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| Background: |
Hungary was
part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which
collapsed during World War I. The country fell under
communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt
and announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met
with a massive military intervention by Moscow. In the
more open GORBACHEV years, Hungary led the movement to
dissolve the Warsaw Pact and steadily shifted toward
multiparty democracy and a market-oriented economy.
Following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Hungary
developed close political and economic ties to Western
Europe. It joined NATO in 1999 and is a frontrunner in a
future expansion of the EU. |
|
Also check out the Budapest Sun English Newspaper |
| Location: |
Central Europe,
northwest of Romania |
| Geographic
coordinates: |
47 00 N, 20 00
E |
| Area: |
total:
93,030 sq km
land: 92,340 sq km
water: 690 sq km |
| Area
- comparative: |
slightly
smaller than Indiana |
| Land
boundaries: |
total:
2,009 km
border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329
km, Romania 443 km, Yugoslavia 151 km, Slovakia 515 km,
Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km |
| Coastline: |
0 km
(landlocked) |
| Maritime
claims: |
none
(landlocked) |
| Climate: |
temperate;
cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers |
| Terrain: |
mostly flat to
rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian
border |
| Elevation
extremes: |
lowest
point: Tisza River 78 m
highest point: Kekes 1,014 m |
| Natural
resources: |
bauxite, coal,
natural gas, fertile soils, arable land |
| Land
use: |
arable land:
51%
permanent crops: 3.6%
permanent pastures: 12.4%
forests and woodland: 19%
other: 14% (1999) |
| Irrigated
land: |
2,060 sq km
(1993 est.) |
| Environment
- current issues: |
the
approximation of Hungary's standards in waste management,
energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution with
environmental requirements for EU accession will require
large investments |
| Environment
- international agreements: |
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic
Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental
Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Nuclear
Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air
Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur
94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Law of the Sea |
| Geography
- note: |
landlocked;
strategic location astride main land routes between
Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between
Ukraine and Mediterranean basin |
| Population: |
10,106,017
(July 2001 est.) |
| Age
structure: |
0-14 years:
16.63% (male 862,468; female 818,052)
15-64 years: 68.66% (male 3,406,717; female
3,532,008)
65 years and over: 14.71% (male 546,992;
female 939,780) (2001 est.) |
| Population
growth rate: |
-0.32% (2001
est.) |
| Birth
rate: |
9.32
births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Death
rate: |
13.21
deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Net
migration rate: |
0.74 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2001 est.) |
| Sex
ratio: |
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.58 male(s)/female
total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2001
est.) |
| Infant
mortality rate: |
8.96
deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Life
expectancy at birth: |
total
population: 71.63 years
male: 67.28 years
female: 76.3 years (2001 est.) |
| Total
fertility rate: |
1.25 children
born/woman (2001 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- adult prevalence rate: |
0.05% (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- people living with HIV/AIDS: |
2,500 (1999
est.) |
| HIV/AIDS
- deaths: |
less than 100
(1999 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun:
Hungarian(s)
adjective: Hungarian |
| Ethnic
groups: |
Hungarian
89.9%, Roma 4%, German 2.6%, Serb 2%, Slovak 0.8%,
Romanian 0.7% |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic
67.5%, Calvinist 20%, Lutheran 5%, atheist and other 7.5% |
| Languages: |
Hungarian
98.2%, other 1.8% |
| Literacy: |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 98% (1980 est.) |
| Country
name: |
conventional
long form: Republic of Hungary
conventional short form: Hungary
local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag
local short form: Magyarorszag |
| Government
type: |
parliamentary
democracy |
| Administrative
divisions: |
19 counties (megyek,
singular - megye), 20 urban counties* (singular - megyei
varos), and 1 capital city** (fovaros); Bacs-Kiskun,
Baranya, Bekes, Bekescsaba*, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen,
Budapest**, Csongrad, Debrecen*, Dunaujvaros*, Eger*,
Fejer, Gyor*, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves,
Hodmezovasarhely*, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Kaposvar*,
Kecskemet*, Komarom-Esztergom, Miskolc*, Nagykanizsa*,
