Budapest is the capital of Hungary and the largest city in the country. According to the population, which amounted to 1,745,000 inhabitants as of January 2014, Budapest ranks eighth in the European Union. The city was formed in 1873 as a result of the merger of several Hungarian cities: Pest, located on the eastern side of the Danube, Buda and Obuda rivers, occupying the western bank of the Danube.