Interesting Facts about Hungary

I found this facts online. Thought I'd share it here. Though I've been here for a year, it is still interesting to learn more about this country. Reading about their achievements at international level, enough to create a new found respect for them. At least for me. :)

• The official name of Hungary is ‘Hungarian Republic’. (Magyarorszag)
  

• Hungary is situated in East-Central Europe and shares its borders with Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.
• The official language of Hungary is Hungarian and its currency is Hungarian Forint - HUF.
• The main religion followed in Hungary is Roman Catholicism, followed by Calvinist, Lutheran and Greek Catholicism.
• Hungary follows republican form of government.
• The largest city in Hungary, Budapest, is also its capital and its cultural, economic and industrial center.
• Hungary is one of the oldest countries in Europe, founded way back in the year 896.
• Hungarian language is also known as Magyar and is the direct descendent of the language spoken by the Huns, who gave the country its name.
• Asian genes form only a tiny percentage of the Hungarian population.
• The Kingdom of Hungary was one of the largest states in Europe, around 1000 CE.
• Hungary was amongst the first communist-era countries that opposed the Soviet regime during the Cold War.
• The Hungarian Grand Prix of 1986 was the first Formula One race to take place behind the Iron Curtain.
• In 1989, Hungary became the first communist-block country to open its borders with Western Europe.
• As per EU statistics, Hungary has the highest death rate by cancer in Europe and also the highest female suicide rate.
• The noiseless match, Rubik's cube, holography, ballpoint pen, theory of the hydrogen bomb, BASIC programming language and the krypton electric bulb were invented by Hungarians only.
• Hungary has one of the most important thermal spring cultures in the entire Europe. There are as many as 1,500 spas in the country, adorned with Roman, Greek and Turkish architecture. Hungary also boasts of 450 public baths.
• Numerous established composers, like Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály and Franz Liszt, belonged to Hungary.
• Till 2007, 13 Hungarians had received a Nobel Prize.
• Hungary has won the sixth highest number of Summer Olympic gold medals.