Relief
As a country located in Europe according to AREACODESEXPLORER, the country of Hungary is a great plain that is only broken at some points by modest mountain ranges. It occupies part of the middle basin of the Danube, and its tributary the Tisza. The plain extends beyond its borders, into northern Serbia, southern Slovakia and western Romania. Three physiographic units can be distinguished, the Great Plain, the Small Plain and the highlands of the Dunantul, or Transdanubia and the Highlands of Hungary.
The Great Plain occupies the western half of the country, although in its northern part it is framed by the Slovak elevations near the border. Two thirds of this plain has an almost perfect horizontality, below 100 meters of altitude. It is an alluvial plain, composed of fluvial sediments and loess beds, originating from glacial erosion.
The Little Plain is located in the northwestern part of the country, on the border with Austria and Slovakia. It is flanked by elevations, beyond the Danube, which links to the Slovak mountains. It is an undulating plain whose elevation does not exceed 200 meters. It is also made up of river and loess deposits.
In the Transdanubia region, or Dunantul, you will find a series of more or less prominent hills. Together with the Hungarian Highlands they form the country’s mountainous ridge, which stretches for more than 400 km. The Transdanubia is dominated by the Bakony Mountains, located north of Lake Balaton. Its maximum altitude is Mount Korishegy, 704 meters high. The Vertes, Gerecse and Visegrad mountains are located, of similar altitudes. After the Visegard Mountains the Danube turns at right angles to head south. The Hungarian Highlands are to the north. They are somewhat higher, reaching 1,000 meters in altitude. They include some peaks of volcanic origin. They are formed by the Borzsony and Matra mountains, where the Kekes peak is located, which with its 1,015 meters of altitude is the highest point in the country, Bukk and Zemplen.
Hydrography
Hungary belongs entirely to the Danube basin, which runs through the country from north to south. The Danube borders Slovakia, until about 35 kilometers north of Budapest it turns south and crosses the country.
The other great Hungarian river is the Tisza, which comes from Ukraine and crosses Hungary parallel to the Danube, of which it is one of its tributaries on the left, although they converge outside the Hungarian borders. Both rivers in Hungary have a meandering and slow course, with a lot of flow, although there are great differences between the maximums and the minimums. Another important tributary of the Danube is the Drava, which also runs through Hungary and is taxed outside its borders. The river Sio, which is the outlet for Lake Balaton, is also Hungarian.
In the country there are many small lakes, around the course of the rivers; lakes of origin in a strangled meander, but the great lake of Hungary is Balaton, the largest lake in Europe outside of the great Baltic lakes.
Lake Balaton has 596 km², and is located in the west of the country. Its length is about 72 km, and about 15 wide. The average depth is about three meters. It is fed by the Zala River and drains from the Sio River. The lake has become one of the most important tourist centers in this region of Europe.
Climate
The Hungarian climate is continental. Away from the Atlantic, where the prevailing winds come from, the maritime continental air masses have lost almost all their moisture. Feel the influence of the Adriatic and the Black Sea. The centers of action that act in Hungary are the polar front, which brings air masses from the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the Siberian anticyclone, which acts in winter, when it reaches these regions at its maximum, and the Azores anticyclone., which makes its influence felt for a few weeks in summer.
The temperatures are very contrasting. The average for January is around -1 ºC in January and 22 ºC in July, with more than 20 ºC of annual thermal oscillation. Thus, winters are cold, with many months of safe frost, and summers are warm. However, there are no prolonged periods of intense heat or intense cold.
Rainfall is scarce, and is around 500 and 600 mm per year. They are concentrated, above all, in the summer, which is the rainiest season. However, and thanks to the low temperatures, there are no periods of aridity.
Vegetation
The typical vegetation is the forest Mixed planifolias and conifers. The dominant species are beech, oak, linden, and conifers, such as pine. The forest occupies just over 21% of the country’s surface.
Animals like hares, foxes, deer and wild boars abound ; and the birds that take advantage of the country’s many wetlands are very abundant, such as ducks, herons, cranes and storks.
Surface
The area of Hungary is approximately 93,030 km2. Hungary is oval in shape, with a length from east to west of about 528 km and a maximum width of 267 km. The capital and the largest city is Budapest.