Nograd, Nyiregyhaza*, Pecs*, Pest, Somogy, Sopron*,
Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Szeged*, Szekesfehervar*, Szolnok*,
Szombathely*, Tatabanya*, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Veszprem*,
Zala, Zalaegerszeg* |
| Independence: |
1001
(unification by King Stephen I) |
| National
holiday: |
St. Stephen's
Day, 20 August |
| Constitution: |
18 August 1949,
effective 20 August 1949, revised 19 April 1972; 18
October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals
and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime
minister and also established the principle of
parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the
judicial system |
| Legal
system: |
rule of law
based on Western model |
| Suffrage: |
18 years of
age; universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of
state: Ferenc MADL (since NA August 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Viktor
ORBAN (since 6 July 1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers elected by the
National Assembly on the recommendation of the president
elections: president elected by the National
Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 6 June
2000 (next to be held by June 2005); prime minister
elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of
the president
election results: Ferenc MADL elected
president; percent of legislative vote - NA% (but by a
simple majority in the third round of voting); Viktor
ORBAN elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote
- NA%
note: to be elected, the president must win
two-thirds of legislative vote in the first two rounds or
a simple majority in the third round |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral
National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members are
elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and
direct representation to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 10 and 24 May 1998
(next to be held May/June 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party
(5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary
representation in the first round) - MSZP 32.0%, FIDESZ
28.2%, FKGP 13.8%, SZDSZ 7.9%, MIEP 5.5%, MMP 4.1%, MDF
2.8%, KDNP 2.3%, MDNP 1.5%; seats by party - MSZP 134,
FIDESZ 148, FKGP 48, SZDSZ 24, MDF 17, MIEP 14,
independent 1; note - seating as of 2000 by party - MSZP
136, FIDESZ 141, FKGP 48, SZDSZ 24, MDF 16, MIEP 12,
independents 9 |
| Judicial
branch: |
Constitutional
Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for
nine-year terms) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Alliance of
Free Democrats or SZDSZ [Gabor DEMSZKY]; Christian
Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Gyorgy GICZY,
president]; Federation of Young Democrats-Hungarian Civic
Party or FYD-HCP [Laszlo KOVER]; note - used to be
Hungarian Civic Party or FIDESZ; Hungarian Democratic
Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Democratic People's
Party or MDNP [Erzsebet PUSZTAI, chairman]; Hungarian
Justice and Life Party or MIEP [Istvan CSURKA, chairman];
Hungarian Socialist Party or MSZP [Laszlo KOVACS,
chairman]; Hungarian Workers' Party or MMP [Gyula THURMER,
chairman]; Independent Smallholders or FKGP [Jozsef
TORGYAN, president] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
NA |
| International
organization participation: |
ABEDA,
Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
EU (applicant), FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM
(guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE,
PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO,
UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU
(associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Geza JESZENSZKY
chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW,
Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730
FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New
York |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of
mission: Ambassador Peter F. TUFO
embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest
mailing address: pouch: American Embassy
Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-5270
telephone: [36] (1) 475-4336, 475-4156
FAX: [36] (1) 475-4520 |
| Flag
description: |
three equal
horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green |
| Economy
- overview: |
Hungary
continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and to
work toward accession to the European Union. The private
sector accounts for over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of
and investment in Hungarian firms is widespread, with
cumulative foreign direct investment totaling $23 billion
by 2000. Hungarian sovereign debt was upgraded in 2000 to
the second-highest rating among all the Central European
transition economies. Inflation - a top economic concern
in 2000 - is still high at almost 10%, pushed upward by
higher world oil and gas and domestic food prices.
