Budapest (UK: /ˌb(j)uːdəˈpɛst, ˌbʊd-, ˈb(j)uːdəpɛst, ˈbʊd-/, US: /ˈbuːdəpɛst, -pɛʃt, ˌbuːdəˈpɛʃt/;[10][11][12] Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈbudɒpɛʃt] (
listen)) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river;[13][14][15] the city has an estimated population of 1,752,286 over a land area of about 525 square kilometres (203 square miles).[16] Budapest, which is both a city and county, forms the centre of the Budapest metropolitan area, which has an area of 7,626 square kilometres (2,944 square miles) and a population of 3,303,786; it is a primate city, constituting 33% of the population of Hungary.[17][18]
Athens (/ˈæθɪnz/ ATH-inz;[5] Greek: Αθήνα, romanized: Athína [aˈθina] (listen); Ancient Greek: Ἀθῆναι, romanized: Athênai (pl.) [atʰɛ̂ːnai̯]) is a coastal city in the Mediterranean and is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates and is the capital of the Attica region and is one of the world’s oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years[6] and its earliest human presence beginning somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennia BC.[7]