Hungary is a fairly new democracy. The country was communist from the end of World War II until 1990, when it held its first democratic elections. (In a communist society, all property is public and people share the wealth that they create.). Hungary became part of the European Union in 2004.

Today, Hungary is a parliamentary republic. The parliament is the legislative branch of the government; it’s led by a president, who—along with parliament members—is elected by the public. The president appoints a prime minister to lead the cabinet, which is the executive branch. The prime minister is the head of the government. The Hungarian president is commander in chief of the armed forces but otherwise has limited authority.

Automobiles, electronics, and pharmaceuticals are all key industries in Hungary. With its healthy plains, Hungarian farmers grow lots of wheat, corn, sunflowers, and many other in-demand crops.