Hungary became a Christian kingdom
in A.D. 1000 and for many centuries served as a bulwark against Ottoman Turkish
expansion in Europe. The kingdom eventually became part of the polyglot
Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell
under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced
withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention
by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began
liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism."
Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market
economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU five years later. In 2011, Hungary
assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU for the first time.
(Source: The World Factbook 2009.
Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2009)
For more information about Hungary:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
