Budapest, which is the largest city of Hungary, is the capital of Hungary. It is also the main hub of the country’s industry, politics, commercial aspects, culture, and transportation. The city covers and area of around five hundred and twenty five square kilometers and is home to 1696218 people. The population has decreased from more than two million people in the middle of the eighties to this level. The people who live here are called Budapestrians or Budapesters. Budapest is the only city which occupies both banks of the Danube River. The right bank on the west consists of Buda and Obuda, which is Old Buda. The left bank which is on the east consists of Pest. This came into effect on 17 November in the year 1873 after the amalgamation. Hungarians call the Danube River the Duna River.
Budapest is thought by many to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is also the hub of culture, business, and tourism in the centre of Europe. Many of its areas have been declared by the UNESCO to be World Heritage Sites, and these include the banks of the River Danube, the Millennium Underground railway, Andrassy Avenue, and the Buda Castle Quarter. The Millennium Underground is the first railway on the European continent. More than twenty million people come to visit Budapest every year, and this has made it a top tourist destination of Europe. Mercer Consulting has a list called the World’s Top Hundred Most Livable Cities, and Budapest ranks seventy four on this list.
Budapest is situated in the centre of Hungary. When entering the city one can see that the River Danube is around one kilometer wide. After that the river encloses two islands, which are Margaret Island and Obuda Island.
The climate in Budapest is transitional and temperate. It is similar to the weather of Transdanubia which is rainy and mild, and of the Great Plain which has a variable climate and is located to the east.