself an independent republic. In 1920, the Treaty of Trianon finalized the country's partition, reducing Hungary's size by two-thirds and turning the multinational state into a nation-state.

On March 19, 1944, the Germans occupied Budapest. At that time, there were 184,000 Jews and about 65,000-80,000 Christians-considered-Jewish in the town. Between 20 percent and 40 percent of Greater Budapest's 250,000 Jewish inhabitants died through Nazi and Arrow Cross genocide during 1944 and early 1945. Despite this, Budapest has the highest number of Jewish citizens per capita of any European city.

In 1944, towards the end of World War II, British and American air raids partly destroyed Budapest. During the Battle of Budapest, from December 24, 1944 to February 13, 1945, Budapest suffered major damage caused by the attacking Soviet troops, and the defending German and Hungarian troops. The Germans destroyed all bridges. More than 38,000 civilians lost their lives.

In 1949, Hungary was declared a communist People's Republic. The new Communist government considered the buildings such as the Buda Castle symbols of the former regime, and during the 1950s, the palace was gutted and all the interiors were destroyed.

In 1956, peaceful demonstrations in Budapest led to the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution. The Stalinist dictatorship collapsed after mass demonstrations, but Soviet tanks entered Budapest to crush the revolt. Fighting continued until early November, leaving more than 3,000 dead.

From the 1960s through the late 1980s, Hungary was often satirically referred to as "the happiest barrack" within the Eastern bloc, and much of the wartime damage to the city was repaired. Work on Erzsébet Bridge, the last to be rebuilt, was finished in 1965.

Budapest became the focus of national and international political drama in the late 1980s, when Hungary led the reform movement in Eastern Europe that broke the communist monopoly on political power. In May 1989, Hungary began taking down its barbed wire fence along the Austrian border—the first tear in the Iron curtain. In 1989, the Parliament adopted a "democracy package," which included trade union pluralism; freedom of association, of assembly, and of the press; a new electoral law; and in October 1989, a radical revision of the constitution, to provide for a democratic multi-party system. The country’s name was changed from the People’s Republic of Hungary to the Republic of Hungary. In September 1989, Foreign Minister Gyula Horn announced that East German refugees in Hungary would not be repatriated but would instead be allowed to go to the West. The resulting exodus shook East Germany and hastened the fall of the Berlin Wall.

During the 1990s, Budapest underwent dramatic change. Despite its relative prosperity and experience with private enterprise, it was not immune to the upsets that resulted from its country's transition from a closed to an open society, both politically and economically. However, the city successfully weathered the changes and by the beginning of the twenty-first century had re-emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.

Government

Budapest is the seat of the Hungarian government, which is in the form of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The president, elected by the parliament every five years, has a largely ceremonial role. The prime minister has a leading role in the executive branch as he selects cabinet ministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them. The 386 members of the unicameral, national assembly (Országgyűlés) are elected for four-year terms—176 in single-seat constituencies, 152 by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies, and 58 so-called compensation seats. A party must win five percent of the vote to gain representation in the multi-seat constituencies and the compensation seats.

Budapest is also the seat of Pest County and Buda District. Originally, Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. In 1950, Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22 to create Greater Budapest. At that time, there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. By 2008, there were 23 districts, six in Buda, 16 in Pest, and one on Csepel Island between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest.

Budapest has a chief mayor, while each district has its own government and mayor. The Budapest Metropolitan Council, which is elected by the district councillors who are directly elected, formally controls the city through a management committee.

Economy

Nyugati Railway Station.
Budapest Ferihegy International Airport.

Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with an estimated per capita gross domestic product of $19,000 in 2007—nearly two-thirds that of the European Union. The private sector accounts for more than 80 percent of GDP. Unemployment persisted above six percent through 2007, and Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57 percent is one of the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Budapest is the seat of government and the center of Hungarian transport and industry, as well as having half the nation’s university students, and about half the country’s income from foreign tourism. The major banks, foreign trading companies, the state travel agency, and the best shops are located in Pest’s Inner Town.

Budapest became Hungary's main industrial center in the late nineteenth century, first a center for food processing, then manufacturing agricultural machinery and automobiles. By 2008, more than 50 percent of Budapest's factory employees work in metalworking and engineering, producing railroad equipment, buses, and river craft. The remainder work in textiles, electronics, chemicals, and in food processing.

Budapest attracts over 20 million visitors a year. The city ranks 52nd on MasterCard's "World's Top 75 Financial Centers" list and 74th on Mercer Consulting's "World's Top 100 Most Livable Cities" list. The headquarters of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology was planned for Budapest.

Budapest is the most important Hungarian road terminus, and is a major railway terminus. In the early 1970s, Budapest Metro's East-West M2 line was opened, followed by the M3 line in 1982. The city's public transport is provided by BKV, which operates buses, trolleybuses, an extensive tram network, suburban railway lines, the metro, a boat service, a cogwheel railway, and a chairlift called Libegő.

The Danube river is easily navigable and so Budapest has historically been a commercial port (at Csepel). In the summer months a hydrofoil service operates up the Danube to Vienna. Budapest Ferihegy International Airport, which has three passenger terminals, is located to the east in Pestszentlőrinc.

Demographics

Population growth of Budapest (1870-2007).

