Hungary: Flag and Facts
Hungary's flag has three equal horizontal stripes: red on top, white in the middle, and green on the bottom.
- Capital
- Budapest
- Region
- Central Europe
- Population
- 9.9 million (2024)
- Languages
- Hungarian
- Currency
- Hungarian forint
- Area
- 93,028 km² (35,918 sq mi)
- People
- Hungarian
- Calling code
- +36
- Highest point
- Kekes 1,014 m
- Independence
- 16 November 1918 (republic proclaimed)
- National symbols
- Holy Crown of Hungary (Crown of Saint Stephen)
About Hungary
Folk tradition reads red as strength, white as faithfulness and green as hope. Another reading makes red the blood spilled defending the land, white freedom, and green pastures. The flag came from a national movement spanning the 18th and 19th centuries, mixing old coat of arms colors with the idea of the French tricolor.
Tradition dates the founding to Christmas Day in the year 1000, when Stephen I was crowned. For centuries the kingdom held back Ottoman expansion, then became part of Austria-Hungary, which fell apart in World War I. Communists took over after World War II. Soviet forces crushed a revolt in 1956, but by 1968 the country was loosening its economy under what was called Goulash Communism. Free elections came in 1990. Hungary entered NATO in 1999 and joined the EU in the middle of the following decade.
Did you know?
- The Holy Crown of Hungary, also called the Crown of Saint Stephen, is a national symbol.
- Hungary is about the same size as Indiana.
- Saint Stephen's Day on 20 August is the national holiday.
Want to test yourself? The random flag generator has a quiz mode, and the full flags of the world page shows every flag at once.
Questions about Hungary
Is Hungary landlocked?
Yes. Its lowest point is the Tisza River at 78 meters.
What currency does Hungary use?
The Hungarian forint.
Sources
- CIA World Factbook, checked October 8, 2026
- REST Countries data (mledoze/countries), checked October 8, 2026
- Flag artwork: flag-icons (MIT), checked October 8, 2026
Facts are compiled from these open sources and rewritten in our own words. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.