Economic reform measures such as health care reform, tax
reform, and local government financing have not yet been
addressed by the ORBAN government. |
| GDP: |
purchasing
power parity - $113.9 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- real growth rate: |
5.5% (2000
est.) |
| GDP
- per capita: |
purchasing
power parity - $11,200 (2000 est.) |
| GDP
- composition by sector: |
agriculture:
5%
industry: 35%
services: 60% (2000 est.) |
| Population
below poverty line: |
8.6% (1993
est.) |
| Household
income or consumption by percentage share: |
lowest 10%:
3.9%
highest 10%: 24.8% (1996) |
| Inflation
rate (consumer prices): |
9.8% (1999
est.) |
| Labor
force: |
4.2 million
(1997) |
| Labor
force - by occupation: |
services 65%,
industry 27%, agriculture 8% (1996) |
| Unemployment
rate: |
9.4% (2000
est.) |
| Budget: |
revenues:
$13 billion
expenditures: $14.4 billion, including
capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.) |
| Industries: |
mining,
metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods,
textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor
vehicles |
| Industrial
production growth rate: |
18% (2000 est.) |
| Electricity
- production: |
36.75 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- production by source: |
fossil fuel:
61.09%
hydro: 0.51%
nuclear: 38.4%
other: 0% (1999) |
| Electricity
- consumption: |
35.234 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- exports: |
2.35 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Electricity
- imports: |
3.406 billion
kWh (1999) |
| Agriculture
- products: |
wheat, corn,
sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle,
poultry, dairy products |
| Exports: |
$25.2 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment 59.5%, other manufactures 29.4%, food products
6.9%, raw materials 2.4%, fuels and electricity 1.8%
(2000) |
| Exports
- partners: |
Germany 37%,
Austria 9%, Italy 6%, Netherlands 5% (2000) |
| Imports: |
$27.6 billion
(f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports
- commodities: |
machinery and
equipment 51.1%, other manufactures 35.9%, fuels and
electricity 8.1%, food products 2.8%, raw materials 2.1%
(2000) |
| Imports
- partners: |
Germany 25%,
Russia 8%, Austria 7%, Italy 7% (2000) |
| Debt
- external: |
$29.6 billion
(2000) |
| Economic
aid - recipient: |
$122.7 million
(1995) |
| Exchange
rates: |
forints per US
dollar - 282.240 (January 2001), 282.179 (2000), 237.146
(1999), 214.402 (1998), 186.789 (1997), 152.647 (1996) |
| Fiscal
year: |
calendar year |
| Telephones
- main lines in use: |
3.095 million
(1997) |
| Telephones
- mobile cellular: |
1.269 million
(July 1999) |
| Telephone
system: |
general
assessment: the telephone system has been
modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for
telecommunication service
domestic: the system is digitalized and
highly automated; trunk services are carried by
fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a
program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was
initiated in 1996; heavy use is made of mobile cellular
telephones
international: Hungary has fiber-optic cable
connections with all neighboring countries; the
international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean
regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT)
system of ground terminals |
| Radio
broadcast stations: |
AM 17, FM 57,
shortwave 3 (1998) |
| Radios: |
7.01 million
(1997) |
| Television
broadcast stations: |
35 (plus 161
low-power repeaters) (1995) |
| Televisions: |
4.42 million
(1997) |
| Internet
country code: |
.hu |
| Internet
Service Providers (ISPs): |
16 (2000) |
| Internet
users: |
650,000 (2000) |
| Railways: |
total:
7,869 km
broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge
standard gauge: 7,614 km 1.435-m gauge (2,423
km electrified; 1,236 km double-track)
narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge
note: Hungary and Austria jointly manage the
cross-border, standard-gauge railway connecting Gyor,
Sopron, and Ebenfurt (Gysev railroad) which has a route
length of about 101 km in Hungary and 65 km in Austria
(2001) |
| Highways: |
total:
188,203 km
paved: 81,680 km (including 448 km of
expressways)
unpaved: 106,523 km (1998 est.) |
| Waterways: |
1,373 km
(permanently navigable) (1997) |
| Pipelines: |
crude oil 1,204
km; natural gas 4,387 km (1991) |
| Ports
and harbors: |
Budapest,
Dunaujvaros |
| Merchant
marine: |
total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,199 GRT/1,050 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with paved runways: |
total:
16
over 3,047 m: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
| Airports
- with unpaved runways: |
total:
27
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 8 (2000 est.) |
| Military
branches: |
Ground Forces,
Air Force; note - there is a paramilitary Border Guard
which is under the Ministry of Interior |
| Military
manpower - military age: |
18 years of age |
| Military
manpower - availability: |
males age
15-49: 2,573,119 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - fit for military service: |
males age
15-49: 2,050,404 (2001 est.) |
| Military
manpower - reaching military age annually: |
males:
64,121 (2001 est.) |
| Military
expenditures - dollar figure: |
$822 million
(FY00) |
| Military
expenditures - percent of GDP: |
1.6% (FY00) |
| Disputes
- international: |
Gabcikovo/Nagymaros
Dam dispute with Slovakia is before the ICJ |
| Illicit
drugs: |
major
transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and
cannabis and transit point for South American cocaine
destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor
chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and
methamphetamine |
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