Hungary

The name Hungary is the English version of the Medieval Latin word “Hungaria.” The name of Hungaria comes from the Uralic steppe people – (H)ungari, Ungri, and Ugri – who conquered the land in the 9th and 10 centuries. However, Hungarians generally refer to themselves as “Magyar”, rather than “Hungarian”.

Magyars (Hungarians) love Paprika so much, it is their National Spice. There are eight grades of Hungarian paprika, ranging from mild to sweet to spicy hot. The love of Paprika is so great, there are actually two museums dedicated to the wonderful spice.
The national dish for Hungary is gulyas (goulash). Made of peppers, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, diced beef, and of course paprika, traditional goulash is a thick soup or stew. It dates back to the 9th century when it was eaten by Magyar shepherds and other tribe-people.
Yes, Hungary is landlocked. However, at almost 600 square kilometres, Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe – so big, in fact, that it’s often referred to as the Hungarian Sea. Besides the lake, there are over 1300 spas in Hungary and over 123 of them are in the capital, Budapest. The spas are well-known for their curative and relaxing properties, as well as stunning architecture with Greek, Roman, and Turkish influences. Water, water everywhere.
And this is my favorite fact – in Hungary there is a naming law when it comes to choosing the name for the children! Name must come from a pre-approved list and any deviations must be approved by application to the Research Institute for Linguistics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.