The city leaders consider it their fundamental task to make Budapest a liveable and pleasant city. There are many symphony orchestras in Budapest, with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra being the preeminent one. The Budapest area is 525.2 km², larger than Bucharest, Vienna or Prague. Fifty-nine percent of the Budapest people use public transport to go to work; 29% drive a car and 11% walk. Other nationalities include Romans, which make up 3%, Germans at 1%, Slovaks and Romanians at .03%, and Croats at just .02% of the total population. Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but without official boundaries. Another particularly strong industry in the capital city is biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, these are also traditionally strong in Budapest, through domestic companies, as Egis, Gedeon Richter, Chinoin and through international biotechnology corporations, like Pfizer, Teva, Novartis, Sanofi, who are also has R&D and production division here. In Budapest there are many smaller and larger squares, the most significant of which are Heroes' Square, Kossuth Square, Liberty Square, St. Stephen's Square, Ferenc Deák Square, Vörösmarty Square, Erzsébet Square, St. George's Square and Széchenyi István Square. The rise of population has been phenomenal: its rate of increase from about 100,000 in the 1840s to 1,000,000 in 1918, for example, far outstripped that of London during the same period. The Széchenyi Baths are one of the largest bathing complexes in all Europe, and the only "old" medicinal baths to be found in the Pest side of the city. The culture of Budapest is reflected by Budapest's size and variety. The population of Budapest is about 1.774 million, 17% of the country’s population. Snowfall is fairly frequent in most years, and nighttime temperatures of −10 °C (14 °F) are not uncommon between mid-December and mid-February. The city's largest football stadium is named after Ferenc Puskás, recognised as the top scorer of the 20th century and for whom FIFA's Puskás Award (Ballon d'Or) was named.[222]. [3][93][94] From March to October, average sunshine totals are roughly equal to those seen in northern Italy (Venice). Riding on bike paths is one of the best ways to see Budapest – there are about 180 kilometres (110 miles) of bicycle paths in the city, fitting into the EuroVelo system. Budapest is a city full of life, with a fascinating history and cultural heritage. [88] The Danube was and is still today an important water-way and this region in the centre of the Carpathian Basin lies at the cross-roads of trade routes. Giorgio Perlasca, an Italian citizen, saved thousands of Hungarian Jews posing as a Spanish diplomat. 395,964 people (22.9%) were irreligious while 585,475 people (33.9%) did not declare their religion. [23] After the reconquest of Buda in 1686, the region entered a new age of prosperity, with Pest-Buda becoming a global city after the unification of Buda, Óbuda, and Pest on 17 November 1873, with the name 'Budapest' given to the new capital.

[65] The unoccupied western part of the country became part of the Habsburg Monarchy as Royal Hungary. 12, Molnar, A Concise History of Hungary, p. 14, Southeastern Europe under Ottoman rule, 1354–1804, Peter F. Sugar, page 88, Budapest statisztikai évkönyve 1943 (Statistical Yearbook of Budapest, 1943), p. 33, Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Budapest statisztikai évkönyve 1944–1946 (Statistical Yearbook of Budapest, 1944–1946), p. 12, Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Dezső Danyi-Zoltán Dávid: Az első magyarországi népszámlálás (1784–1787) / The first census in Hungary (1784–1787), Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Budapest, 1960, pp. Today, many of the original renaissance buildings disappeared during the varied history of Buda, but Budapest is still rich in renaissance and neo-renaissance buildings, like the famous Hungarian State Opera House, St. Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. During the Stalinist period after World War II, these contrasts largely disappeared, but an acute housing shortage has persisted. Hungarian Calvinists increased their number from 13,008 (4.8%) to 224,169 (12.6%) between 1870 and 2001 due to internal migration, triggered by higher fertility than other denominations. [83], From the 1960s to 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 finally repaired. Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Budapest, Hungary metro area from 1950 to 2020. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans. German-speaking industrial workers were brought in from the west, and large numbers of Jews moved in from the east. [173] However, the organised crime is associated with the city, the Institute of Defence in a UN study named Budapest as the "global epicentres" of illegal pornography, money laundering and contraband tobacco, and also the negotiation center for international crime group leaders. The demonstrators went to the Budapest radio station and demanded to publish their demands. [165] The nearby Sándor Palace contains the offices and official residence of the President of Hungary. Another examples for Art Nouveau in Budapest is the Gresham Palace in front of the Chain Bridge, the Hotel Gellért, the Franz Liszt Academy of Music or Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden. There are buildings such as the Hungarian National Bank, the embassy of the United States, the Stock Exchange Palace, as well as numerous statues and monuments such as the Soviet War Memorial, the Statue of Ronald Reagan or the controversial Monument to the victims of the German occupation. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Nowadays nearly all branches of industry can be found in Budapest, there is no particularly special industry in the city's economy, but the financial centre role of the city is strong, nearly 40 major banks are presented in the city,[162] also those like Bank of China, KDB Bank and Hanwha Bank, which is unique in the region. It was later occupied by the Romans. In the first 20 years of the new democracy, the development of the city was managed by its mayor, Gábor Demszky. [13], The wide Danube was always fordable at this point because of a small number of islands in the middle of the river. © Budapest Főváros Önkormányzata, 2015. After the Holy League conquered Budapest, they replaced most of the mosques with churches and minarets were turned into bell towers and cathedral spires. Some of the best examples are the Hungarian National Museum, the Lutheran Church of Budavár (both designed by Pollack) and the seat of the Hungarian president, the Sándor Palace.

Under the Bologna Process, many offered qualifications are recognised in countries across Europe. The life expectancy of Budapest residents is on average 75.7 years, with males living an average of 71.9 years and females living up to 79 years. In the chronological order of architectural styles Budapest represents on the entire timeline. These are either informal designations, reflect the names of villages that have been absorbed by sprawl, or are superseded administrative units of former boroughs. Budapest has one of the best public transport systems in Europe with an efficient network of buses, trolleys, trams and subway. The Buda Hills also offer a variety of outdoor activities and views. It has one of the highest population densities in Europe.