It goes without saying, that the principal cause of the enormous development of Budapest is its political importance as Capital and royal residential city. It is the residence of the Hungarian King, the seat of Parliament and Hungarian rule, as also of all the principal authorities and offices, and of a number of prominent institutions and enterprises, both educational and of public utility. At the same time, owing to its advantageous geographical position, seconded by a sound economic policy, it has become an important commercial centre and the junction of fourteen main railways. The broad-featured development of the means of transport can be seen in the fact that since 1874 the passenger traffic of the railways and ships has increased from 1,700,000 to 44,000,000, the local traffic (tramways, ships and bridges) from 21,000,000, to 220,000,000. The number of trains running has, in the course of 12 years, doubled (now a round 500,000 in the year); the number of letter-post deliveries has risen in 20 years, from 23 to 120 millions; in the course of the year almost 15,000 water craft disembark on both banks of the Danube, and over 250,000 visitors make use of the hotels.

The economic rise also carried with it a vigorous development in goods traffic; which with an import of 84 million hundredweight, shows an export of 35. About 700 industrial wholesale enterprises, among which 11 large steam-mills especially enjoy a universal reputation, and over 30,000 retail enterprises, secure a livelihood for about half of the population; large machine-factories, iron foundries, wagon factories, electric works, brickworks, and breweries occupy the surrounding suburbs; large storehouses and grain elevators, 50 banks and savings-banks) with a joint-stock capital of almost 500 million Crowns and 262 other joint stock companies with a capital of 500 million Crowns, may give some conception of the tremendous development of the Hungarian metropolis. We cannot of course compare it with the large industrial centres of Eastern Europe; but nevertheless, Budapest takes a prominent position among the industrial towns of the continent.

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Adapted from Illustrated Description of Hungary and its Capital