Budapest ( Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt] ( listen); is the capital of Hungary^. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2010, Budapest had 1,721,556 inhabitants,^[3] down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 because of the mass suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter Area is home to 3,271,110 people.

Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with a unification on 17 November 1873 of west-bank Buda and Óbuda with east-bank Pest.

On the occasion of the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council (until enf of June 2011), take a tour and discover the treasures of this beutiful city, located right in the middle of Europe.

Photography by Amir A. Abdi.