Budapest

Budapest (also Buda-Pest in historical texts) (pronounced [ˈbudɑpɛʃt]; approximate pronunciation, Boo-duh-pesht) is the capital city of Hungary and the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial and transportation center. The official language spoken is Hungarian. Budapest had 1 777 921 inhabitants in 2003, down from a mid-1980s peak of 2.1 million. Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the amalgamation on 17 November 1873 of right-bank (west) Buda and Óbuda (Old Buda)together with Pest on the left (east) bank. Óbuda (Oldbuda) had been established as a legionary camp at the Northern frontiers of the Roman Empire in the reign of Tiberius, becoming a munidicipium in the second century AD. Excavations have exposed extensive remains at Aquincum.