In 2007, Budapest had 1,696,128 inhabitants with a metropolitan area population of 2,451,418. Twenty percent of Hungary's population lives in Budapest, which is nearly 10 times larger than the nation's next largest city. The rapid increase of population, especially from 100,000 in the 1840s to 1,000,000 in 1918, has resulted from ongoing migration of people from villages and towns.

Ethnic Magyars make up 90.2 percent of the population, Roma 0.7 percent, Germans 0.4 percent, and others (mainly Slovaks, Ukranians, Chinese) made up the remainder. Hungarian is the official language and is spoken by 93.6 percent of the population.

Regarding religions, Roman Catholics made up 45.5 percent of the population, Reformed Church in Hungary 12.6 percent, Lutherans 2.6 percent, Greek Catholics 1.6 percent, Jewish 0.5 percent, Atheists 19.5 percent, and others (mainly a variety of Christian denominations) made up the remainder.

The city's universities include: The Academy of Drama and Film, the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, the Corvinus University of Budapest, the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, the Jewish Theological Seminary—University of Jewish Studies, the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, the Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, and the Eötvös Loránd University (sometimes referred to as University of Budapest).

Public services in Budapest are generally good, as are social and health services, particularly in the central areas of the city. Shortage of decent housing is one of the most pressing social problems. Acute problems are crime, prostitution, and alcohol and illegal drug use. The city's suicide rate is alarmingly high.

Society and culture

In 1987, Buda Castle and the banks of the Danube were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Andrassy Avenue (including the Millennium Underground Railway, Hősök tere, and Városliget) was added to the UNESCO list in 2002.

Budapest has the largest synagogue in Europe (Dohány Street Synagogue), the largest medicinal bath in Europe (Széchenyi Medicinal Bath), and the third largest Parliament building in the world, which contains the Hungarian Crown Jewels. The third largest church in Europe (Esztergom Basilica) and the second largest Baroque castle in the world (Gödöllő) are in the vicinity.

Castle Hill and the Castle District have three churches, six museums, and a host of interesting buildings, streets and squares. The former Royal Palace is one of the symbols of Hungary—and has been the scene of battles and wars since the thirteenth century. It now houses two impressive museums and the National Széchenyi Library.

The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. The 700 year-old Matthias Church is one of the jewels of Budapest. Next to it is an equestrian statue of the first king of Hungary, King Saint Stephen, and behind that is the Fisherman's Bastion. Statues of the Turul, the mythical guardian bird of Hungary, can be found in both the Castle District and the Twelfth District.

In Pest, the most important sight is Andrássy út. As far as Kodály Körönd and Oktogon both sides are lined with large shops and flats built close together. Between there and Heroes’ Square the houses are detached and more grand.

Saint Stephen's Basilica, also located in Pest, is named in honor of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c. 975–1038), whose mummified fist is housed in the reliquary. There are Roman remains at the Aquincum Museum, and historic furniture at the Nagytétény Castle Museum.

Heroes’ Square is dominated by the Millenary Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front. To the sides are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Arts, and behind City Park opens out, with Vajdahunyad Castle. One of the jewels of Andrássy út is the Hungarian State Opera House.

Budapest has continental Europe’s oldest underground railway, most of whose stations retain their original appearance. Hungarian cuisine and café culture may be sampled at Gerbeaud Café, and the Százéves, Biarritz, Fortuna, Alabárdos, Arany Szarvas, Kárpátia and the world famous Mátyás Pince Restaurants.

Looking to the future

Budapest, which straddles the Danube in an exceptionally beautiful natural setting was once popularly known as the "Queen of the Danube." Its two main parts, Buda and Pest, sit on opposite sides of the river and are connected by a series of bridges. Magnificent architecture from centuries past remains, and have earned the city designation as a cultural World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination.

Approximately twenty percent of the nation's people live in Budapest, which is nearly 10 times larger than the nation's next largest city. It is the political, administrative, industrial, commercial, and cultural capital of Hungary. The country's television and radio broadcasting, as well as its film industry, are centered in Budapest, as is the majority of publishing and press enterprises. Libraries, museums, art galleries, orchestras, sports facilities, and theaters are said to be the best found in Hungary.

Budapest was under Soviet rule for 45 years and required a dramatic transition from a closed to an open society, both politically and economically. The city successfully weathered the changes and by the beginning of the twenty-first century had re-emerged as one of Europe’s most vibrant cities.

While Budapest is a popular and beautiful city with generally good public services, there are issues that need to be addressed including the shortage of decent housing and acute problems such as crime, prostitution, and alcohol and illegal drug use. The city's suicide rate is alarmingly high, an issue to which answers must be found.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • Barber, Annabel. Visible Cities Budapest: A City Guide. Somerset, Ltd., 2004. ISBN 978-9632129860.
  • DK Publishing, Budapest: Eyewitness Travel Guildes. DK Travel, 2007. ISBN 978-0756624354.
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica. Budapest. Retrieved August 9, 2008.
  • Sugar, Peter F., Péter Hanák, and Tibor Frank. A History of Hungary. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1990. ISBN 9780253355782.
  • Ungvary, Krisztian. The Siege of Budapest: One Hundred Days in World War II. Yale University Press, 2006. ISBN 978-0300119855.

External links

All links retrieved November 22, 2023.

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